The Buffalo Sabres have been playing decent lately, but decent isn’t good enough anymore. They need a player like Marco Scandella to step up.
Marco Scandella was acquired by the Buffalo Sabres on June 30, 2017 in a trade that also brought Jason Pominville back to Buffalo. In his short time here, he has moved his way between the Sabres top defensive pairing alongside Rasmus Ristolainen, down to the bottom pairing at times.
More from Sabre Noise
- 3 biggest standouts at Buffalo Sabres 2023 Prospects Challenge
- 3 takeaways from the Buffalo Sabres final Prospects Challenge game
- Buffalo Sabres experiment with lesser-known talent in loss to Pens
- Buffalo Sabres 75 Bold Predictions for 2023-24: Prediction 51
- Buffalo Sabres vs. Pittsburgh: A quick look at the Penguins prospects
With the Buffalo Sabres injury troubles on the defensive end, he has once again found himself on the top defensive pairing, and is a driving force behind the Sabres penalty kill also.
Now that he has found is way back up in the lineup, it’s time for him to step up and do something to prove he deserves this slot. Most plays, Scandella can be found gliding back on defensive plays, and forgetting to clear out opposing players from the front of the net. It’s common things like these that separate Ristolainen, Dahlin, and McCabe from him. Last night was a clear example of this. On the Frank Vatrano goal, Scandella is looking right at him before he picks up the puck to score, and reacts too late rather than preemptively tying up Vatrano’s stick or clearing him from the front of the net.
If Scandella hopes to keep a spot in the top four, he will need to play better than he has. I’m not saying he needs to put up ridiculous offensive numbers, but some more responsible 5-on-5 play would be greatly welcomed. If he doesn’t find a way to improve, he may end up losing his defensive slot to the likes of Lawrence Pilut when he returns from injury, or even Nathan Beaulieu.
Last season Scandella was a staple on the top pair, and it was one of the worst seasons the Buffalo Sabres have ever had. Now, that’s not me pinning the whole season on him, but the defensive lapses were happening all the time last year, and it seems to have carried over to this year.
Something needs to change in Scandella’s game, or the scenery may need to change instead.