Buffalo Sabres gaining reputation for playing down to competition

The Buffalo Sabres suffered their first shutout of the season. And yep, they were shutout wearing the goatheads of all uniforms. 

No one expected a shutout loss tonight. Especially against the Philadelphia Flyers, one of the NHL’s worst teams. In short, the Flyers made the Buffalo Sabres party like it was 2014-15, and it was painful to watch.

So painful, I was literally feeling my temples throb during the third period. And losses like this are nothing new to the Sabres, unfortunately, as on New Year’s Day, an inferior Ottawa Senators outclassed them.

This embarrassing loss has made it official: The Sabres are a team that likes to play down to its competition. In a way, it’s a good thing, as we know they can hang with the likes of Boston, Washington, and Minnesota.

But this is a trap way too many young teams fall into, not just in the NHL, but in the four major pro sports leagues. They can beat their toughest opponents, but they, for some reason, struggle against bottom-tier teams.

No excuses in the Buffalo Sabres most recent losses

Of course, the one upside is that if the Sabres happen to make the playoffs, they won’t be playing Ottawa or Philadelphia. Instead, they will face Boston, Washington, or another top-tier team in the Eastern Conference.

Then again, if you lose to too many teams you’re now supposed to beat, you will find yourself back in the draft lottery and out of playoff contention. And perhaps the Sabres will anyway, but they are far too good of a hockey team to lose to a rebuilding team like the Flyers.

Overall, the Sabres need to be embarrassed by their performance, and by the empty seats in that third period. The fans came out to watch one of the league’s highest-scoring teams unload on Philadelphia. Instead, those who turned up were treated to the absolute worst performance any of us could have imagined.

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