Oh how quickly hope fades. It wasn’t all that long ago that the Buffalo Sabres were riding high on a three-game winning streak, ironically after having defeated the Detroit Red Wings they were about to face on Saturday (Nov. 2). Fast forward three games and that streak is now of the losing variety.
Losing to a depleted New York Islanders was bad. But losing 2-1 in a completely dispirited effort to the Red Wings now puts the team on a three-game losing streak (and counting). Let’s get into the three takeaways from the most recent loss.
Will the Real UPL Please Stand Up?
Perhaps the perfect example of how the Sabres’ season is going is the performance of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. He was actually solid against the Red Wings, stopping 21 of 23 in the loss.
Related: Sabres are on the Cusp of Greatness with Small Adjustments
Some still believe that there is greatness in these Sabres. When key players like Luukkonen are on their game, it is easy to see why. But it is the inconsistency that is so maddening. UPL allowed no more than two in back-to-back starts, then gave up three against Detroit and five against the Dallas Stars.
This isn’t to call out UPL directly. It is just generally frustrating that we can’t get any level of consistency out of the Sabres. We all expected having a top-10 goalie coming into this season but goaltending has been a problem point.
Mattias Samuelsson Needs to Sit
If there is one player to directly criticize, it is Mattias Samuelsson. He has quietly been one of the worst players on the team this season and something has to change. Versus the Florida Panthers, he was on the ice for three goals against and none for. Against the Red Wings, he led the team with four giveaways.
Samuelsson was thought to be a solid addition to the second pairing when he was signed to his long-term deal. What the Sabres got, in reality, is a guy who can’t stay on the ice and seems to struggle when he’s there. It’s kind of the epitome of the Sabres as a whole.
It’s tough for the Sabres because you don’t want to make wholesale changes at the moment. But Samuelsson is one of those guys who needs to sit for a bit. Team defense has been really spotty so far this season and it’s clear that Samuelsson is one of those problem points.
Something Is Broken with the Franchise
The last few games have felt lackluster in several ways. One way in which it’s felt underwhelming is in terms of effort. We were all told that Lindy Ruff would take the team’s effort to a new level and that we would get fewer lackadaisical efforts out of the team.
So far, that doesn’t seem to be the case. They can’t put together 60 minutes of effort together to save their lives. Even when they have a perfect period, they typically undo it with a completely awful period to follow it up.
Good teams find a way to win even when they aren’t playing well. The Sabres can’t seem to get there. They have their stretches and then a switch flips and they are back to square one. What changes that? What other changes do they need to make that haven’t been made?
The Season Is Slipping Away
Just 12 games in and the season is already slipping away. They are tied for last in the division with the Montreal Canadiens and are a full 10 points behind the Panthers for first in the division. In what was supposed to be a weakened division, the Sabres are still struggling. The goal all along was the playoffs. At this point, that seems unlikely and an offseason of uncertainty looms ahead. There is still time to make things right but the runway is running out for the Sabres.
