Buffalo Sabres: Disappointment highlights 3 major takeaways in Week 8

The Buffalo Sabres looked like they were turning the corner this past Monday, only to drop three straight and disappoint the fan base.

The Buffalo Sabres started Week 8 with a lot of hope, only to drop their final three games and head into Week 9 with a meager 10-13-2 record. It’s been the same story all season, and it goes something like this: When the Sabres look like they are taking a step forward, they end up taking two steps back.

Until that stops, there is little to get excited about over what may be the most disappointing team in the NHL through the first 25 games of the year. However, not every takeaway you will find below is a bad one, since at least one player provided some hope.

3 major takeaways for the Buffalo Sabres in Week 8 of 2023-24

1 – Inconsistency is worse than ever

No one would have thought the Sabres would beat the New York Rangers 5-1, and after they did, no one would have thought the rest of the week would turn out so poorly. Somehow, the Blue and Gold made it happen, getting outscored 14-7 in their final three outings of Week 8.

Heading into this week, the Sabres start things off vs. a Detroit Red Wings team that looks superior on paper, but in reality, we don’t know what to expect. Buffalo looked like the better group last season, but their sheer inconsistency will leave even the most well-versed NHL experts guessing.

2 – Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen  is evolving

Despite finishing 1-2 this week, goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen deserves some props. After he won the starting goaltender job in what was an extended competition that lasted a quarter of the way through the regular season, Luukkonen struggled against the St. Louis Blues, allowing six goals on 20 shots for a meager 0.700 save percentage.

Last night, he allowed two goals in proximity to one another in the first, before he was perfect in the final two frames. This time last season, he would have given up another six goals, as opposed to keeping the Buffalo Sabres in the game with a 0.931 save percentage and 27 saves on 29 shots faced.

3 – Dylan Cozens still can’t find the back of the net

Few gave the type of effort in last night’s loss to the Nashville Predators more than Dylan Cozens, who logged seven shots on goal. Following his breakout campaign last year, we all thought Cozens was at least due to come close to that 68-point season in 2023-24, and that he would step up and become a leader if guys like Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch ended up missing time.

None of that has happened, and despite logging 13 shots on goal this week, Cozens came up empty-handed, though he did record a pair of assists. Overall, he has just 11 points in 23 games this season, and perhaps no one has suffered through as much of a dip in performance on the Buffalo Sabres as Cozens. He still has time to turn things around, but time is working against both him and the team.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)