Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR) - After winning the Atlantic Division last season, teams are figuring out how to slow down the Buffalo Sabres.
Through the first five games, only Owen Power and Tage Thompson are producing offensively. Both are on an 84-point pace, and Thompson is on a 50-goal pace.
However, it seems like everyone that talks to me blames the goaltending.
Buffalo is hard pressed to get quality shots on goal, and spends quite a bit of their game passing up good shots. Thompson says 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 (against the Utah Mammoth). It felt pretty one-and-done, or pretty perimeter in the O-zone," said Thompson after Saturday's loss.
"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."
Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff says 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," said Ruff after Sunday's practice. "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 Sabres forward Josh Norris has noticed too, especially against teams like the Mammoth, Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild.
"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. That's something we were so good at last year, and teams know that," said Norris after Sunday's practice. "They're not going to give us freebees, but that's on us to just be better and create more. 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. We're learning, and we've just got to get back to who we are."
With all the centers the Sabres have, many are now playing the wing, including Norris, who said he hasn't played there in years. However, Norris feels it hasn't been difficult.
"I played a little bit in my first World Juniors (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," Norris said.
Ruff 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 [to play center]. 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," Ruff said.
It's only five games in, 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.
In Sunday's practice, Sabres goalie Colten Ellis had his own net, so he likely starts Monday afternoon. He's 1-1-0 this seasonwith a 2.91 goals-against average and an .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.
SUNDAY'S LINES:
Forwards:
Krebs - Thompson - Doan
Benson - Ostlund - Quinn
(McLeod) Norris - Kulich - Helenius
Kozak - Carrick (Danforth) - Malenstyn
Defense:
Dahlin - Samuelsson
Zellweger - Crevier
Power - Metsa
Zucker - Grzelcyk
Florida is actually worse at scoring goals than the Sabres. Buffalo is 26th in the league 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 for, while the Sabres are 26th at 3.80. Believe it or not, the Sabres' power play is better, as they're now in 30th at 5.9%. Meanwhile, the Panthers are dead-last at 3.6%.
It took Florida a long time to find their goalies, and veteran Jacob Markstrom has been good. He's 2-1-1 this season with a 1.70 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage.
Markstrom's backup with the Panthers is Akira Schmid.
Panthers forward 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 a minus-3.
Join Brian Koziol and Pat Malacaro on Monday for pregame coverage on WGR starting at 12 p.m. when you'll hear from Ruff, Norris and Ryan McLeod.
