For many parts of the world, January is the coldest month of the year. But for the Buffalo Sabres, it became one of the hottest.
When the Buffalo Sabres defeated the Winnipeg Jets, they clinched yet another winning month, their third since the season began in October 2022. But in January 2023, it didn’t come easy, as the Blue and Gold suffered through their roughest patch since November 2022 when they went 4-9-1.
While the Sabres started January 2-1, they dropped five of their next six games as opponents outscored them 23-14. They averaged just 2.33 goals per game in that stretch, and the high-scoring Blue and Gold looked like a shell of what they were in December, when they finished the month 8-2-1.
Sitting at 3-5-1 in January, Buffalo looked like they were heading for their second losing month of the season. Then they beat the New York Islanders on Ryan Miller Night before smashing the Anaheim Ducks, outdueling the Dallas Stars, never losing the lead against the St. Louis Blues, and winning in thrilling fashion once again vs. the Jets.
How did the Buffalo Sabres turn it around in January?
Let’s go back to the team’s rough stretch, and you saw one common denominator: A slow hockey team that was completely out of sync. At this point in the season, the Sabres weren’t the only team playing this way, and it’s a telltale sign of exhaustion.
We’ve seen the Sabres flame out around midseason in the past. And it makes for a long second half if a head coach doesn’t remedy the issue.
Don Granato isn’t the type of coach to go without fixing something that clearly needs to be fixed. So what did he do? He cut practices. And while this seems counterintuitive to some, it has given the team much-needed rest days, allowing them to recharge during what might be the most exhausting portion of their schedule.
Since Granato scaled back the team’s practices, which per Lance Lysowski of Buffalo News occurred on January 9th, the Sabres have been 6-3-1 (13 points). They also found themselves just two points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins and three behind the Washington Capitals in the wild card race.
That said, it’s safe to say Granato made a wise decision. And it led to a much-needed resurgence in January.
Article Source: Don Granato’s decision to cut back on practicing is paying off for Sabres by Lance Lysowski
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