Two weeks ago, the Buffalo Sabres were on the brink of elimination after playing their worst hockey of the season. Now, they’re back in contention.
It was March 21st, and the Buffalo Sabres were coming off of a blowout loss to the Nashville Predators. It’d been such a frustrating month that I decided to write an article regarding three positives in the game amidst all the negativity, even if those positives were hard to find. To make matters worse, it was Buffalo’s third straight loss in regulation, and over that slate of games, opponents outscored them 19-5.
Then came the tilt on March 24th vs. the New Jersey Devils. No one gave Buffalo a chance, nor did I, as the Blue and Gold gave us no reason to believe they would defeat one of the NHL’s most dominant teams this season. But they took it in a 5-4 win, before shutting out the New York Islanders the next night.
After a shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens that at least gave the Sabres a point, they stormed back with their own overtime win vs. the New York Rangers in goaltender Devon Levi’s debut. And finally, they blew out the Philadelphia Flyers, a team that’d given them trouble in both previous meetings, to set the stage for an exciting final slate of games.
So how did Buffalo overcome the odds and return to contention from the brink? Let’s explore this topic.
The Buffalo Sabres discovered, and rediscovered, dimensions to their game
For one, better defense was the key factor. Sure, Buffalo’s made a few mistakes defensively over the past five games (4-0-1), but they’ve allowed an average of 2.6 points per game. They’ve also improved on the penalty kill over the same span, finishing 10 for 11 for a 90.9% percentage.
But overall better positioning when in transition and in the defensive zone has kept opponents from finding easy shooting lanes. It was also becoming a nightly affair to see at least three breakaways and countless odd-man rushes, and the Sabres minimized both.
They’ve also had several players step up offensively, with Casey Mittelstadt being perhaps the most notable. In the three games Tage Thompson missed, Mittelstadt stepped in and played more than admirably, logging six points over roughly 18 minutes of average total ice time.
We also need to give a shoutout to the rooks, Jack Quinn and J.J. Peterka. Both have been playing as though they’ve figured it out lately, logging four points apiece over the past five contests (three goals and five assists).
All season, it’s seemed like the better Quinn and Peterka play, the better the Buffalo Sabres play. And if they, along with Mittelstadt, keep this pace up, expect the Blue and Gold to keep this final push toward the playoffs interesting.
Overall, Buffalo needs to keep playing solid defensively, and with Mattias Samuelsson having returned the lineup recently, it will only augment their defensive game. They also need role players to continue stepping up offensively, along with their youngsters in Jack Quinn and J.J. Peterka.
Source: Sabres ready for most meaningful April game in 11 years; Devon Levi could start by Bill Hoppe, BuffaloHockeyBeat.com
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)