Here's a free tip for the Buffalo Sabres: NHL referees aren't going to bail you out from a terrible performance, especially once the Stanley Cup Playoffs get underway later this month.
The Sabres were outworked to an extreme degree in a 4-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night. The Sens are fighting for their playoff lives every time they take the ice, and Buffalo didn't come anywhere close to matching the determination of their Atlantic Division rivals.
"They took over the game, last two periods," head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters. "I thought they outskated, they outcompeted. Their desperation level was just higher than ours, it's simple as that."
Perhaps even more concerning was the Sabres' response to the adversity.
Several times in the third period, particularly after non-calls on potential infractions against Peyton Krebs and Jack Quinn, Buffalo expended its energy complaining to the referees. Center Josh Norris was sent to the locker room with just over a minute remaining for "abuse of officials."
Should there have been at least one call against Ottawa in the final minutes? Probably, but it's the job of the Ruff-led coaching staff, or perhaps captain Rasmus Dahlin, to handle those complaints.
Instead, the Sabres continued to direct their frustration toward the referees to almost an embarrassing degree as the clock wound down in the final period. Let's be clear: Those in stripes were not the reason Buffalo came up short against the Sens.
A lot of Sabres players are experiencing these pressure-packed moments for the first time and yes, the bar for what's called a penalty in the dying minutes of a close game tends to change this time of year. But you can't beg the officials to save you with a power play after 55 lackluster minutes of hockey.
That's why Ruff, who understands those realities after a lifetime in the sport, was more focused on his team's forgettable performance than the officiating after the contest.
Buffalo should have learned an important lesson against Ottawa. If it didn't, there are far bigger problems on the horizon once the playoffs arrive.
For now, let's check out the newest edition of our Sabres players grades series after one of the club's most underwhelming outings in months.
Buffalo Sabres fail to match the Ottawa Senators' intensity in April 2 loss
Sabres player grades
Player | Grade (1-10) |
|---|---|
Mattias Samuelsson | 7.5 |
Peyton Krebs | 7 |
Bowen Byram | 6.5 |
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 6 |
Jack Quinn | 6 |
Tage Thompson | 5.5 |
Owen Power | 5.5 |
Alex Tuch | 5 |
Ryan McLeod | 5 |
Logan Stanley | 5 |
Rasmus Dahlin | 4.5 |
Jason Zucker | 4.5 |
Zach Benson | 4.5 |
Josh Norris | 4 |
Josh Doan | 3.5 |
Zach Metsa | 3.5 |
Jordan Greenway | 3 |
Beck Malenstyn | 2.5 |
Josh Dunne | 2 |
Buffalo Player of the Game: Mattias Samuelsson
This was one of the hardest games of the season to pick a player for this distinction, and not in a good way. Nobody stood out for the Sabres on Thursday night. There were stretches over the final 40 minutes where they were going through the motions like a preseason game.
That said, Samuelsson scored the team's only goal, dished out three hits and blocked a shot in the contest. He also skated over two minutes on the penalty kill to keep Ottawa off the board on its two chances with the man advantage.
The 6-foot-4 defenseman's scoring rate has predictably dipped after a red-hot start, tallying just seven points over the past 19 games, but he's remained effective protecting Buffalo's net over that stretch.
Samuelsson, Zach Benson, Josh Doan and Beck Malenstyn are the club's most dependable players on a night-to-night basis when it comes to making sure their compete level never dips.
Sabres quick hits
- It's concerning that Buffalo's fourth line struggled significantly in the first game since Sam Carrick suffered an arm injury (he's listed as week-to-week with a playoff return not ruled out).
- Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen didn't play poorly (20 saves on 22 shots; .909 SV%) but it'll be interesting to see if Ruff goes back to Alex Lyon between the pipes as the team searches for a spark.
- Peyton Krebs has an argument as the Sabres' best player over the past few weeks, which gives him a chance to stick on the top line for the postseason.
- Alex Tuch has just three points over the Blue and Gold's last nine contests.
- The Sabres' (46-22-8) next chance to clinch a playoff berth comes Saturday night (7 p.m. ET) when they visit Capital One Arena to battle the Washington Capitals (38-29-9).