Buffalo Sabres: 5 most heartbreaking home losses in 2022-23
By Sion Fawkes
3 – Sabres fail to complete comeback vs. Columbus
This is the only game on the list that didn’t go into overtime, but it hurt more than any other regulation loss. The Sabres were coming off of a tear in February in which they won five of their last six contests and found themselves in a wild card slot toward the end of the month.
To further pad their status, the Blue and Gold only needed to defeat the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets. But Columbus had other ideas, and jumped out to a 4-1 lead following the first two periods that saw the Sabres engaging some of their most uninspiring play all season.
Buffalo tried to salvage the game in the third frame, and managed to claw their way back to a one point deficit following goals from Jack Quinn and J.J. Peterka. But in the final minute, Eric Robinson scored an empty-netter, ending the Sabres chances.
2 – Sabres lose major defensive struggle vs. New York
The Buffalo Sabres were having a rough March, and things didn’t get any easier with the New York Rangers coming to town. And what a defensive game this was, with no one scoring until the 7:52 mark of the second period when Jeff Skinner found twine.
But the newly-acquired Patrick Kane scored under four minutes later to tie the game, and that was it for regulation scoring as both teams blanked one another in the third period. Just over two minutes into the overtime frame, however, Artemi Panarin scored the game-winner, and Buffalo’s March woes continued.
If there was any positive takeaway from this game, it was that the Sabres showed they were at least addressing their defensive issues following that 10-4 debacle against Dallas just two days prior. And it did them some good, as they went on to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs on the road in the following contest.