The Buffalo Sabres’ 8-4 win over the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday might have been a watershed moment for the club. Early on, the Sabres were down 2-1, and it looked like it was another night of “oh boy, here were go again.”
But then, the Sabres turned it up a notch. The club channeled some sort of inner drive that led to a four-goal outburst. The Sabres capitalized on every mistake the Sens made, including a horrendous play by Ottawa goalie Leevi Merilainen that led to Ryan McLeod’s shorthanded goal.
And then, disaster struck. The Senators scored two quick goals to make the game 5-4. At that point, the watershed moment may have occurred. Instead of crumbling and accepting their dark fate, the Sabres tacked on two more to make the game 7-4. An empty-netter came later for good measure.
Perhaps we might be getting ahead of ourselves here. But the fact is that all signs point toward the sort of moment where a team has hit rock bottom. That rock bottom may have occurred this week. The chatter surrounding the team has been, frankly, embarrassing. Players have talked about bailing, even if they didn’t outright say it.
Lindy Ruff, the veteran coach that he is, looked like one of those aging parents who has no clue what to do about his still dependent adult children. Perhaps the message behind closed doors was to cut off the dependent adult kids.
Forget about coming home to complain about your problems. You’re old enough to figure out what to do on your own. Mom and Pops are getting on in years and can’t tread any more water for you. It’s time to grow up and get on with it.
It’s just one game, but it seems like the message got through. If the Sabres end up having a decent season, even if they don’t make the playoffs, the turnaround will be well worth the trouble.
Benson, Doan were catalysts for the turnaround
Zach Benson and Josh Doan might have been the catalysts the Sabres have been waiting for. Benson had four assists in his first game of the season, while Doan had three on Wednesday night, and both seemed to be in their best form.
Doan, as fans may recall, was one of the pieces that came back in the JJ Peterka trade. Much criticism hit the airwaves that Doan, of all players, came back for Peterka. But judging from the way things went down on Wednesday night, Doan might be just what the Sabres needed.
As for Benson, he looks like he’s really growing into his role. The former 13th overall pick from the 2023 NHL Draft looks like he’s ready to bust out. In his third full season, he’s in a position to become a top-six NHL forward.
What’s even more encouraging is that he’s only 20 and nearing 150 NHL games played. That’s a tremendous sign forward for the Benson and the Sabres. All things considered, Benson’s performance, along with Doan and Jack Quinn, could be the beginning of a turnaround in Buffalo.
The club has likely hit rock bottom, so there’s nowhere to go but up from here.