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The No. 1 key to the Buffalo Sabres game? Play inspired hockey

By Sion Fawkes

Nov 11, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Buffalo Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju (10) and Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Reilly Smith (19) chase the puck during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 11, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Buffalo Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju (10) and Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Reilly Smith (19) chase the puck during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Buffalo Sabres are a better team than their 7-7-1 record shows, and one major reason is that they have yet to play like an inspired group.

The Buffalo Sabres need to start playing more inspired hockey, or else it will be a mediocre season for them. And to that end, it doesn’t matter what kind of moves they make. The Blue and Gold could call up someone with an NHL-caliber shot in Jiri Kulich to help fix the power play, and it won’t matter.

They could sign Patrick Kane, and he could surprise all of us that it IS possible to successfully return from a hip resurfacing procedure at the NHL level, and it won’t matter. Devon Levi’s next 10 games can go the same way as his performance vs. the Minnesota Wild and it still wouldn’t matter.

Until the Sabres learn to play more inspired hockey, what you’re currently seeing will continue. Yeah, the Blue and Gold will have some nights when they are so hot that they shut out legitimate Stanley Cup Contenders, as they did vs. the Colorado Avalanche.

But they will also look like a group more interested in spending Saturday night watching college football on prime time television than playing hockey, as was the case against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Until the Buffalo Sabres play inspired hockey, they can forget about consistency

This shouldn’t be a tough formula for success: Go in there, play a simple game that involves getting pucks to the net with the puck, clog the middle without the puck, and you’ll win on most nights. Instead, the Sabres love overcomplicating things, and when things don’t go their way, they skate around for X amount of minutes until the final horn.

So this team has an ultimatum: Play more inspired hockey, or risk watching your NHL record playoff drought extend to 13 seasons. They have the talent to make the playoffs, as they proved last season when they came one point from making it.

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At this point, the Buffalo Sabres either want to play in the postseason, or they don’t. And if they keep playing the way they have, they’re obviously fine with playing an 82-game season year in and year out.

Source: Sabres Look Uninspired in Tough 4-0 Loss Against Penguins by Kerra Mazzariello, Die By the Blade

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