The Buffalo Sabres were looking to get back on track Friday night against the Detroit Red Wings after losing their last two games in overtime.
Unfortunately, another slow start seemed to end those chances before the game even really got started, as the Red Wings would score two power-play goals, three goals in total, in the first period. The Sabres were never able to get closer than two goals the remainder of the game and the Red Wings cruised to the win.
With the Sabres one of only four teams playing on Friday night, they remain at 96 points and are still ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning by two points for the division lead. However, the Lightning now have two games in hand, and the Sabres' chances seem to be slipping to win the division with this recent losing streak.
These are some of the takeaways from the game Friday night.
Penalty kill becoming a big concern after giving up two power play goals
The Buffalo Sabres, for most of the season, have been in the Top 3 in penalty kill, but have had a rough stretch as of late. Over the last four games, the Sabres have allowed six power-play goals on 15 opportunities after only allowing three in the 10 games before that.
On Friday against the Detroit Red Wings, the Sabres took two early penalties, and the Red Wings converted both of them into goals to help them build that 3-0 lead in the first period.
The Sabres have been trying to find some answers to their penalty kill, and the hope was that the return of Conor Timmins could help them. He certainly did against the Bruins as they didn't allow any power-play goals against Boston, but fell into some bad habits against the Red Wings.
This is something that needs to be a focus for the coaching staff because in the playoffs the margin of error is so small that they can't be giving up power play goals consistently and expect to win much.
Another sloppy start for the Buffalo Sabres
After the Bruins game, head coach Lindy Ruff called it the 'worst two periods in three months' and the first period against the Red Wings would certainly fall into that category as well. The Sabres gave up the two power-play goals but collectively just didn't match the intensity of the Red Wings.
The slow start by Buffalo is nothing new as of late, and in their last seven games, they have had the lead after the first period in only one of those games. However, they have a clear advantage when they have the lead after the first period, as their record is 22-2-0 and they need to get back to starting fast.
Tage Thompson with 400th career point
The Buffalo Sabres needed a spark to get back into the game, and Tage Thompson was able to provide that in the second. He would score the Sabres' first goal of the game about 5:30 into the period and cut into the Red Wings' lead, which was his 37th goal of the season but also his 400th career point.
It was a great play and one that provided the Sabres with momentum in that second period as they controlled most of the period after that goal. They weren't able to cut into the lead anymore in the period, but it helped set the tone for the rest of the game.
Buffalo Sabres suffer only their third loss by three or more goals since beginning of January
While the Sabres have now lost their third straight game, it is only the third time since the beginning of January that they have lost a game by three or more goals. They would lose 5-2 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the last game before the Olympic break and 5-1 to the Columbus Blue Jackets on January 3rd.
In the prior two losses, the Sabres were able to fight back and push it to overtime to get at least a point. They weren't able to do that tonight against the Red Wings, and now don't have much time to figure out how to end this losing streak.
The Sabres are going to be back on the ice tomorrow for a 5:30 PM start time against the San Jose Sharks. This might be a good thing for them if they can put this game behind them, but if it is another slow start, there might be some serious concerns for this team.