The Sabres have finished up on the road this season after suffering a 7-4 loss to the Lighting on Sunday. The Sabres finished the season with a road record of 13-24-4, which ultimately decimated their playoff chances. The Sabres have not finished with a winning record on the road since the 2006-2007 season.
Although a winning road record doesn't come easy to many teams, it has been kryptonite for the Sabres over the years. Being a good team on the road is what makes or breaks playoff teams, let alone Stanley Cup teams.
The Sabres need to find a formula for winning on the road, even a record close to .500 would put them in the current playoff race. Here are a few ways in which the Sabres could win more road games for next year.
Value defense over offense
The Sabres on the road this season let up an abysmal 3.76 goals per game this season. Which was the worst in the NHL, and also the worst in franchise history. Now I'm not saying the Sabres need to change up their whole game plan when playing away, but it would be better than what they are doing currently.
When playing on the road, you're not only dealing with the other team, but you're dealing with the home crowd as well. This is likely to throw a young team like the Sabres off their game early, and from there they lose focus. It showed against the Lighting on Sunday, as one mistake resulted in five straight goals for Tampa.
If the Sabres play a slower-paced game, they are likely to throw their opponents off their game and force mistakes. The Boston Bruins for years did a great job of slowing down the pace of play and making opponents play to their level. Which is why they almost won multiple Stanley Cups since 2011. Buffalo could benefit from a change on the road which could make them more dangerous for next season.
Scoring the first goal is key
In their 41 road games this season, the Sabres scored the first goal just 14 times. This is a disappointing number, to say the least, but getting that first goal early buries the home crowd and puts momentum on your side.
According to Stat Muse, NHL road teams that scored the first goal of the game won 43% of games this season, the highest total since 2016, when it was 47%. If the Sabres can get an early lead and force teams to play at their pace of play. They can be a much-improved team for next season.
The Sabres need to fix a lot going into the offseason, but I think Lindy Ruff has this team going in the right direction. If they tone down the mistakes on the road, this team is poised for a playoff run next year.