Well, it's safe to say the Blue and Gold have underachieved this season. After having one of their best seasons in a long time and missing the playoffs by only one point, the Buffalo Sabres have taken a huge step back this year.
As we turn the page to 2024, the season has not been a good one. It's been very rare to see Buffalo going on a winning streak. One thing that's been consistent is that the team was very inconsistent throughout the first three months of the season.
They would win a game then lose the next one, or win a game and then go on a mini losing streak. While there is time to turn it around, the 2023-24 Buffalo Sabres are the perfect example of a team regressing. I hate to label them as regressing after the high hopes I had but unfortunately, it's the truth.
Buffalo Sabres have dramatically regressed so far in 2023-24
The truth can sometimes hurt but they are the complete opposite of the team we saw last year. There are many examples of how the team regressed. First and foremost, the power play is the biggest example of regression.
Buffalo's man advantage, which was a top ten power play unit last year, sits 28th best in the NHL at 12.8%. It has been an utter disappointment. Assistant coach Matt Ellis deserves part of the blame as he runs it but at the end of the day, the players need to execute.
There are times where I wish you could decline a power play because Buffalo has been AWFUL during them. The strategy of passing the puck multiple times or not gaining entry is very frustrating and it baffles me that they are that bad. There are a couple of examples of the Sabres going 0/6 or 0/4 on the power play.