Buffalo Sabres must figure out the second half of back-to-backs
The Buffalo Sabres have struggled lately during the second half of their back-to-backs as the 2023 calendar year comes to a close.
If you thought the Buffalo Sabres 2023-24 season couldn’t get any stranger, think again. Initially, the second half of a back-to-back looked like they would be one of the stronger suits for the Blue and Gold, as they won their first of the season on October 24th in a 6-4 win over the Ottawa Senators.
Their second back-to-back occurred on November 4th after an embarrassing 5-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers the night before. In what was Ryan Johnson’s debut, the Sabres went into Toronto and beat the Maple Leafs 6-4. Since the fourth, the Sabres have struggled when playing contests two days in a row, dropping to 0-4-0 on the second night of a back-to-back.
Buffalo Sabres have been horrible during the latter portion of back-to-backs
Want a mind-boggling statistic? Following tonight’s loss to the Arizona Coyotes, the Blue and Gold have now been shut out twice this season during the latter half of a back-to-back, with the first instance coming against the Pittsburgh Penguins on November 11th.
From November 11th onward, opponents have outscored the Sabres 15-3 during the second half, so this has become a serious problem for a team that once again has reminded us they have a plethora of issues. If there is any good news, it’s that the Buffalo Sabres haven’t looked terrible on the second night of their most recent back-to-backs, having allowed no more than two goals in either tonight’s game, or during their loss on December 3rd vs. the Nashville Predators.
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But they also scored just one measly goal in those latter two games combined, so we all know where the problem lies: Offense. The Sabres will get another crack at a back-to-back on December 30th vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets and on New Year’s Eve against the Ottawa Senators. We can only hope there will be a better result than what we have seen lately.
(Information provided by Hockey-Reference)