Sabres need to improve the attack

Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR) After winning the Atlantic Division last season teams are figuring out how to slow down the Buffalo Sabres. Only Owen Power and Tage Thompson are producing offensively. Both are on an 84 point pace and Thompson a 50 goal pace, but it seems like everyone that talks to me blames to goaltending.

Buffalo is hard pressed to get quality shots on goal and spend quite a bit of their game passing up good shots. Tage Thompson said it stems from other teams realizing they must take Buffalo's rush chances away as they Sabres have one goal in two games

"We really didn't generate a whole lot (vs Utah) it felt pretty one and done or pretty perimeter in the O-zone.

"We've just got to get to the net, throw pucks and get bodies there and just get ugly, you get rewarded when you go to the net and good things happen, it's something that our group can do a lot better job of, we're waiting for a perfect play or a clear lane and a perfect shot instead of just firing and getting bodies there, keep it simple."

Lindy Ruff said they are not doing a good enough job of putting pucks behind the defense where they can get in on the forecheck,

"It has to be a lot better, way too many times we're giving it to the goaltender and goaltenders now are pretty good at negating a forecheck, but we've been caught stationary through the neutral zone and you don't get a good dump in or you don't get it around the yellow, the advantage usually goes to the team that's breaking out."

It's something that Josh Norris has noticed too, especially against teams like Utah, Dallas and Minnesota,

"Especially the last three games at home, I feel like they try not to give us too much, they play a game where they know they can't turn pucks over and give chances because we're going to make you pay and that's something we were so good at last year and teams know that so they're not going to give us freebees, but that's on us to just be better and create more and if you've got to chip it in and go get it then that's what you've got to do.

"Sometimes you go into these cold games where you're not scoring and I think you figure out a lot about your team during these times, it's tough to have that at the start of the year and it's a new year and we're learning and we've just got to get back to who we are."

With all the centers that the Sabres have, many are now playing the wing including Norris who said he hasn't played there in years, but it hasn't been difficult,

"No I don't think so, I played a little bit in my first world junior (2018 for Team USA) and a little bit when I had my shoulder stuff I was playing wing, but I like wing, we have so many centers on this team and somebody has got to play wing, so center or wing, it doesn't matter. we just go out there and try to play our best and if it's center, it's center and if it's wing, it's wing, it doesn't really matter to me too much."

Ruff said he knew Norris had the ability to move and play the wing,

"It's a lot easier to take a center and put him on the wing than it is to take a winger, so I just think when you look at his game, and if he can get back and get enough gap where he can come up with a lot of speed which there's been times where he's been able to, if we can get a few more off puck plays where we're getting it to wide ice, that's where his speed on the wing can make a difference."

It's only five games, but at 2-3-0, only the Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers are worse in the Eastern Conference than the Sabres. Monday's opponent to end the homestand, the Florida Panthers are 2-1-2.

Florida is actually worse at scoring goals than the Sabres. Buffalo is 26th at 2.20 goals per game while the Panthers are 30th at 1.80.

The difference is goals against, Florida is seventh at 2.40 while the Sabres are 26th at 3.80. Believe it or not the Sabres power play is better. Buffalo is 30th at 5.9% while the Panthers are dead last at 3.6%.

It took Florida a long time to find their goalies and Jacob Markstrom has been good. He's 2-1-1 with a 1.70 goals against and .916 save percentage. His backup is Akira Schmid.

In scoring Matthew Tkachuk is leading the way with three goals and an assist for four points. In five games his brother Brady has no points and is minus-3.

In Sunday's practice Colten Ellis had his own net so he likely starts Monday afternoon. He's 1-1-0 with a 2.91 goals against and .880 save percentage.

Jiri Kulich and Konsta Helenius had seats in the press box against the Mammoth, but both appear to be drawing back in as they were on regular line shifts in practice.

Join Brian Koziol and Pat Malacaro on Monday for the pregame starting at noon as you'll hear from Ruff, Norris and Ryan McLeod.

SUNDAY'S LINES:

Krebs - Thompson - Doan

Benson - Ostlund - Quinn

(McLeod) Norris - Kulich - Helenius

Kozak - Carrick (Danforth) - Malenstyn

Dahlin - Samuelsson

Zellweger - Crevier

Power - Metsa

Zucker - Grzelcyk