The Buffalo Sabres aren't playing at a playoff-caliber level early in the new season. A combination of goaltending struggles, offensive inefficiency and special teams woes are frequently forcing the reigning Atlantic Division champions to play from behind.
Although the Sabres have put together some strong comebacks in third periods, which is why their record is still a shade above .500 (5-4-3), they're playing with fire on pretty much a nightly basis. That'll eventually come back to burn them in the loaded Eastern Conference.
So it's clear Buffalo needs to start playing more complete hockey, and the overarching issues discussed above are obvious areas needing improvement. Let's dive a little deeper into a few standout statistics where the Blue and Gold would benefit from moving up the NHL rankings.
Note: The numbers analyzed below are from MoneyPuck and HockeyStats.com.
5-on-5 Takeaway Share: 43.9% (32nd in the NHL)
This stat won't come as a surprise to anybody who's watched the Sabres regularly over the first dozen games of the regular season. They turn the puck over far too frequently and losing Alex Tuch, one of their best takeaway hounds, has caused a drop off in that category.
It's not something they can't improve, though. It's mostly an effort and positioning stat.
Buffalo must do a much better job of creating effective pressure on the forecheck and it needs to eliminate high-danger passes to the slot in the defensive zone. The latter issue is one of the reasons the team's goalies have struggled: Too many opponents open in dangerous areas.
An offshoot problem materializes from the negative takeaway differential, too. The Sabres prefer to play an up-tempo, free-flowing style that can put other teams on their heels when executed properly. It's hard to do that when you're constantly giving the puck away in transition.
Power Play Shooting Percentage: 8.0% (31st)
The Sabres power play is a longstanding problem. They finished 20th with the man advantage last season (19.5%) and opted against making any staffing changes to address the struggles, so it's not a total shock they're struggling again early in the current campaign (32nd at 9.8%).
While they've done a better job generating zone entries at times, they continue to falter when it comes to attacking the inner slot. Way too much time is spent passing the puck around the perimeter before Rasmus Dahlin or Tage Thompson opts to fire off a low-danger, long-range attempt.
Didn't have time for a 50-page report, but perhaps the Sabres should try to generate some power play shots from the inner slot?#LetsGoBuffalo | @SabreNoise pic.twitter.com/nmm8Y1J9Fd
— Tim Daniels (@ByTimDaniels) October 9, 2026
Sometimes when you see a shooting percentage stat there's an element of luck involved. This doesn't feel like one of those cases. Buffalo simply doesn't have a strong enough net-front presence to create havoc atop the crease. In turn, those high-danger looks are few and far between.
The Sabres would benefit from trying to do more work below the goal line on the power play. Change the look for opposing penalty kills, and create some new angles for Dahlin and Thompson to get a little closer to the net when they do decide to shoot.
Quite simply, it's going to take some hard work in the dirty areas to fix the power play.
Blocked Shots: 158 (29th)
Head coach Lindy Ruff mentioned an uptick in defensive desperation after the Sabres' 2-0 win over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night. They blocked 20 shots in that contest, which helped Colten Ellis pitch a 23-save shutout between the pipes.
It's no secret Buffalo's goalies, Ellis and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, haven't been at their best so far while Alex Lyon recovers from an upper-body injury. They have to play better. But it doesn't help when a vast majority of an opponent's shot attempts are getting through.
For comparison, the Sabres blocked 16.5 shots per contest during their 13-game playoff run last season. That number is down to 13.2 through 12 outings this year. That's a problem regardless of the circumstances, but especially when your goalies aren't in peak form.
Getting in front of more pucks would also go a long way in helping return the penalty kill to its glory from 2025-26, when Buffalo ranked fourth in the league (81.9%). That unit is down to 25th (71.4%), another sign that Tuch's departure is looming large.
Ruff will hope Tuesday's improved effort is a sign of things to come in this category.
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