Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: the Buffalo Sabres lost. They opened the season by losing 4-1 to the New Jersey Devils in the season opener in Prague, then again 3-1 the following day. Coming into the home opener against the Los Angeles Kings, things had to be different.
Except they weren’t. The Sabres dominated the game but managed one measly goal. In the end, they fell again, this time 3-1 to the Kings. Though patience is still a virtue, it is becoming harder to have it with this team. Let’s get into the three key takeaways from this game.
The Offense Is Broken
To be fair, this has nothing to do with the hiring of Lindy Ruff. The offense was broken a season ago under Don Granato. Once again, we see a litany of core contributors who are nowhere to be seen, especially when a spark is needed.
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There is little speed in transition despite so much speed on the roster. There is virtually nothing in the way of traffic in front of the net unless you count opposing defenders getting into shooting and passing lanes. The Sabres are content to remain on the perimeter until the puck is eventually reclaimed by the defense.
The answers are unclear. There is far too much talent on this team for it to be as bad as it has been offensively. Alex Tuch finally got on the board with a great effort and another 10 seconds on the clock would have seen the Sabres with another goal at the end of the first. But those are minor victories in the face of glaring problems.
The Penalty Kill is Actually Pretty Good
It can’t all be negative because that’s the fastest path to “see you guys next season.” The Sabres’ penalty kill is actually pretty good. They have turned aside 81.8% of the power plays against them this season, though it’s hard to see that given how the game ended.
Even against the Kings, they never really felt in danger during the first four penalty kills. On the fifth, they were done in by a 5-on-3 and a Kings power play unit pressing to get things done in regulation. Anze Kopitar is a future Hall of Famer, and it showed with his performance in the third period.
Team defense, as a whole, feels better under Ruff than it did under Granato. It’s just hard to see when the team can only muster up a goal per game. Hopefully, this is something that will be sustained over the course of the season.
Matt Ellis Needs to Be Fired
Matt Ellis reportedly was in charge of the power play a season ago, when the unit fell off from being a top 10 unit to being one of the worst in the league. Here we are in 2024-25 and the Sabres are one of three teams to have played multiple games and yet not score on the power play.
It’s the same old story with this power play. Zone entries are constantly stifled at the blue line, and passes and rushes are broken up and turned the other way. Merely getting set up in the opposing zone has become a gargantuan chore for a group that is far too talented to be this bad.
The only common denominator between this power play and the one that fell off a cliff a season ago is Ellis. Maybe it isn’t his fault and it’s just an extension of the offense being broken. Maybe the roster isn’t anywhere near where we all thought. Whatever the case may be, something has to change.
This Franchise Is Broken
It’s hard not to be extremely frustrated with the Sabres at this point. Patience is being preached but how can that be asked of fans when the playoffs haven’t even been within shouting distance for 13 seasons? How can fans be asked to be patient when the team not only dropped the first three games of this season but did it with such an anemic, pathetic offense?
It’s hard to say what can or should be done. It feels like the franchise is broken, cursed, doomed to never get over the proverbial hump. It’s just a shame to see them wasting talents like Rasmus Dahlin, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, etc. and it’s frustrating to go into every game knowing that the Sabres are likely going to lose.
Something needs to change.
