After the Sabres enjoyed a three-game winning streak on the road in California, they came back home and haven’t won anything since. Captain Rasmus Dahlin left early during the third period in Buffalo’s 5-4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, Dec. 3.
Since that time, the team has gone from bad to worse, suffering an excuse-filled Kevyn Adams presser and an even more disastrous pep talk from owner Terry Pegula that ended with a 6-1 defeat against the Habs in Montreal. The Sabres have now lost their past 11 matchups.
With ownership and management promising no changes and doubling down on incompetence , it’s up to the players on the roster to try to stop their slide into hockey hell. Dahlin’s return provides a glimmer of hope the Blue and Gold can at least possibly silence the legions of obnoxious Leafs’ fans who will descend on downtown Buffalo this Friday night.
Dahlin isn’t a magic talisman that will suddenly change the Sabres' fortunes, but he does play 60 minutes of hockey, doing his best to block shots, create turnovers and even try to score goals. That same can’t be said for some of Buffalo’s other D-men.
No. 26 played 25 games this season before getting injured, with a 6-3-19 offensive record, 36 blocks, 26 hits and 12 takeaways. Bo Byram and Owen Power, two other defensemen on Buffalo’s first or second pairings, enjoy 4-14-18 and 4-16-20 records, respectively. On defense, Byram and Power’s blocks, hits and takeaways are 42-28-12 and 53-11-14. Those stats look good on paper, however, the Sabres’ D has been weak during their 11-game slide.
It's possible Dahlin’s leadership and example are what Buffalo needs to stop letting in early goals, blowing leads and finding a way to lose night after night. Back on Nov. 5, Dahlin helped the Sabres crush the Ottawa Senators in a 5-1 victory. Early in the second period, No. 26 passed the puck from the point to Ryan McLeod, who passed it to Byram, allowing him beat Sens’ goalie and former Sabre Linus Ullmark to make it 2-0 Buffalo.
It’s the type of play Dahlin is good at and it’s something Sabres’ fans have missed for quite a while. Dahlin expressed optimism after his recent practice, telling the media and disillusioned Sabres’ supporters the guys have to put the embarrassing losing streak behind them. That’s not who they are, he reminded his fellow D-men and players. Here’s hoping they prove it, starting with the Leafs.