The Buffalo Sabres had no business being in Thursday night's game with the Kraken heading into the third period at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.
Being outshot 30-11 and tied at 2-2 through 40 minutes, the Sabres were looking to re-group and come out as a re-energized team in the third period.
However, the NHL's newest expansion team pulled the plug on any sort of Sabres opportunity early with two quick Jordan Eberle goals to put the game away. The Kraken would eventually go on to down the Sabres by a 5-2 score.
Let's take a look at three observations from Thursday night's game:
1.) Tokarski was put to work early and often
If anybody showed up on this four-game road trip out west, it was the goaltenders.
Dustin Tokarski had one of his busiest nights of the season against the Kraken. He faced 37 Seattle shots, while turning aside 33 of those attempts. Tokarski came into the match performing as a strong backup for the Sabres, entering the night with a .936 save percentage on the season.
Through two periods, Tokarski turned aside 28 of Seattle's 30 shots. He was the only reason the Sabres had an sort of chance in a game in which they produced just 35% of the expected goals share, according to NaturalStatTrick.
2.) Dahlin needs a new defensive partner
Former No. 1 overall pick Rasmus Dahlin took to the ice for the first time with the Sabres 206 games ago in the 2018-19 season.
In Game 207 on Thursday night, you have to hope that Dahlin has hit the bottom of whatever slump he's going through. Whatever made Dahlin the first overall pick in the league, it isn't showing in the Sabres' No. 1 defenseman.
You see flashes of brilliance from him, at times, but the amount of chances he creates that don't go in the net are starting to wear with all of the Grade A chances he continues to give up to other teams.
His partnership with Will Butcher on the blue line isn't working. His one game was Henri Jokiharju to begin the season was average, at best.
Something has to get Dahlin going, and soon. If something doesn't get going, the Sabres are going to have an interesting decision to make with, yet, another high draft choice.
3.) Sabres didn't have energy on Thursday
Maybe they were feeling the affects of the trade earlier on Thursday of their former captain.
Related
Maybe it's just the final game of a four-game west coast road trip.
Maybe this is the real Sabres.
It's still early in the season, but the Sabres started off strong by playing an exciting back-and-forth game. Since heading out west, the Sabres have found themselves on the wrong end of the shot share and the expected goals share.
For a team that makes their living on being fast off the rush, the Kraken beat them at their own game on Thursday night.
Whether that's an energy thing or simply the Sabres regressing back to, maybe, where they're supposed to be, Buffalo is going to need to figure out different ways to attack their opponents.
----------
The Sabres travel home to Buffalo and will be back in action against their division rival Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night at KeyBank Center.
Pregame coverage with Brian Koziol starts at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday with faceoff taking place just after 7 p.m. ET on the radio home of the Sabres - WGR Sports Radio 550.
