Denver, Colo. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The Buffalo Sabres weren’t ready to play against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night. They, once again, gave up goals with total unawareness around them, and got Alex Lyon pulled from the net just 6:10 into the game after they gave up two goals on three shots.
When all was said and done, the Sabres went on to fall, 6-3, securing a third-straight loss on this four-game road trip.
Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff stressed after the game that changing goalies had nothing to do with Lyon, and everything to do with waking his team up.
Mackenzie Blackwood was only playing his third game of the season in goal for Colorado, and it looked like it. His rustiness allowed the Sabres to get back into the game.
It also helped that the NHL’s best team wasn’t playing at its best on Thursday.
First, Alex Tuch made it 2-1 when Blackwood dropped Tuch’s shot from the left wing wall. Tage Thompson, who said he was much more comfortable playing center in this game, was at the crease and knocked the puck over to Bo Byram, who tapped it into the open net against his former team.
A little later, Jordan Greenway went to the net hard and got a pass from Owen Power, as he simply just shot the puck through Blackwood to make the score 3-2, Colorado.
The Sabres stopped chasing the Avalanche around the arena, which helped them defend better and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made some key saves.
That eventually allowed the Sabres to tie the game at 3-3 on a second-period power play chance. A Thompson one-timer, which didn’t have the velocity it normally does, fooled Blackwood and the game was even.
At the end of the day, even though Colorado wasn’t at its best, it was still good enough to beat the worst team in the Eastern Conference and third-worst team in the NHL.
Buffalo did play better, especially Thompson, who rarely this season has been one of the Sabres' best players. The forward looked comfortable at center, but in the end, what does it matter?
This team has to win hockey games, and they’re not very good at it. Buffalo has one win in nine games, and have pretty much taken themselves out of contention for a 15th-straight season, and we’re not even at Thanksgiving yet.
The Sabres are eight points behind the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins. Those are all teams mentioned as targets for the Sabres to pass this season.
Buffalo is now six points out of a playoff spot with eight teams to leapfrog to get into the playoffs. Injuries have been a factor, no question, but the Senators have been without captain Brady Tkachuk and forward Drake Batherson, who came back recently, and they find ways to overcome it.
For the second-straight season, general manager Kevyn Adams has sat and watched his team play itself out of contention by late November. That must be OK, though, with owner Terry Pegula.
Last we heard from Pegula was in 2020, where he said he wanted to be heard. Well, I guess he’s being heard.
The Sabres flew from Denver to Detroit on Friday, where they will play the Red Wings on Saturday night.
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