In the middle of December, the Buffalo Sabres finally made a long-overdue change when they replaced Kevyn Adams with Jarmo Kekalainen. It didn't necessarily change who was on the ice, but the Sabres were playing much more inspired hockey and would win seven straight after the announcement.
Recently, Tage Thompson was on Spittin' Chiclets, and he was asked if Kekalainen had a message for the team from the new general manager. Thompson said, "You are all pretty much all expendable, and no one is safe. We are going to start working, and if you don't want to work, you're not gonna be on the team."
Buffalo Sabres seemingly have taken Jarmo Kekalainen's message to heart
It was a brutally honest message and probably one the players needed to hear. The good news is that they have responded well to it as they played some of their best hockey of the season.
One of the best games of the entire win streak was against the Dallas Stars, who is one of the top teams in the NHL. However, the Sabres as the road team was able to come in and really control the game from start to finish.
The Sabres' forecheck in particular was one of the reasons that they were so dominant and it was something fans haven't really seen a lot of during the playoff drought. It also saw their top players, like Tage Thompson, step up as he had two goals and an assist in the game against the Stars.
Buffalo Sabres can't forget the message coming out of the win streak
As good as the performance was against the Stars, the Sabres were equally as bad against the Columbus Blue Jackets. They did not look anything like the team that won 10 in a row, but rather the team that started the season.
The Sabres were never going to win every remaining game but the focus now turns to putting that game behind them and getting back to the way they were playing during the win streak. Fortunately, they are returning to their home ice where they have played well most of the season.
The loss to Columbus served as a reminder: the 'harsh message' wasn't just for the introductory press conference, it's the new standard. If the Sabres slip back into old habits, Kekalainen has already proven he isn't afraid to make changes, which he has already done within his front office.