The Buffalo Sabres haven't won a game in Caroline since 2016, and with the injuries and absence of Rasmus Dahlin, it was certainly going to be a tall task. In the first two periods, the Hurricanes clearly looked like the better team and were capitalizing on the Sabres' mistakes, taking a 3-1 lead into the final period. They added another goal just 29 seconds into the third to build it up to a 4-1 lead.
However, the Sabres had their chances as well, but as Lindy Ruff noted after the game, they just couldn't convert. He didn't shy away from the criticism and named Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, and Ryan McLeod.
"We hurt ourselves with missed nets early in the game. We had opportunities to make them pay for their mistakes," Ruff said. "Thompson alone on a breakaway, obviously great goal by Owen Power. You had Tuch that went in alone; we had our fair share of guys going in alone. McLeod going in alone and missing the net."
Buffalo Sabres turned it around in the third period but it was a little too late
Entering the game, the Sabres put these three together in hopes of getting Thompson going as he had only one goal in the prior six games. It was a risk because the line of Josh Doan-Ryan McLeod-Alex Tuch has easily been the team's best line this season.
In the third period, this line really turned things around with Thompson and Tuch each recording a goal and an assist in the period. The game certainly shifted over this stretch, and it was a one-score game.
Unfortunately, the Hurricanes added two empty-net goals to put it out of reach, and the Sabres have now lost two straight. Over the past seven games, they are 1-2-4 and sit in the bottom of the Eastern Conference in terms of point percentage.
As Ruff mentions, this is an issue that has persisted for a few games now. They had their chances against the Columbus Blue Jackets, but couldn't take advantage. If they can convert some of these in either games, it drastically changes the flow of the game. When the Sabres can get ahead, they can play a very different style of hockey that allows them to control the game.
The challenge for the Sabres is that it doesn't get any easier moving forward. They will have a few days off before playing three games in four nights on the road, starting with the Utah Mammoth.
Hopefully, the Sabres can get some of their injured players back but regardless if they do or not, the pressure is on Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch. If they can carry over what they did in the third period into a full-game of action they can certainly win against teams like Utah.
The frustrating part is that they haven't really shown that yet this season and Lindy Ruff certainly sees that, which is why he probably made the comments he did after the game against the Carolina Hurricanes. There is work to be done if the Sabres want to get past this recent stretch of disappointing hockey.