The Buffalo Sabres have hit their annual state of collapse. So what caused the inevitable to occur so late in the season? Here are three reasons.
It sure seems like the Blue and Fools Gold are once again collapsing. Wait, let me rephrase that. Well, it doesn’t seem that way, it is that way. You only needed to tune into the Buffalo Sabres over the past month to see this team fall from playoff contender to lottery contender.
And while there will always be a cluster of fans claiming that the Sabres are collapsing because they are the Sabres, further insight tells a different, and more logical story. Let’s dive in.
Why the Buffalo Sabres are collapsing
1 – Don Granato is (once again) changing the lineups
Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato had one of the best scoring teams in the league. And one reason was that his top two lines were so effective. Sure, when Alex Tuch went down, he needed to make a contingency plan, but when will he learn if something isn’t broke, don’t try to repair it if everyone’s healthy?
It’s no secret Granato likes messing with the lineups, and it’s cost him nearly every time he’s done so this season. He did it in November, and it didn’t work. He’s doing it now, and it definitely isn’t working.
2 – Mattias Samuelsson’s absence
Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, and Alex Tuch are often thought of as the Sabres three best players. But has Mattias Samuelsson been the Team MVP all along?
With Samuelsson in the lineup, the Sabres are 28-16-4 (60 points). Do the math, and without Samuelsson, Buffalo is 5-14-2 (12 points).
Whether you think Samuelsson is the Team MVP or not, I’ll let you decide. But there is a clear correlation between the way this team plays with and without what might just be their star defenseman.
3 – No variety to the Sabres game
This is an issue I implied in a recent piece, but it’s also appropriate to bring up now. The Sabres, despite their red-hot offense before this monumental collapse, was a fast one that loved driving the puck up the middle of the ice.
Sooner than later, opponents were going to catch on to this. And they have, taking away the middle and the neutral zone, and Buffalo has had no answer for it.
As mentioned in the article linked at the top of this section, Buffalo needs a better forecheck. And they need to sustain that forecheck. If they don’t add variety to their game, or at least try to, it’s going to be a long final three weeks of the season.
Source: Observations: As Devon Levi Watch continues, Sabres are no-shows vs. Bruins by Mike Harrington, BuffaloNews.com