The Buffalo Sabres’ 2024-25 season got off to a lousy start this past weekend after they were swept by the New Jersey Devils in the two-game NHL Global Series in Prague, Czechia. Given the expectations for the season, it was less than ideal, to say the least, and fans appear to be reaching for the panic button already.
However, that’s simply ridiculous and those who have written this season off as a failure after two games need to take the proverbial chill pill. There’s no reason for any kind of doomsaying just yet.
A Lackluster Beginning
Make no mistake about it, the Sabres looked about as bad as could be – and that was what made the games so disheartening. The offense was flatter than Texas and the defense allowed far too many opportunities. The Devils skated circles around the Sabres and beat them to every puck, especially in the second game where they were outshot 37-18. Goaltenders Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi did their best and prevented blowouts, but they received just one goal of support each.
It’s fair to acknowledge that the Devils are expected to be one of the best teams in the NHL this season, but that’s no excuse. The Sabres were slow and discombobulated throughout and never once felt like a viable threat, an extremely lackluster introduction to a squad that has plenty of its own hype to live up to. What’s worse is that those are the exact issues that the Sabres made a point to address this summer.
Head coach Lindy Ruff, ironically the Devils’ coach last season, was brought back to the Sabres to make them tougher and more diligent after passivity and lethargy became their Achilles heel under predecessor Don Granato. Everyone knew that his work was cut out for him and that it wouldn’t be easy, but it’s still safe to assume a better start was expected. Those fans have the right to be disappointed, but giving up already would be foolish.
Change Doesn’t Happen Overnight
Last Friday’s season opener was Ruff’s first game behind the Buffalo bench since Feb. 19, 2013 (4,245 days for anyone counting). He’s a hero to fans because of his past success with the Sabres and there’s confidence that he can bring back those winning ways. But it was never going to be instantaneous and anyone who thought it would be is delusional.
As the saying goes, old habits die hard, and the Sabres have quite a few of them. Ruff wasted no time in establishing a new culture and put the team through the wringer on the first day of camp to show that he wasn’t kidding. However, that didn’t mean that all the aforementioned issues were going to just magically disappear.
It doesn’t help that the injury bug has already struck multiple players. Rasmus Dahlin in particular has not looked himself at all and there’s a chance that his preseason ailment was more serious than the Sabres let on.
It’s very understandable that fans have ants in their pants. Over the last 13 years, they’ve endured a lifetime’s worth of frustration. Everyone wants immediate results but that simply isn’t how it works nine out of 10 times. There have already been small signs that Ruff’s message is landing, such as Alex Tuch immediately challenging New Jersey’s Brenden Dillon after he rocked JJ Peterka with a hard hit on Saturday (I love Dahlin but Tuch should be the captain of this team). It’s going to be tough, but further patience is going to be needed, you can’t sound the alarm after two games.
The Sabres Have Much More to Show
It might not seem like it now, but the early start in Europe may prove beneficial for the Sabres. As disastrous as it was, it served as a quasi-trial run before the true beginning of the season, and allowed them a week off in between to process their mistakes. Though the team is currently 0-2, the two games were essentially an extension of the preseason and the real work begins on Thursday when Los Angeles comes to town for Buffalo’s home opener.
It was not an encouraging beginning in any sense, but all good things take time and we haven’t seen the real Sabres yet, not by a long shot. If we’re having this same conversation in a month, then maybe it’s a different story. But until that time, hang on to your towels.
