Stagnation? 3 burning questions for the Buffalo Sabres in Week 6

Heading into Week 6 of 2023-24, the Buffalo Sabres are facing yet another slate of burning questions, with one including a rather tough schedule.

The Buffalo Sabres still have some serious questions to answer as they head into Week 6 of what has been a turbulent 2023-24 season. Last week, the Blue and Gold gave us perhaps their most confusing mixed bag yet, with a narrow loss, a win in which they were outplayed, and a demoralizing loss in which they were severely outplayed.

And the Sabres couldn’t have chosen a worse time to play pedestrian hockey, as the Boston Bruins are coming. With such a tough opponent coming up, it naturally leads to a few burning questions for what will be a pivotal week for the Blue and Gold.

3 burning questions for the Buffalo Sabres in Week 6 of 2023-24

1 – Will the Sabres bounce back with the puck in their zone this week?

Over the past three games, the Sabres have managed to score just five goals, and what looked like a returning high-octane attack two weeks ago stagnated once again. Fortunately, the Blue and Gold stepped up when they didn’t have the puck in two of those games, and it let them snag three points in two contests.

Now, the Sabres get to play a strong defensive team in the Boston Bruins, who have allowed just 28 goals this season, a feat that ranks first in the NHL. However, they also have more manageable opponents coming up in the Winnipeg Jets, who are 18th in the league in goals allowed, and the Chicago Blackhawks, who rank 16th.

2 – Will Devon Levi continue his short winning streak?

Following an ill-fated 1-3 start that made some wonder whether Devon Levi was facing too much too soon, the rookie goaltender has been better in his previous two outings. Overall, Levi’s numbers still aren’t impressive, with just a quality starts percentage of 0.333, a save percentage of 0.896, and a GAA of 3.17.

However, the good news is that he’s allowed just six goals on 63 shots in his last two outings, good for a 0.905 save percentage, and a GAA of 3.00. Levi would have a tough time keeping the streak alive if he’s starting tomorrow night, but if the Buffalo Sabres play him against Winnipeg or Chicago, he could be alright.

3 – Will Casey Mittelstadt and JJ Peterka enjoy yet another solid week?

Casey Mittelstadt did little points-wise over the past two games (though no one did anything on Saturday), but you have to admire his ability to extend plays with the puck. Even if Mittelstadt isn’t racking up assists or goals, he’s still helping to create opportunities, and that will at least give the Blue and Gold a fighting chance tomorrow if he can keep frustrating opponents when he has the puck.

With six goals in 15 games, JJ Peterka is on pace to score 33 this season, and if he can continue to find the net or at least put others in a position to score, the Sabres chances this week just skyrocketed. Last week, Peterka had one goal and one assist, and he nearly had another when he kept a play alive along the boards in a loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Alex Tuch’s goal.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)