Buffalo Sabres: A consistently inconsistent hockey team

Feb 20, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Buffalo Sabres defenseman Mark Pysyk (13) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 20, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Buffalo Sabres defenseman Mark Pysyk (13) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Consistent inconsistency is plaguing the Buffalo Sabres following the NHL All-Star break. 

For a few games there, it looked like the Buffalo Sabres had something going for them. In their first three games following the All-Star break, they sat at 2-0-1, acquiring five out of a possible six points.

Then, the Sabres do what they’ve done best over the past decade: Deliver their fans a dose of fools gold. While the team has turned the corner in some aspects, they have also taken two steps back for every step forward. Something their blowout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets proved.

The Buffalo Sabres are the NHL’s most consistently inconsistent team

The Sabres now sit at 2-3-1 following the All-Star break. Want more fun? Opponents have outscored them 15-7 in the past three games.

Just before the break, the Sabres averaged 2.29 goals per game. In their first three games following the break, they averaged 4.7 goals per game. That number has since cut itself in half.

The good news? At least they’re figuring things out. Slowly, but surely. Once again, they had Tage Thompson playing alongside Alex Tuch and Jeff Skinner. They also had Dylan Cozens, Peyton Krebs, and Victor Olofsson together.

Once again, Thompson, Tuch, and Skinner showed their brewing chemistry. Ditto for the Cozens line.

Unfortunately, they had to play this one without defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, who has become formidable on the first pairing with Henri Jokiharju. But injuries happen, and in a normal situation, Dahlin’s out there making life tough on opponents Ditto for Casey Fitzgerald and Mattias Samuelsson, who appear to be a budding duo on the second pairing, and both of whom provide legitimate long-term building blocks.

The definite upside is that head coach Don Granato is (finally) figuring out his lines. The downside is that he still can’t figure out how to motivate his team to play an entire 60 minutes of hockey.

Once again, the Sabres were holding their own. And once again, they seemed to have stopped playing come the second period, allowing the Blue Jackets to pull away.

The Sabres will return to the ice on February 23rd for another date with the Montreal Canadiens, who Skinner recorded four goals against just one week ago. We’ll see if they can get their act together against one of the NHL’s weakest teams.