Buffalo Sabres: 3 burning questions for Week 3 in 2023-24

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The Buffalo Sabres finished last week with a 2-1-0 record, which could bring some much-needed momentum as Week 3 kicks off tonight.

The Buffalo Sabres will play four games this week, and they could be battle-tested as three of the teams they’re facing are seeking to become legitimate contenders this season. That said, their first opponent of Week 3, the Montreal Canadiens, is a team the Blue and Gold cannot afford to take lightly.

And the Sabres remain full of question marks, themselves, three of which we will discuss below. Buffalo’s power play remains a huge mystery, as they have yet to get going in five games played. Meanwhile, the goaltending rotation also has a huge question mark hovering over it following Eric Comrie’s epic performance this past Saturday.

And finally, the Sabres played well overall defensively in Week 2 – minus their meager performance vs. the Calgary Flames. If they keep playing the way they did vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders, perhaps they may finally turn the corner without the puck.

Oct 12, 2023; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres right wing Tage Thompson (72) skates with the puck as New York Rangers defenseman Erik Gustafsson (56) defends during the first period at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports /

3 burning questions for the Buffalo Sabres in Week 3

1 – Can the Sabres power play rediscover its magic?

The Buffalo Sabres power play continues to suffer through five games, converting just one of 16 opportunities on the man advantage. When the New York Islanders penalty kill crashed just one night before they traveled to the City of Good Neighbors, the Blue and Gold had a chance to rediscover their high-octane power play magic.

They drew plenty of penalties, but they never converted, and so the man advantage remains a work-in-progress as the Sabres head into Week 3, and their second full week of action. Fortunately, Buffalo isn’t playing against an overtly powerful PK unit tonight in the Montreal Canadiens.

The Ottawa Senators also have a weak PK, which has succeeded just 76.19 percent of the time, and the New Jersey Devils unit on 4-on-5 is abysmal, having allowed five power play goals on 17 attempts. So maybe, just maybe, this week is the week.

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