To call this an “up and down” season would be an understatement when it comes to the Buffalo Sabres. With pressure higher than ever, the Sabres have failed to deliver. A listless 2-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings, the third in a row for the Sabres, felt like more of what we have come to know in a decade (and more) of disappointment.
The lineup got a bit of a shakeup and the response was the best one yet. The Sabres were fantastic, getting back on track with a 5-1 win over the Ottawa Senators.
This Was the Best 60 Minutes the Sabres Have Played This Season
There has been a litany of things over the past decade-plus that could be the worst thing about this team. Perhaps the most frustrating has been the Sabres’ lack of consistency each season. After all, good teams find a way to win no matter what, while teams like the Sabres go in the opposite direction.
This was perhaps the first full 60-minute performance the Sabres have put in this season. They skated hard, played physical, and had maybe their best puck-movement game of the season to date. Other than losing the faceoff battle yet again, they did virtually everything else right.
Even in decisive victories this season, the Sabres have had an issue keeping their foot on the gas pedal. They have a strong first period, are outplayed in the second, and then it’s anyone’s guess what they’ll do in the third. Let’s hope these efforts aren’t few and far between this season.
Jason Zucker Has Been an A+ Signing
Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams gets a lot of flack, some of it rightfully so. Having said that, the signing of Jason Zucker has been an A+ move this season. Moving him onto the power play has helped unlock the unit, seeing them even tally multiple power play goals for the first time this season.
He has largely played with Ryan McLeod and Jordan Greenway, forming one heckuva third line. Zucker picked up an assist on the first power play goal of the night, his fifth game in his last six with at least one point. That brings him up to 10 points in 13 games so far.
The signing was criticized at the time, but Zucker has become an integral part of the lineup. It’s been proven not only on that line but in his ability to step in on the power play and make an impact, helping wake up a slumbering power play that was in desperate need of assistance.
The Sabres Have 2 Good Lines
The first thing you will notice when watching the Sabres is that they have two very good lines. The aforementioned Zucker line is one of them, with the trio combining for 23 points through 12 games together (Greenway missed one game). It’s everything the team could have hoped for out of that line.
The top line of Tage Thompson, J.J. Peterka, and Alex Tuch has also been outstanding. In the victory, they could not have been better. They combined for three goals and six points, Peterka scoring a pair of power play goals in the process. They generated a ton of chances, with Thompson and Peterka combining for a whopping 17 shots.
If the second line featuring Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn can wake up and find something resembling a groove, the Sabres will have the ability to roll four effective lines. As of now, those two are easily the biggest disappointments on the team, Quinn especially. Hopefully, the play of the first and third lines will somehow galvanize the second line and get them going sooner rather than later.
Now Do it Again
It’s always great beating a division rival. It’s even better when you do so handily from start to finish. As great as that is, do it again. Then do it again after that and again after that one. That’s what the good teams in the NHL do and it’s what the Sabres need to aspire to do if they hope to reach the playoffs for the first time since the current high school freshman class was born.
Consistency has been an issue for the Sabres for, oh, forever at this point. They have a tough task in the New York Rangers on the road next, then back home for three winnable games. If they are serious about making the playoffs, they need to win three of their next four. Whether they can is a major TBD.
This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.
