Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - As the Buffalo Sabres took the ice for practice on Monday, they could take a look at the standings and find out that only the San Jose Sharks have a worse points percentage in the NHL right now. Buffalo has a points percentage of .375, while the Sharks are at .308.
They go 4-1-1 and look like they’re making progress, but then they lose three straight games, two of which came to teams that were struggling badly.
Both Lindy Ruff and Kevyn Adams talked many times leading up to the season that they had to get off to a good start, but here they are two games into November at the bottom looking up once again.
"We have an obligation as the staff to make sure we have them ready. From our strength department to the coaches that put them through, what should be, game-like drills after practice. Some days high intensity, some days a lot of stop-and-start, some days physicality. Just trying to replicate what you would see in a game," said Ruff following Monday's practice.
At this point, Ruff is not going to celebrate doing some good things.
"It's not accepting, 'That's good enough.' We've got to win games. It's raise the standard, the expectation," he said. "I'm not going to stand here and talk about... we did good things, finish some of the great opportunities and put them in the back of the net.
"We talked, again, about standard, about playing quicker, about don't accept what went on in Detroit as OK. OK hockey is not good enough."
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Adams was hired by Terry and Kim Pegula in June of 2020 as a first-time NHL general manager. Buffalo’s points percentage in during the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season was .493.
In four-and-a-half years, it’s at .471, but .375 in a season where it was stressed that they must get off to a good start.
Zach Benson practiced on the wing with Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn on Monday. He was also on the No. 2 power play unit.
Benson says he feels great, and is ready to get back into the lineup.
Meanwhile, Ruff says it's possible Benson will be able to play Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators. It's all about seeing how he got through Monday's practice.
"Today was his first full practice and I think I’ve seen where one practice or not enough practice although he skated pretty hard through the weekend, but he may need more," Ruff said.
If they wanted to, Benson could go to Rochester on a conditioning assignment.
Ruff also had defenseman Jacob Bryson playing with Owen Power during Monday's practice. Ruff liked Bryson’s game on Saturday, and said there’s a good chance he’ll play again Tuesday.