Things are bottoming out quickly for the Buffalo Sabres. It wasn’t all that long ago that the team was sitting in third in the Atlantic Division, yet they entered Wednesday’s tilt with the New York Rangers having lost their seventh in a row after dropping a 6-5 shootout decision to the Detroit Red Wings.
Though everyone knows changes are needed, when or if they will come remains to be seen. Instead, we can now focus on another sorry effort, another loss (3-2 to the Rangers), and another day of wondering if this franchise will ever turn things around. Let’s get to the takeaways.
Owen Power Is Quietly Having a Very Good Season
It’s hard to find a bright spot in this abysmal season, but it is hard to ignore what Owen Power is doing. Averaging 22 minutes per night (though slightly more in the absence of Rasmus Dahlin), Power is playing the best offensive hockey of his career and starting to find himself in his own zone.
He has always had a sense of poise and quiet confidence, though last season saw him take a noticeable step back. So far in the 2024-25 campaign, however, he has found a new dimension to his game. He is more active in the offensive zone and the results are already there.
He added a goal and an assist on Wednesday, already putting him better than halfway to his career-high of 35 points (he has 19 currently). Power seems to be one of the few Sabres playing with any level of confidence at this stage and it’s nice to know that at least one thing is panning out for the team.
Has Anyone Seen J.J. Peterka?
We all know about the disappearances of Dylan Cozens, recently seen alive and somewhat functional, and Jack Quinn, but someone has joined him of late and it’s having a devastating impact on the team: J.J. Peterka. Though he isn’t subject to trade rumors like the aforementioned young guns, Peterka’s struggles are very noticeable.
Related: Flames Have Intriguing Trade Option in Sabres’ Dylan Cozens
After beginning the season with points in 12 of his first 16 games, Peterka has disappeared offensively. In fact, the assist he logged on Tage Thompson’s late goal was his first point in five games and just his second in 11 games. That kind of production is unforgivable for what is clearly supposed to be a top-line talent.
At this point, it just underscores the dysfunction within the franchise. Key players have been disappearing left and right so far this season and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Peterka falling off the face of the earth is yet another obstacle the Sabres are not prepared to deal with.
This Team Has No Urgency
We are getting dangerously close to “quit watch” with this team and the calendar hasn’t even turned to the new year yet. The Sabres had a late push but by that point, it was too little, too late. If anything, it is a typical Sabres move to fall behind by multiple goals before scoring one to make it look like there’s a modicum of hope.
For a team that had lost seven in a row coming into the game, there’s just no fight or urgency from the guys who matter most. But what else can we expect? This is the team whose leaders talked about how they were “allowed” to give less than 100% a season ago.
The best and most competitive teams don’t have to be told to give it their all. Do you think Nathan MacKinnon would let the Avalanche slack? Would Connor McDavid accept less than 100% from anyone in Edmonton? That is the difference between winning franchises and the Sabres.
Right Back to Being a Joke
It didn’t take long, but the franchise is a joke again. General manager Kevyn Adams didn’t help matters with his palm trees comment, leading to fans bringing inflatable palm trees to games. When fans are openly poking fun at the team, you know things have gone off the rails.
At this stage of the season, most fans are begging for it to be over. Between now and the end of the year, the schedule doesn’t get any easier thanks to games against the Washington Capitals, Toronto Maple Leafs (twice), Boston Bruins, New York Islanders, and Dallas Stars. As ugly as things have been, this losing streak could easily hit double-digits before it is broken.
