The Buffalo Sabres have spent the last two weeks struggling against teams they should beat handedly, so what’s going on with this group?
Following the first period, the Buffalo Sabres held a 2-0 lead. Just 20 minutes later, the Anaheim Ducks had the game tied at three. Once again, the Sabres played a weaker opponent, and once again, they found themselves struggling against that weaker opponent.
So what’s the deal with the Sabres? Some have said the team is exhausted, and while this is surely understandable just past midseason with the All-Star Break looming, it’s definitely not the only issue. We know this because of the way they played against Nashville last Saturday and the New York Islanders on Ryan Miller Night.
Plus, the team seems to be rediscovering their high-octane identity once again, having scored four goals over the game’s first 43 minutes. That said, the Sabres are either overlooking their weaker opponents and thinking ahead or they’re simply overconfident.
Nerves at home? Yeah, that probably has something to do with it too. Personally, I don’t feel there’s any one reason, but instead, a few issues they can point to.
Buffalo Sabres have been struggling against weak opponents
One alarming statistic is the fact that the Sabres have blown two leads over the past three games to the Western Conference’s worst teams. On Tuesday, they had a 3-1 lead against the Chicago Blackhawks, only to find a way to lose in overtime.
And earlier today, they were firing on all cylinders against the Ducks before Anaheim scored three of the contest’s next four goals. Sure, they won, but they never should have put themselves in such a position to lose. Not against Anaheim, at least.
Of course, and I’ve mentioned this before, the upside is that, if the Sabres somehow snag a wild card spot, they won’t be playing weaker opponents.
The downside? If they are losing against teams or simply allowing them to give the Sabres a run for their money, then their quest to sneak into the playoffs just got that much harder. Case in point, if the Sabres allow these lesser-talented teams to hang around and lose to them half the time, they can forget about playing hockey beyond April 14th.
Want your voice heard? Join the Sabre Noise team!