Major outlet gives the Sabres a puzzling grade after four games

The Buffalo Sabres had a rough time to start their 2024-25 season, so when a major outlet gives them a generous grade, it’s rather head-turning. But that’s what we saw from Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report, who was kind enough to give the Sabres a C so far on the year. 

How Gretz came up with this grade, I have no idea, especially since I agree with most of the other marks he dished out to other teams. But there was one aspect of Gretz’s piece regarding the Sabres that I agree with 1,000 percent when he said, “Another missed playoff team would be unacceptable, especially when the Sabres entered the season with more than $6 million in salary-cap space that is currently being unused.”

Does the above quip not sound familiar? Have I not also been talking about this for a while already? While I’m sure there are others stating the same thing all over the sports world, it’s refreshing to read it elsewhere, and if I dug deep enough, others would be saying the same. 

Anyway, back to Gretz’s piece. What puzzles me is that, okay, the Blue and Gold have had a rough schedule early, but still, they owed us more than three measly goals between Games 1 and 3. Sure, they got it together in Game 4, but was it an outlier or the start of something special?

How good have the Sabres been between Games 1 and 4?

I’ve been criticizing the Sabres so much that I’m sure many of you are sighing right now and saying, “Here he goes again.” But it hasn’t been all bad, and something we’ve all noticed is that the intensity level in practice is currently through the roof.

Oh, and so is the intensity on the ice, with the Sabres averaging 27.5 hits per game. Yeah, just two seasons ago, they were around the 14-15-hit mark, and while they increased the intensity last year, it’s up another two rungs now. 

Goaltending is another plus, but both it and physical play go to waste if the team can’t figure out how to get the best of opposing goalies. Yeah, they managed it once this season, but right now, they’re one for four, so they’re not getting my endorsement just yet. 

So, what grade would I give the Sabres between Games 1 and 4? They’re getting a solid D until they show that they can actually score goals consistently. I’m not saying the Sabres need to be 2022-23 good, as this team is a far cry from what they were in the defensive rotation and in the crease, but if they want at least an average grade from me, they need to score.