The Buffalo Sabres have become the poster child for NHL futility. The club entered this season on a 14-year playoff drought. The season started terribly, further fueling speculation about a 15th season without reaching the postseason.
Then, the Sabres seemed to turn things around. They got a huge win against the Chicago Blackhawks, blowing them out 9-3. The club followed that win with another crucial victory, a 4-1 win against the Carolina Hurricanes.
But reality hit: back-to-back losses, including a 5-0 blanking at the hands of the New Jersey Devils. But just when the Sabres seemed out of it, they railed off back-to-back wins against the Minnesota Wild and Winnipeg Jets. It seemed like the Sabres were finally getting back on track. They had briefly escaped the Atlantic Division cellar and looked poised to make headway.
Unfortunately for the Sabres, inconsistency reemerged from the water like a foul swamp creature. Two consecutive losses, including a painful 4-1 defeat against the Jets, signal just how woefully inconsistent the Sabres have been.
That’s not the worst, however. The worst part is that the Sabres are running out of runway to turn things around. The club has played 28 games and doesn’t really seem poised to get back on track.
The Sabres are tied with the Florida Panthers for last in the Atlantic with 26 points. The Panthers are technically ahead of the Sabres as the Cats have one more regulation win and one fewer regulation loss.
That situation just adds insult to injury. Unless Buffalo can string a consistent streak of solid games, the season may be going toward a 15th playoff miss.
Sabres Plagued by Inconsistent Goaltending
The Sabres have gotten irrationally inconsistent goaltending. While some games have been good, others, like on Friday night against the Jets, the goaltending just hasn’t been there. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen wasn’t as sharp as Buffalo fans would have liked. There were a couple of goals he would have certainly loved to get back.
Here’s one, as shown on the Jets’ official X account:
Jets forward Cole Koepke played Luukkonen like a violin. While there’s no taking away from Koepke’s sick move, Luukkonen overplayed his position. That allowed the Jets’ player to move in and deke, firing the puck in the back of the net.
Perhaps the worst was a showing by Luukkonen, which was a shot that caromed off the boards and landed at the side of the net. The Jets’ forward picked up the puck and tapped it past Luukkonen. Fortunately, the goal was waived off due to an offside call following a coach’s challenge.
Buffalo Must Find Sense of Urgency
With the calendar turning to December, thoughts of “it’s still early” have evaporated. The season is well past the quarter mark and barreling towards the New Year. As such, the Sabres don’t have much more time to waste. The club will need to find a sense of urgency if it is to get back into the playoff race.
The standings in the Eastern Conference are still tight enough to where the Sabres can still claw their way back into the race. It won’t be easy, but Buffalo’s season has essentially come down to taking one game at a time.
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