Buffalo Sabres fall to Ottawa in an uninspiring performance
By Sion Fawkes
The Buffalo Sabres opened their 42nd game of the season with a 5-0 downer to the Senators.
As if things couldn’t get much worse for the Buffalo Sabres given their recent rash of injuries and poor play in January, they showed no prowess in their 5-0 meltdown on Tuesday night against the Ottawa Senators. Just last week, the Sabres went into Ottawa and came out with a 3-1 win. They appeared to be further turning the corner following a 6-3 win against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Last night, they looked like a completely different team. By the end of the first period, it was over, with goaltender Aaron Dell allowing three of 11 shots on goal. Dell finished the game saving 42 of 47 shots, for a meager .893 save percentage. The loss dropped Dell to 1-8-1 on the year.
Buffalo Sabres fall to Ottawa 5-0 on Tuesday Night
Not that the defense gave Dell much help, recording just 23 hits and one takeaway. Dell could also be facing disciplinary actions for his hit on Senators’ winger, Drake Batherson, a hit the Senators confirmed has also knocked him out of the All-Star Game on February 5th.
The penalty kill unit struggled again, allowing one goal on four PK attempts. The hapless performance dropped the unit’s PK percentage down to just 75.65, which ranks 25th in the league.
The 3-0 deficit dug the Sabres into a hole too deep for a team hit hard so hard with injuries to climb out of. And it showed on offense. The team logged 32 shots on goal and failed to convert. They had five opportunities on the power play and came up empty-handed, uninspiring considering their solid 20.0 power play percentage, which ranks fifteenth in the NHL.
The game provided a bleak reminder of what has become the team’s identity this season: Stretches of poor play, mental errors, and the inability to take advantage of opportunities. The Sabres played the Senators well early in the first period, only to allow three goals within three minutes.
And if Dell misses time given his hit on Batherson, the Sabres will be down yet another goalie with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Dustin Tokarski on injured reserve, Malcolm Subban out for the year, Craig Anderson looking to return around the All-Star Break.
The loss dropped the Sabres to 13-22-7, their ninth over the last 12 games. They are off until Saturday when they face the Arizona Coyotes. If Dell can’t go, the Sabres will turn to Michael Houser, who is 2-0 in the net with a .948 save percentage.
(All statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)