For the first time in forever, the Buffalo Sabres are surrounded by positive momentum. New general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has already been busy, even bolstering the front office with the addition of former general manager Marc Bergevin.
Coming into Sunday evening’s game with the New Jersey Devils, the Sabres had also managed to rip off five wins in a row. With a strong defensive effort and timely goaltending, the Sabres upped their winning streak to six with a 3-1 win over the New Jersey Devils.
Goaltending Was Exceptional
Though Kekalainen still has a decision to make when it comes to the goaltending situation, there are worse problems to deal with than three solid goaltenders. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, getting his first start in six games, had felt like the odd man out.
That was before turning aside 26 of 27 shots from the Devils on Sunday, including an unreal glove save in the first period. The Sabres have a lot of money tied up in Luukkonen, so he may wind up sticking around but it’s nice to see him still capable of turning in a top-notch performance.
The Sabres have gotten major contributions from all facets of the game during this winning streak. The offense wasn’t exceptional against the Devils on Sunday, but the goaltending was and it was enough to make a difference and extend the streak to six.
Strong Team Defense
One of the biggest flaws in the Sabres game over recent years has been team defense. There have been major lapses that lead to goals, ultimately handcuffing the goaltenders and putting them in untenable situations.
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Against the Devils, goaltending was great, but team defense was solid as well. They won the giveaway battle and even tripled the number of takeaways the Devils had on the day. The pieces are there to be a complete team, but it was nice to see it come to fruition.
The Stars Leading the Way
When the offense does connect, it is coming from the guys the Sabres depend on. Josh Norris got his fourth goal of the season and has looked like a stud when he’s been able to stay in the lineup for any prolonged period of time.
Tage Thompson’s goal streak may have come to an end, but he picked up an assist on Peyton Krebs’ game-icing empty net goal. Rasmus Dahlin racked up his team-leading 24th assist of the season Norris’ second-period goal. Everyone who needs to contribute does.
Terry Pegula may not have been totally wrong when he said that they had guys in that dressing room to turn it around. The guys they needed to take the team on their backs have done so and the results are evident.
The Tide Has Turned
For the first time since maybe 2022-23, the Buffalo Sabres have real momentum. Even more encouraging is the fact that there seems to be a real plan to build the front office with experienced hands. This isn’t about winning a Stanley Cup – that is a whole other thing to think about – it’s about building a solid, structurally sound franchise.
In an Eastern Conference that feels very open, the Sabres are putting themselves in the right position to make a move up the standings. As of this writing, they sit just three points back of a wild card spot as well as the third spot in the Atlantic Division. They put themselves behind the eight ball but have been putting in work to make up ground and put themselves back in the thick of it for once.
