Raleigh, N.C. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The Buffalo Sabres are hitting their yearly season crossroads early in the year, and it’s at this point where they’ve failed in each of the last 14 seasons.
Despite having only two regulation losses in their last 11 games and points in nine of their last 11, the Sabres are tied with the New York Islanders for the worst record in the Eastern Conference.
Thanks to two straight home losses where they’ve scored one goal, they’re now three points out of a playoff spot. Overall, Buffalo is 5-1-2 in their last eight home games, but all they’ve done is keep their head above water.
Now with a two-game losing streak they embark on a very difficult four-game road trip that could essentially end their season.
Kevyn Adams has built a team with very little depth so injuries and sickness to Josh Norris, Zach Benson, Jason Zucker, Jiri Kulich, Jordan Greenway and Michael Kesselring has killed this team. Greenway and Kesselring are back and Benson has a shot to be back Tuesday in Utah.
Captain Rasmus Dahlin has taken a leave of absence to visit his fiancee who is rehabbing in Sweden after having a heart transplant. This whole situation understandable has taken a toll on Dahlin that most can only imagine. There was no morning skate on Saturday, but my guess is Jacob Bryson will jump in.
On Saturday the Sabres come into an arena against the Carolina Hurricanes where they’ve lost 10 straight games and haven’t won since 2016. After that they visit the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday which is a team that showed in Buffalo is much better than the Sabres. The next night they tangle in another building that they don’t do well in playing the Colorado Avalanche. If the Sabres best players don’t become their best players and fast, they have a real possibility of leaving Denver on a five-game losing streak.
Tage Thompson has not even been close to what he can be. Here’s a guy who scores over 40 goals in almost every season, yet he’s on a pace for 29. Alex Tuch at least is on a 70 point pace, but he also only has five goals. They both are missing Grade-A golden opportunities to win hockey games and are not coming through. When the chips are down and you have injuries like the Sabres have, their best players can’t be slumping. The Sabres are 28th in the NHL scoring just 2.64 goals per game.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was not himself on Thursday against St. Louis, so I’m looking for Alex Lyon to start. Lyon is 3-4-3 with a 2.81 goals against and .915 save percentage.
After winning their first five games, Carolina has gone 4-4-0. The Canes have won three out of four. The Hurricanes are good at scoring goals as they’re fourth in the NHL at 3.62 goals per game. It’s strange because they’re power play doesn’t help at all at 32nd.
Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho lead the way with 13 points in 13 games. Aho is one of the biggest Sabre killers scoring 16 goals and 13 assists for 29 points in just 22 games.
Part of Carolina’s problem is Freddie Andersen is 5-3-0 with a 2.97 goals against and .892 save percentage. Pyotr Kochetkov came back from injury and played his first game of the season Nov. 4 in New York against the Rangers and pitched a 26 save shutout.
Join Brian Koziol and myself at 6 p.m. for pregame coverage on WGR when you'll hear from Ruff and Bryson.
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