Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - It just gets to the point where you have to say this team is who they are.
Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams has built a team that in the last two years, plus 28 games, has shown they are mentally weak. When things get tough, they are not capable of performing.
They show spurts of playing extremely well as a team and playing with confidence, but they can’t maintain it and just panic. They sit back, and nobody wants the puck. They play so well, they chase the goaltender and then the next guy comes in and winds up winning the game.
I’ve never seen a team that is so good at letting teams back into games.
The Detroit Red Wings came to Buffalo with a five-game losing streak. The Sabres turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead before the first period was over. They gave up a goal early in the second frame, but they were now facing Sebastian Cossa in relief, playing his first NHL game. Nic Aube-Kubel and Jason Zucker gave the Sabres a 5-3 lead on the kid before the period was over.
Instead of keeping the foot on the gas and attacking the rookie, they let him stand in his crease and watch the game. He saw four shots in the third period, and he watched the Sabres sit back, too afraid to make plays and panic.
That included a power play for Buffalo with 2:19 left, where the Sabres couldn’t even get the puck into the zone and set up.
In 45 minutes, a rookie playing in his first NHL game looked at exactly 14 shots on goal.
In overtime, the Sabres were scared to death to make a mistake, so they played pretty much five minutes of keep away hockey. They made one play, as Ryan McLeod stole the puck and walked in all alone. He beat Cossa, but hit the goal post on a backhand deke.
Again, just another example of not completing the play when they needed it the most.
In the shootout, Buffalo's two best goal scorers, Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka, came up empty against a rookie goalie, who had never been in an NHL shootout. Alex Tuch scored, but it wasn't enough, because both Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin scored on their former teammate James Reimer to secure the win.
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In the last four losses, the Sabres have had the lead and blown it. Against the Colorado Avalanche, they had a 4-1 third period lead and didn’t even get a point out of the game.
More than midway through the third period in Monday’s game, this team had a two-goal lead and couldn’t hold it. At least they got one point out of this game.
What's worse is they gift-wrapped two points in the standings to a team they were tied with, and only got one themselves. If they showed just an ounce of composure, they could've left with two points, while giving Detroit none.
Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff has said time-and-time again that this team has to get comfortable at being uncomfortable. I just don't know how he gets them there, because in two seasons and 28 games, all I’ve seen is the most mentally weak team that I have ever covered.
What is amazing is even after seven-straight losses, this team is still only three points out of a playoff spot. They have to leapfrog five teams to get there, but that's something they've gotten very used to over the last 13 years.
It's never worked for them before, but who knows, at this point. There are still 54 games left.