The Buffalo Sabres whipped out their excuse thesaurus after Thursday night's unacceptable 3-0 home loss to the struggling St. Louis Blues.
Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin, a preseason Norris Trophy candidate who's been a non-factor most nights during the team's 5-5-4 start, pointed toward the team's long injury list.
"We got new bodies, new guys in new positions," Dahlin told reporters. "We're trying to figure it out. A lot of guys injured. Obviously, don't want to talk about guys who are out, but I think we just got to build our own chemistry, and we have work on it."
Buffalo goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who's poor play last season has carried over to the early stages of the 2025-26 campaign, suggested the lack of shots he faced impacted his performance, which included an absolute howler on the Blues' second goal.
"Mentally, it's harder to keep yourself in the game in those situations," UPL said. "That's what it is. I can't pick where the shots are coming from or how many you get per night, so I have to be ready for anything."
The NHL's convoluted points system has allowed the Sabres to keep pace in the Eastern Conference, but here's the reality: They've played 14 games and only won five of them. That's not good enough, and cookie-cutter excuses aren't going to solve the problem.
As the Blue and Gold prepare for a tough four-game road trip, let's dive into the newest installment of our Sabres player grades series.
Few bright spots as the Buffalo Sabres lay an egg in Nov. 6 shutout loss to the St. Louis Blues
Sabres player grades
Player | Grade (1-10) |
|---|---|
Conor Timmins | 6.5 |
Josh Dunne | 6 |
Peyton Krebs | 5.5 |
Josh Doan | 5.5 |
Ryan McLeod | 5 |
Alex Tuch | 5 |
Owen Power | 4.5 |
Beck Malenstyn | 4 |
Rasmus Dahlin | 4 |
Isak Rosen | 4 |
Mattias Samuelsson | 3.5 |
Michael Kesselring | 3.5 |
Bowen Byram | 3 |
Tage Thompson | 3 |
Jack Quinn | 2.5 |
Noah Ostlund | 2.5 |
Tyson Kozak | 2 |
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 2 |
Jordan Greenway | 1.5 |
Buffalo Player of the Game: Conor Timmins
Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams has made his fair share of mistakes over the past 5 years, but he deserves high marks for acquiring Timmins (and Isaac Belliveau) from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Connor Clifton and a second-round draft pick.
Timmins has brought stability, typically on the third pair, and he's played a crucial role in the club's improved penalty kill. He registered two shots on goal and a pair of hits in the loss. He also skated 2:01 on the PK as Buffalo kept St. Louis' power play off the scoreboard.
Yet, the Sabres should never look at the grade book to see Timmins and Josh Dunne as the top two names. They've played well — the bottom of the the team's lineup has handled its fair share of the burden — but stars like Dahlin, Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch have often fell short.
If those marquee names can start driving play at a much higher rate and players like Timmins continue to handle their niche roles extremely well, Buffalo does have some upside.
Sabres quick hits
- This is a game where the baseline analytics should be ignored. MoneyPuck calculated the expected goals at 3.0 to 1.8 in favor of Buffalo, but most of that came in the third period as St. Louis, playing for the second straight night and up 2-0 on the road, hunkered down.
- Adams should be the most aggressive GM on the early NHL trade market trying to find forward help.
- Yes, injuries are a factor, but they can't be used as a crutch for why the Sabres lost (at home) to a team that entered the night tied for the fewest points in the league and owning the worst goal differential.
- Buffalo's power play is an unmitigated disaster once again.
- Will Sabres owner Terry Pegula explore interest from Hall of Fame player and current executive Brendan Shanahan if the struggles continue?
- Buffalo starts a four-game road trip Saturday night (7 p.m. ET) when it visits the Lenovo Center to take on the Carolina Hurricanes (9-4-0).