Before I say anything else, let me state right away for the record that this article is not an obituary, though in many ways it should be. The 2024-25 season for the Buffalo Sabres has been a disaster to this point and their loathsome 13-year postseason drought appears primed to reach 14 after a stretch of 13 consecutive losses saw them plummet to last place in the Eastern Conference as 2024 comes to a close.
Despite managing to snap the streak before Christmas and winning the last three games in impressive fashion, the Sabres are currently 14-19-4 and face the mother of all uphill climbs if they want to salvage anything from this season. However, all is not completely lost.
Though losing 13 in a row and sitting at five games under .500 would make it seem like the Sabres don’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell, they’re somehow only seven points out of a playoff spot, hardly a slim margin but not an insurmountable one by any means. It’s a testament to how abysmal the East has been this season and a peculiar bit of good fortune for a franchise that seems to never have any at all. Incredible as it seems, the Sabres aren’t toast yet, but do they have what it takes to turn it around?
Unlucky 13
The 13-game skid was every bit as soul-sucking as one could guess but what’s truly disheartening is that it looked as if the Sabres had finally put it together beforehand. Prior to its beginning on Nov. 27, the team had won seven of the previous nine and was surging in the standings. However, that momentum was quickly trounced and 23 of a possible 26 points were left on the board afterwards. Though in fairness most of the losses were in close games, the Sabres still looked about as bad as could be throughout.
Head coach Lindy Ruff was brought back to instill diligence and accountability in a team that obviously had an issue with both. And though he’s tried his best to do so, his efforts have failed and the problem may have even gotten worse. Unlike his predecessor Don Granato, Ruff isn’t afraid of doling out punishment when he sees fit and has numerous times thus far. A number of players have been benched after turning in meager efforts, some have even been scratched altogether. But the message doesn’t land, and for one reason: heart.
Heart is the most important quality in sports and you’re not going to win without it, regardless of whether it’s hockey, football or table tennis. It wouldn’t be accurate to say that the Sabres have no heart at all because some players certainly do, Zach Benson a glimmering example. But the team as a whole lacks it fundamentally and has proven that talent and ability are no substitute for it. It’s said that the tough times bring out one’s true character, and if there’s any truth to that, the Sabres don’t have much at all and there are numerous examples to go by.
Rasmus Dahlin has been profoundly underwhelming as captain and hasn’t been the vocal leader he was expected to be. Equally problematic is that Alex Tuch, whom some consider to be the real captain, hasn’t really been any better. Dylan Cozens has become such a shell of the player that once endeared himself with his gumption that he’s even starting to come up in trade rumors. The team as a whole comes off as lazy, dispassionate and sometimes downright lifeless, and that’s an extraordinarily bad look when you haven’t played in a postseason game since 2011.
Is Redemption Possible?
However, if there’s a shred of hope for Buffalo, it’s reared its head over the last week. After dropping 13 straight, the Sabres have now won their last three after a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Sunday and have scored 17 goals in that span. Perhaps for the first time all season, the entire team looks truly dialed in and a number of players have experienced a resurgence. Dahlin has seven points after recording none in his previous five while Jack Quinn has six after having just two in his previous 11. Tuch netted the third hat trick of his career on Friday after having one point in his previous nine.
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It’s served as a needed palette cleanser for fans and has also implied that maybe, just maybe, this team isn’t done yet. But if this season is to be resurrected, that positivity is going to have to continue. Over the last three games the Sabres have shown what they’re truly capable of when everyone is invested, but the problem is that they haven’t gotten that nearly enough to this point. It therefore begs the question: are they capable of being that team on a consistent basis?
On one hand, it’s troubling that such a question is warranted at all, but at the same time, it’s encouraging. The Sabres have been just plain bad in the past but that truly isn’t the case here. This team is loaded with talent and can hang with the best of them when they’re on their game, the problem has always been effort. In many ways, the Sabres are in control of their own destiny. In a wide-open Eastern Conference, they can easily make up ground if they can get everyone on the same page, but that is a colossal if.
For the last season and a half Buffalo has struggled to present a united front and not even bringing on one of the game’s most hardnosed coaches has been able to remedy it to this point. If its last three are anything to go off, this team has no ceiling. But if the Sabres continue to come out flatter than Texas on a nightly basis, they’ll only continue to squander what little positives they’ve had to this point. Perhaps the 13-game skid was necessary to demonstrate that effort and drive are always needed, and from everyone in the lineup.
What do you think? Have the Sabres dug themselves too deep a hole, or can they put it together in the second half and make something of this season after all?
