The Buffalo Sabres face plenty of questions as they head into their Thursday night outing against the Calgary Flames. Let’s check them out.
The Buffalo Sabres are 2-1-0 with the opportunity to roll into Calgary and upset one of the best teams in the NHL. If the Sabres can pull off this miracle, they will move one step closer to erasing the narrative that they are one of the league’s worst teams, likely moving up a rung in the NHL universe.
But this team remains full of question marks, and there are at least three heading into tonight’s contest. Let’s break them down.
1 – Will Rasmus Dahlin continue his goal-scoring streak?
Rasmus Dahlin has four points and three goals. He has also been the one constant in what have been up and down performances from the rest of the team. This season, Zach predicted Dahlin to score between 15 and 20 goals and 50-60 assists, landing him around the 65-70-point mark.
Right now, Dahlin is well on pace to snag 103 points. And while that likely won’t be the case, if Dahlin continues to score consistently, he has a legitimate chance to reach the 65-point threshold. Playing against a team like the Flames, it will be no easy task, but if he scores another one tonight, he will inch one step closer.
2 – Will the first line start scoring?
Against the Edmonton Oilers, the Buffalo Sabres first line logged a solid three points, with Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson scoring one goal apiece, and Jeff Skinner logging an assist. But Tuch’s goal came on an empty-netter while Skinner and Tage scored on the same play. Otherwise, the first line did little to help the Buffalo Sabres win this one.
While it was a start, the Sabres need to see more production from the Skinner-Tage-Tuch combo. If they don’t make their mark early, pulling off an upset against an elite hockey team that are the Calgary Flames just got a lot tougher.
3 – Will the Buffalo Sabres play a complete game?
The Buffalo Sabres were enjoying a 3-1 lead heading into the game’s final 20 minutes on Tuesday night. Then they tried tooth and nail to let the game slip. Well, it seemed like everyone on the Sabres did, except for Eric Comrie, who rightfully earned First Star honors.
Comrie stopped 22 of 23 shots in that period, and 46 of 48 overall. The Oilers outshot the Sabres 48-24 in that contest, and there is no way another outing like that will result in a win. If the Sabres plan on beating Calgary, they need to play all three periods as opposed to disappearing for long stretches.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)