It's been a rollercoaster ride to say the least for the Sabres this season, as they have found themselves at the bottom of the Eastern Conference going into the long break. Every time they take a step forward, they take two steps back. As the Sabres felt like they were putting it together, they went on the longest losing streak in the NHL this season at 13 games. Since then they have picked up the pace with several wins, including four of their last five games before the break. With 28 games left, the Sabres sit 12 points out of the Eastern Conference playoffs, with every other team to get past. Lindy Ruff’s message to the team was simple as they headed into the break.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Ruff said. “We have to get some work done during the break, and you have to be ready to win a game when we start up again”
As we approach the back half of the season, these are the three problems the Sabres need to correct for the rest of the year.
Odd Man Chances
The main issue for the Sabres defensively this year has been giving up odd-man opportunities. Whether that is a 2-on-1, 3-on-2, or 4-on-3, you name it, the Sabres rank at the top of the league in those types of chances given up. With the Sabres running a four-high offense, and leaving one defender back in most cases, these chances happen more often than not to this team. It has made their offense one of the best in the league but has set their defense at one of the worst in the league, being at the bottom in almost every defensive category. Ruff discussed the breakdown from the goals given up against Nashville in their last game, and why he wasn’t satisfied.
“You know we handed them easy offense, and I thought on four of the goals we handed them easy offense, but we had our chances.”
In the offense that Lindy Ruff runs, easy offense or good opportunities will happen for their opponents, but it all depends on how well they can limit those opportunities.
Powerplay
For a team that practically ranks in the top 10 for goals per game, the Sabres powerplay has been abysmal all season. They rank 27th in powerplay percentage at just 16.7% this season, and they have the 12th most powerplays in the league, which puts them towards the top 10 once again. The Sabres are averaging just 2.3 shots on their powerplay opportunities which is not enough to generate solid scoring chances. The Sabres need more time in the offensive zone to score on these opportunities, and if they can make the most of these powerplays, their offense will easily be top 10 if not higher by the end of the year.
Pace of Play/Puck Possession
The first article I wrote as a member of this page discussed the Sabres not being able to play a full 60 minutes. They had 19 blown leads the most in the league at that time, and six third-period blown leads. Which leads us into this category of pace of play/possession. The Sabres play fast, and there is no issue with that, but they need to learn when to slow down and make the other team adjust to their pace. In multiple games against the Avalanche this season, the Sabres blew three and four-goal leads. Although they found themselves ahead, they continued to play fast, leaving possession in the hands of the Avalanche. The Sabres rank 25th in time of possession, which is something they lack when they hold a lead. Going forward, not only this year but in years to come, they have to learn to hold onto a lead and win games. The Sabres could easily be in playoff contention if it wasn’t for their inexperience in close games. If they correct these opportunities, the Sabres have the chance to end the year on a high note.