NHL lead in goals, losing streaks: Who are the 2022-23 Buffalo Sabres?
By Sion Fawkes
The Buffalo Sabres recently won their fourth game in a row and lead the league in goals scored with 127. But they’ve also had some downers.
If you look up the word ‘irony’ in the dictionary, either online or in a physical copy, you would see the 2022-23 Buffalo Sabres beside the definition. It’s ironic, to say the least, that the NHL’s youngest team leads the league in goals scored, yet are sitting at 34 points and are another four points behind the Washington Capitals in the wild card race.
It’s also ironic that this is the same hockey team that, just 40 days ago, was in the midst of a losing streak that had a few fans toying with the idea of winning the Connor Bedard sweepstakes. During that streak, the Sabres could not have been more dysfunctional on offense.
Who are the 2022-23 Buffalo Sabres?
The answer is simple: The 2022-23 Buffalo Sabres are a young hockey team. During the eight-game losing streak, the Sabres were simultaneously hit hard with injuries, especially to their defensive rotation.
Okay, but that’s also the case now, yet goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is crushing it in the net, as is Craig Anderson. So what’s the difference? Remember, back in November, head coach Don Granato was, for some reason, shifting lineups.
This is what most likely led to the eight-game losing streak and the Sabres playing as bad as they did during that span. While some good, like the Kid Line, came out of it, Granato’s constant shifting led to unfamiliarity between teammates with little experience playing on the same lines.
Couple that with the endless injuries in the defensive rotation, and you have a recipe for disaster. So who are the 2022-23 Buffalo Sabres? Now that their lines are set, barring injury or suspension, they are a young team coming into their own.
One of the better teams in the league? I’d say they are closer to the top 16 than they were over the past three seasons. Does it mean playoffs? It means sticking around the wild card race for a while. I can give you that much.
Must Read. Sabres: A sincere apology to Ukko Pekka Luukkonen. light
Overall, this team is closer to the one leading the league in goals scored, as opposed to the team struggling through the eight-game losing streak. Barring anything unforeseen, my projection is that you will see more wins than losses moving forward.
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