There is nothing to like about the Buffalo Sabres disappointing 13-17-3 season, as they have taken multiple steps back since ending 2022-23 with 91 points. But, they are also just 33 games in, so there is plenty of time to get it turned around even if the clock is starting to work against them. This isn’t to say they’ll break their playoff drought, they can at least play more respectable hockey.
In times like these, teams must turn to their leaders to forge a plan that will help them climb out of this hole they dug for themselves. Captain Kyle Okposo believes he has the answer to these issues, even if it will take a collective effort for this team to do two things: Spend less time talking, and more time doing. Here is what the Sabres captain said following last night’s loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
""It’s going to be on all of us to find solutions and we’re not going to stop trying to find those. We’re going to look at the tape, we’re going to speak. We have done a lot of talking and now it’s time to go out and play.""Kyle Okposo
Source: Observations: Boos erupt from crowd as Blue Jackets embarrass Sabres 9-4 by Lance Lysowski, Buffalo News
Buffalo Sabres must start speaking through action as opposed to words
All season, we have heard players talk about what they need to do to gain consistency, and it hasn’t translated to the ice, where it matters the most. Therefore, Okposo is more than correct in that final part of the quote shared above when he implied the obvious “actions speak louder than words” cliche.
The Sabres can talk all they want, but until the fans see the fruits of those solutions and what they say they will do transfer to the ice, there is no way this team is even remotely winning anyone’s faith. They need to show, and not tell the fan base that they are making a conscientious effort to fix things, and the only way this will realistically occur is if they take their captain’s words to heart.
The Sabres have two more games to go this week vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs and against the New York Rangers, two teams they beat by multiple goals at least once in 2023-24. Let’s see if they will finally transfer their words of improvement to the ice.