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Buffalo Sabres captain’s latest comments imply the worst after loss

By Sion Fawkes

Nov 27, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres right wing Kyle Okposo (21) skates with the puck against the New York Rangers during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres right wing Kyle Okposo (21) skates with the puck against the New York Rangers during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports /
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The eye test and advanced statistics show you how poorly the Buffalo Sabres have played, but captain Kyle Okposo’s latest comments imply the worst.

The Buffalo Sabres are not a good team right now, and you would think that such a confirmation is the worst thing this group has going for it. They entered the 2023-24 season with a lot of hope, only to show the entire NHL universe they aren’t even remotely ready to compete for a playoff spot if they keep trending the way they have over the first eight weeks of the year.

Following last night’s loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, captain Kyle Okposo shared just how badly things have gotten for this hockey team. It was an eye-catching statement that was the last thing any fan wants to hear, but Okposo also couldn’t have spoken truer words to sum up the team’s first 24 games.

"“It’s about how you respond. We’ve got a game tomorrow, but we’ve got to find a consistency here. We’ve got to find an identity, find our game. Nothing’s been easy so far this year, but you’ve got to work for everything you get in this league.”"

Source: Observations: ‘Soft’ Sabres need their GM to do something in wake of latest stinker by Mike Harrington, Buffalo News

Captain Kyle Okposo implies the worst on the 2023-24 Buffalo Sabres

Go through the four major North American pro sports leagues, and teams that lack an identity are often the worst. Look at the NHL, and if you follow all 32 teams to a degree, you can probably pinpoint what makes them so great. Some win with a hard-nosed defense, others pass the puck so well that opponents can’t keep up with them, and some play stellar north-south hockey, or forecheck their way to wins.

Through 24 games, the formerly high-octane Buffalo Sabres are supposed to look like…what? Does anyone have a clue? If Kyle Okposo can’t pinpoint this team’s identity, then there isn’t a single fan, beat writer, or analyst who can, because no one is around the team as much as the coaches and players. And out of those players, nobody knows the Blue and Gold better than captain Kyle Okposo.

Must Read. Buffalo Sabres: The good, the bad, and the ugly from Week 8 in 2023-24. light

If the team captain implies this team has zero identity following 24 games, it, by extension, implies that the Buffalo Sabres aren’t just a bad hockey team, but they are one of the worst in the NHL. Through 24 contests, you would have thought that team from last year, the one that had a clear identity and nearly made the playoffs, would have shown up by now. They haven’t, and Kyle Okposo knows it, or else he wouldn’t have made such a statement after last night’s 6-2 loss.

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