This slog of a season continues for the Buffalo Sabres. The franchise has seemingly hit rock bottom when we were all under the impression that the past 13 seasons had already been rock bottom. Rasmus Dahlin has to openly deny rumors that he wants out. That’s where things are for the Sabres.
A comeback win against the Vegas Golden Knights was nice. Facing their hated rivals, the Boston Bruins, the Sabres were hoping to gain momentum. They ended up winning in similar fashion, a late overtime power play goal giving them the 3-2 edge over the Bruins. Let’s get into the takeaways.
The Sabres Don’t Get Credit for Their Feistiness
Here’s a shocking statistic for you: the Sabres lead the NHL in penalty minutes. A lot of that is due to a lack of discipline, but the Sabres have shown in recent months their ability to fight the narrative and get into the muck when things make sense.
About midway through the first period, Nikita Zadorov laid a big hit on Tage Thompson. In response, Jordan Greenway dropped the mitts to back up his star teammate. We’ve seen guys like Peyton Krebs and even Alex Tuch answer the bell when needed this season.
One of the narratives surrounding the Sabres is that they aren’t tough. They aren’t going to win the physical battles like a team like the Florida Panthers do, but the Sabres are showing that they aren’t getting bullied in the way they used to. That’s progress.
Alex Tuch Should Be Part of the Long-Term Plans
There was talk ahead of the trade deadline that Tuch may not be part of the long-term plans for the Sabres. It can be tough to discern fact from fiction when it comes to trade rumors, but if that’s reality, the Sabres would be making a massive mistake moving on from Tuch.
Related: 2024-25 NHL Rebuild Rankings: Post-Trade Deadline Edition
He scored the power play game-winner, his 26th goal of the season. Aside from the 36 goals he scored during the anomaly 2022-23 season, it is the best season of his career. Tuch gets into the tough areas in a way that most of the other forwards aren’t willing to do.
Tuch plays his heart out. He is one of the most underrated two-way forwards in the NHL and eats up nearly 20 minutes of ice time per night. He might not be an elite scorer, but he can be one of the best second-line two-way forwards in the league with the right cast around him.
Special Teams Was the Difference
For years now, special teams have been a point of contention for the Sabres. Aside from the aforementioned 2022-23 season, the power play has struggled mightily to be a regular contributor. Given that the unit is 27th overall this season, it is safe to say that the struggles have continued.
That’s why it is nice to have games like this where the special teams make a difference. The Sabres are actually quite good at 5-on-5, with special teams and team defense outweighing the positives. Against the Bruins, a pair of power play goals wound up being the difference between a win and a loss.
This team has a lot of things to work on, including special teams units that are 27th (PP) and 23rd (PK), respectively. Even getting to the middle of the pack would go a long way toward getting the Sabres back into the playoffs again.
Beating the Bruins is Always Nice
There are few positives to take away at this point in the season. That said, beating the Bruins – even this deteriorated, struggling edition – is always nice. The Bruins are still in the playoff race for the moment, but losing points to teams like the Sabres is a killer.
The Sabres have won two in a row but have struggled in their last 10 games. Given this draft class and the last 13 seasons, the goal is to finish on a winning trend rather than hoping to garner a higher draft pick. Knowing the Sabres, they’ll lose and still find a way to not land one of the top picks.
