2 demoralizing stats tell the story of the 2023-24 Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres have been the NHL’s most disappointing team in 2023, given the way they have let down fans across the league.

Over the past six seasons, the Buffalo Sabres have given their fans a lot to cheer for at specific points, only to let them down. There may be no better example than their 10-game winning streak in November 2018, or perhaps their 9-2-2 start 11 months later. You know how both seasons turned out, so we don’t need to relive the painful memories.

In both instances, the Sabres success was short-lived, and although both aforementioned situations are notable, nothing is on pace for being more notorious than the 2023-24 team. Just one year ago, the Sabres accumulated 91 points, their best mark since they last made the playoffs, only to potentially show it was nothing more than a mirage.

But you may not realize just how poorly this team has played early in games that have set them back later. Okay, if you watched all 26 matchups to this point, you’ll have an idea, but you may not have expected that the team is among the worst in the NHL in two major stat lines, and it has defined who they are this year.

League-worst statistics in the first period define the 2023-24 Buffalo Sabres

How badly has it gone for the Sabres in 2024-24 through roughly the first 30 percent mark? Lance Lysowski at Buffalo News shared two harrowing stats, which you can learn more about in the quote below:

“Their negative-18 goal differential in the first period is the worst mark in the NHL. They’ve also allowed a league-high 36 goals in the first period of games. Granato, has yelled at players. He’s halted practice drills while demanding more from the group.”

Source: Observations: Sabres still trying to solve ‘frustrating’ starts after another brutal loss by Lance Lysowski, Buffalo News

We know how often the Buffalo Sabres lose when they find themselves down by a goal, often multiple goals, early. Yet, judging from Lysowski’s words, it’s hard to decipher whether the Buffalo Sabres are even showing a sense of urgency, given what he had to say about the actions head coach Don Granato is taking.

It’s clear Granato isn’t acting as though everything is fine, and that it’s an issue that will resolve itself. In situations like this, it’s easy to blame the coach, because the buck ultimately stops with them. He’s taking action, and until the players start doing what he’s demanding from them, being the worst team in the NHL in opening periods that almost always foreshadow the game’s result at this point will continue into the new year and beyond.

(Other information provided by Hockey-Reference)