It’s no secret the Buffalo Sabres are struggling right now, and things aren’t getting any easier with the Boston Bruins coming to town.
While these are not the ‘same old Sabres,’ ghosts of the past decade have gained enough energy to manifest over a four-game losing streak that has seen opponents outscore the Buffalo Sabres 21-11. Do the math, and that’s an average of 5.25 to 2.75.
Those numbers certainly look like what the Sabres were putting up last November, or really, November 2021 to February 2022. But unlike last season, where they were the ‘same old Sabres,’ we can actually dissect a few reasons for the current futility.
1 – The Buffalo Sabres are thin at defense
I’m going to be honest: Neither Henri Jokiharju nor Mattias Samuelsson will become great players in the NHL. But when they are missing from the roster for an extended period, the Buffalo Sabres will miss them.
Both are productive enough in their own ways to effectively help the Sabres at the blue line, and they are far cries from what we’ve seen regarding AHL-caliber talent like Casey Fitzgerald, Kale Clague, and Lawrence Pilut. Until they return, look for the middle and bottom defensive pairings to struggle.
2 – Don Granato was busy with failed experimentation
I’ve been racking my brains over the past week, and I still have no clue why head coach Don Granato felt now was the best time this season to shuffle the lineups. Not only were the Sabres already thin at defense; they were also facing three of the NHL’s best teams in the span of a week, plus an Arizona Coyotes team that has made a living upsetting more talented opponents.
Clearly, Granato’s experimentation failed, and it seems like he’s going back to a sense of familiarity for tonight’s contest vs. the Boston Bruins. Overall, it was a major gaffe from a coach that, given his recent track record in Buffalo, I would not have expected this from.
3 – The goaltending has fallen back to Earth
Eric Comrie is looking more and more like what he has always been: A backup. While he can give you a few stellar contests here and there, it appears as though starting for long stretches is not his strong suit. Now I will defend him a little here: He has faced elite opponents with AHL-caliber defensemen in front of him.
Still though, he has given 13 goals over his last three contests, averaging to a GAA of 4.33. Then there is Craig Anderson, who, at 41, can only do so much. With the goaltending looking sketchy at the top level, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen once again posting a sub-0.900 save percentage and a 3.00 GAA, the Sabres may have issues in the net for the rest of the season.
Then again, Luukkonen has looked good during his small number of appearances in the NHL. If problems persist in the net, should the Sabres consider? We will find out soon enough.
Article Source: After Vegas craziness, no rest for Sabres as red-hot Bruins hit town by
Mike Harrington
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