The Buffalo Sabres are 0-3 following a stellar 2-0-1 stint that should have ended as a 3-0 stint.
In the previous three games, the Buffalo Sabres have struggled, allowing opponents to outscore them 15-7. There have been times where they looked lazy on the ice, “skating around,” as some call it. And it’s one of a few reasons they’ve allowed an average of five goals per game over the last three contests.
While they’ve gotten better with at least attempting shots on goal, they have also struggled with consistency. Tage Thompson got the ball rolling against Colorado with a hat trick and before him Jeff Skinner put up four goals against the Montreal Canadiens. In the past five games, Skinner and Thompson combined for 10 goals. The rest of the team combined for just eight.
The Sabres also struggle playing an entire 60 minutes. It contributed to their collapse against the Columbus Blue Jackets in their first game back from the All-Star break, and it happened again last night. Here are three aspects of the game the Sabres need to improve on described in greater detail.