The Buffalo Sabres rehired former head coach Lindy Ruff in April after firing Don Granato at the end of the 2023-24 season. Ruff has said he’s looking at ways to improve the team this upcoming hockey year. Besides emulating Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen's never say die playing ability, something Ruff mentioned, here are three areas the coach needs to focus on in 2024-25.
Power play scoring
The Sabres have long suffered a weakness when it comes to power play scoring. Whether it’s failing to get many shots on goal, keeping the puck in opponents zones or giving it away and allowing shorthanded scoring chances, Buffalo often lacks the skill to take advantage of 5-on-4 opportunities. Watching the Sabres on a power play, fans frequently question which team actually has the man advantage.
Good NHL franchises know how to score with the extra attacker. This past season, the blue and gold were a dismal 29th out of 32 in PP scoring. By contrast, the top two teams who made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, Edmonton and Florida, both enjoyed a 26.3 and 23.5 power play ranking, an NHL 4th and 8th regular season stat, respectively.
It's clear that if the Sabres hope to end their NHL record breaking 13-year long playoff drought this season, scoring with the man advantage more than 17% of the time is something Ruff has to address.