The Buffalo Sabres generated themselves plenty of chances this week, but they mustered just five goals in three contests.
Over the past three games, the Buffalo Sabres ironically enough still played to their identity as a team capable of generating numerous chances in the offensive zone. So if that’s the case, why have they only scored five times over the past three contests?
The answer is simple: Opponents are figuring them out. And really, the Philadelphia Flyers, Seattle Kraken, and Winnipeg Jets looked as though they knew exactly what was coming their way. That said, the Sabres are going to need to start finding more creative ways to generate scoring opportunities, or else they will be in for a long rest of the month.
Buffalo Sabres still generating numerous chances in offensive zone
There were numerous times over the past two games where I was 100% sure the Blue and Gold scored, only for those chances to be stifled. We saw it tonight against the Jets, we saw it on Tuesday against the Kraken, and during the latter half of the game against the Flyers.
Case in point, the Sabres aren’t there yet defensively or in the net to win games like these. This is why we saw an eight-game skid earlier this year, and it’s also why the Sabres are currently on a three game losing streak.
If this team had a better defensive rotation and goaltending, which will come in time, odds are, they would have won one of these last two games, if not both. But the sad truth is, when the Sabres aren’t scoring four or five goals a night, they aren’t winning games.
The high-octane, high-scoring team will return at some point. That’s a guarantee. It’s a matter of when, and a matter of how long it will take. Because until the Blue and Gold start coming up with plays and strategies opponents haven’t seen before or in a long time, they won’t be winning very many games.
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