It is not easy to find a silver lining in an eight-game losing streak. The Buffalo Sabres are at their lowest point this season, and as the losses continue to pile up, they are struggling to find solutions. Between the team as a whole not being able to do much of anything on the ice, and general manager Kevyn Adams making comments about “palm trees and taxes,” the Sabres are desperate for something to give. Thankfully though, amidst that misery, there have been a handful of players that have looked pretty good. This small group has been easy to notice since the majority of the remainder of the roster is either underperforming, or doing nothing at all, and if things are going to turn around, it will take more than just these three.
Zach Benson, Left Wing
Zach Benson has been rock solid for the Sabres since returning from his injury earlier this season, and even more importantly, he has been one of the most noticeable players on the ice for them during this eight-game losing streak. In that span of time, he has recorded five of his current nine points this season, and on top of that, he has been an absolute spitfire. When the Sabres lost Jeff Skinner to his buyout this past summer, there was some concern about his peskiness being left off the team, but Benson has taken that role in stride, and ran with it. He is constantly up in opposing teams’ faces being a pest; running his mouth and doing everything he can to get under their skin.
In games where a team has been losing constantly, it shows a different kind of mental toughness out of this kid to still be talking trash and targeting opposing players with little extra head games during and after plays. Benson, at age 19, is showing what a valuable asset he can be, and is proving that any player can find a way to contribute. He has contributed on the scoresheet for sure, but it has been his extra work with his mouth, and with his hockey IQ that has made him so noticeable during this tough stretch for Buffalo. There is no wonder that head coach Lindy Ruff has continued to reward him with top-six ice time and even power-play time.
Connor Clifton, Defense
I have written before about how Connor Clifton has been doing well this season, and that trend is continuing. He has settled into his third-pairing role substantially well in Buffalo, and having found his game under Ruff, he is playing at a level that really makes him stand out when he is on the ice. Physicality is the name of his game, and it jumps out at anyone who is watching. If an opposing player wants to cross over the blue line when Clifton is there, a hit is almost guaranteed. He has found the right times and openings to sit opposing players down and use his physicality to the Sabres’ defensive advantage, and with most of the rest of the roster unwilling to do so, it is a breath of fresh air to see on a nightly basis from him.
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Clifton has a total of 29 hits over the course of the eight-game losing streak, and he leads the team overall with 88. On top of that, he has been a steady presence in his own end, while being willing to make plays while in the offensive zone. Three of his six assists have come in the last eight games, and as he continues to have confidence in his game, all of his numbers will continue to rise. He is not a game-breaking defender by any means, but having him be an asset compared to a liability next to some of the other Sabres defenders will make a big difference in getting them out of this slump.
Jason Zucker, Left Wing
Jason Zucker has easily been the Sabres’ best player during this stretch. He has been the definition of accountable, and the embodiment of a veteran, and a leader. Every press conference after each loss, he is out there taking on questions and giving out answers as a player who knows what it is like to win games, and what it is like to lose a bunch in a row. One quote of his that stuck out after their seventh loss of the streak to the Detroit Red Wings was, “I once lost 14 in a row in Minnesota… It’s not a Buffalo Sabre thing, it’s a National Hockey League thing. You’ve gotta learn how to get out of it; it doesn’t mean it’s okay, but you’ve gotta learn how to get out of it.” That kind of response from a player on this team is simply unheard of. He took ownership of the fact that they haven’t been good enough, but he has the mental toughness to know that it is simply an obstacle to overcome.
Having that kind of voice in the room is invaluable considering how young this Sabres team is, and on top of using his words, Zucker has been putting up points to back them up. During this eight-game stretch, he has recorded two goals and six points, while also managing to be a plus-1. He has been, by far their most valuable player, and has stepped up to be the leader they need during captain Rasmus Dahlin’s absence. As they push forward and try to end the streak before things get too far out of hand, Zucker will be at the forefront of that effort, both on and off the ice.
Sabres Need More
It will take a lot more than just three players to pull them out of this losing slide, but it is a good start to have players like these performing well despite the circumstances. Now the Sabres need their usual stars like Owen Power, Alex Tuch, Dylan Cozens, and JJ Peterka to start contributing at both ends of the ice. At bare minimum, they need to find a way to mimic the efforts of the three players on this list, and do some of the extra little things that make a difference in the game. Finding some other way to contribute to the success of the team when scoring is not happening is how success will find them, and they need to figure it out fast, or this losing streak will hit ten games before they know it.
