The Buffalo Sabres may be 3-1-0, but this is a team whose goaltending has bailed them out twice in this young season. Can they get it together tonight?
The Buffalo Sabres are a better hockey team, and the way they have performed so far on this road trip is a testament to that. At the same time, they remain a young team, and young teams are far from perfect. In fact, even when they are winning, there are multiple issues abound that opponents can take advantage of.
What’s are the most pressing issues that the Sabres are facing for tonight’s matchup against the Vancouver Canucks? Keep reading for more.
1 – The Buffalo Sabres defensive rotation
Two games, two injured players. And given the way the Sabres defensive rotation has played as a unit since Saturday’s loss to the Florida Panthers, they seem to have no resolve for their current woes and countless number of odd man rushes.
With Henri Jokiharju and Ilya Lyubushkin banged up, the Sabres had to dip into their prospects pool and call up Lawrence Pilut. Luckily, Lyubushkin will be playing tonight, per Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News, as the Tweet below indicates:
Sabres’ lines/pairs during rush drills:
— Lance Lysowski (@LLysowski) October 22, 2022
Skinner-Thompson-Tuch
Hinostroza-Cozens-Peterka
Asplund-Mittelstadt-Olofsson
Quinn-Girgensons-Okposo
Samuelsson-Dahlin
Power-Lyubushkin
Bryson-Fitzgerald
Extras were Krebs, Sheahan, Pilut.
Without Jokiharju, however, the Sabres bottom pairing appears weak. Jokiharju is one of those players who will never light up the league. But he is also one of those guys you could wind up missing.
2 – Power play woes
The good news? The Buffalo Sabres power play, despite its 11.8% conversion rate, is actually higher than Vancouver’s (10.5%). Now the question remains: Can they convert against a team whose PK% sits at just 58.8%, which ranks 31st in the league?
Tonight, there is no viable excuse not to convert at least 40% of their power plays. If the Sabres convert a power play or two, I’ll take it, and they will be one step closer to finding a resolution. And if they don’t, then the time has come to make some serious changes to the unit.
3 – Outmuscling opponents
Over the past two games, the Buffalo Sabres recorded 27 hits. Their opponents, unfortunately, recorded 57. In both contests, the Sabres allowed the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames to beat and batter them.
With a weaker opponent in Vancouver, the Sabres have a chance to exert some physical prowess. Ilya Lyubushkin will play, and he has been a force in this young season. And hopefully, Casey Fitzgerald can also return to form in the hitting department, something that made him at least a serviceable defenseman last season.