The Buffalo Sabres came into their afternoon tilt with the Montreal Canadiens riding high. On Thursday, they crushed a New York Rangers team that many have contending for a Stanley Cup, followed by a hard-fought win over the Calgary Flames 3-2 on Saturday. Extending the streak over the lowly Canadiens felt academic.
Yet here we sit, with the Sabres losing a 7-5 blowout. Everything that could have gone wrong did, and even a few valiant comebacks weren’t enough to hang on. There are more than a few things to take away from this loss.
Sabres Defense and Goaltending Was Non-Existent
This could not have been an uglier game for the Sabres. The Canadiens only managed 23 shots but scored six goals. The seventh was an empty-netter in which Dylan Cozens busted to try and stop it, only to have his efforts wasted when there were two more untouched Canadiens to clean up the play.
Goaltending wasn’t good at all – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was pulled at the end of the second period – but it’s hard to criticize the performance of the netminders when Cole Caufield was left wide open on the fifth Montreal goal. An utter embarrassment in terms of team defense after such a strong stretch.
These games happen from time to time, but it’s hard to swallow. The team also tends to play to their competition, and they can’t afford to if they want to make the playoffs.
Thompson Left Early
Tage Thompson scored his 11th goal of the season on a pretty move to the front of the net to tie the game 1-1. Unfortunately, that was all we saw of him. He left the game early, apparently dealing with a lower-body injury, and did not return to action.
It goes without saying, but this is a Defcon 1 for the Sabres. Losing Thompson for an extended period would be devastating to the offense as well as team morale. We’re far enough into the season that there is no room for lulls, and it feels like Thompson’s absence would be an excuse to sleepwalk through the schedule.
Whatever the case may be, hopefully, it is a minor injury. He battled injuries a season ago, and he struggled to catch up on his return. The Sabres can’t afford to lose key components, and no one is more important right now than, arguably, Thompson.
Sabres Take Too Many Penalties
The Sabres took a whopping six penalties on the day, including one off a failed challenge. That is far too many for any game, let alone one when the goaltending can’t stop a beach ball.
Rob Ray pointed out during the broadcast that the Sabres go as their penalty kill goes. When they are sharp, as they have been over their last several games, they win. When they flounder – and they gave up two power-play goals today – they lose. If they are going to be a great team, that can’t happen.
Related: Sabres Are on the Cusp of Greatness with Small Adjustments
The Sabres play with a level of chippiness that they didn’t before. It’s nice to see players like Peyton Krebs and Zach Benson being unwilling to take crap from anyone. But at some point, it can be sloppy, and they become costly. The Sabres have to clean up their play – they rank fifth in penalties per game so far.
Not the End of the World, But a Rebound Is Needed
Losing a game like this to one of the league’s worst teams could send the fanbase into a panic. After all, the last time the Sabres won three straight, they followed it up by losing three straight. While a doom-and-gloom reaction isn’t necessary, the Sabres have to rebound with a win over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night.
Losing that game will no doubt get everyone feeling like a tailspin is coming. Momentum is a precious thing, and the Sabres can’t afford to squander it. Losses will happen in an 82-game season. Good teams respond with a better effort the next time out.
