Riding high on a three-game winning streak, things were looking up for the Buffalo Sabres. Suddenly, a 7-5 loss to the Montreal Canadiens turned into a disaster. Injuries to Tage Thompson and Mattias Samuelsson came as a result of the game, leaving the Sabres staring down a loss and multiple lineup absences.
Facing the St. Louis Blues at home, the Sabres needed to rebound. It took extra time, but they got the 4-3 win in overtime. Let’s look at the key takeaways from this one, an important win in the wake of that loss to the Canadiens.
Zach Benson Has Been Huge Since His Return
Though the lineup looked much different coming into the Blues game, there were still a few constants. One of the most important pieces of the puzzle over the last few games has been 19-year-old winger Zach Benson. To say that he has been a jolt of energy since returning would be an understatement.
Benson scored the first Sabres goal, just after a power play expired. It is his third goal in four games since returning from an injury that clearly hampered him through the first six games of the season before he ultimately went out for a couple of weeks.
Benson should have had a second goal, what would have been a then-game-tying goal that was called back due to a bogus goaltender interference call. He plays with jump that few other players on the Sabres can match, plus a level of feistiness that his teammates should be aiming to emulate.
The Awakening of Rasmus Dahlin
There have already been plenty of ups and downs for the Sabres so far this season. One of the main talking points has centered around the struggles of captain Rasmus Dahlin. Through the first eight games of the season, he had just two assists and was reportedly working through some kind of injury.
Related: Sabres’ 5 Biggest Talking Points So Far This Season
Dahlin has come alive since then. In his last nine games, he has a point in eight of them for a total of 12 points. He also has a goal in three of his last four games while playing an ungodly amount of hockey (22:33 is his lowest total over the last seven games by a sizeable margin).
Dahlin is a critical part of this team and as he goes, the Sabres go. There were high expectations around him to start the season and it seems like he’s finally starting to find his form. His defensive game needs a little work (more below), but this is the Dahlin that we were hoping for offensively.
Rebound Control Has to Be Better
Dahlin is unfairly going to be the focus of this point, but an instance of the problem happened again last night. If there is one heavy criticism of the Sabres defense, it is being unable to handle rebounds in front of the net. On the second Brandon Saad goal last night, Dahlin was caught swiping at a rebound that ultimately found its way into the back of the net.
This has been a recurring theme for both Dahlin and the Sabres. Rebound control has to be better. Defensemen need to clear the front of the net and help their goalies out. Devon Levi was decent last night but his defense didn’t do him any favors on a couple of occasions.
Team defense has been substantially better so far this season that it has been in recent memory. There are still things to clean up, however. If the team is going to really compete and contend for a playoff spot, there can’t be excuses in that department anymore.
A Necessary Bounce Back
Losses are going to happen, so while the Canadiens game may have stung, it is part of a full season. The mark of a truly great team is finding a way to bounce back from those losses and cut off losing streaks before they can begin. Beating the Blues is part of that and keeps the momentum from swinging the wrong way.
There is a bit of a cluster in the Atlantic Division. The Florida Panthers are clearly the best team, but there will be heavy competition for the third spot. Right now, the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Ottawa Senators, Sabres, and Detroit Red Wings are separated by a whopping three points.
The Sabres need to find a way to win two or three games for every one that they lose. This isn’t the same loser Sabres team we are used to but they still have to prove that they can hang with the better teams in the division.
