EDMONTON, Alberta – The debate has been there since the summer, and it's hard to argue the point now. Whether it's Kevyn Adams or anyone else in the general manager's chair at the trade deadline and next season, the Buffalo Sabres simply have to get more finishers on their forward group.
The current assemblage is more than willing to work for the puck and push into the offensive zone, and more than found its shooting skates in the last two games of the club's Western road trip.
But you don't win if you don't score. The Sabres tallied just 11 goals in the four games, went 1 for 14 on the power play and finished the 1-3 journey with about as frustrating a loss as you can imagine Saturday in Rogers Place.
Buffalo Sabres center Peyton Krebs (19) is stopped by Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) as Darnell Nurse (25) defends during the third period in Edmonton, Alberta, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025.
"We went after them. There was no sitting back," coach Lindy Ruff said after the Sabres had 41 shots on goal but still lost, 3-2, to the Edmonton Oilers. "But the theme has kind of been, even going back earlier in the year, that we're having a tough time putting the puck in the back of the net in key opportunities to win a hockey game."
The Sabres didn't have a shot on goal for the first 11 minutes of this game but had a 19-7 advantage in the third period and didn't score. Over the final two periods, they had 36 shots on goal, 35 scoring chances and and 12 high-danger chances, but tallied just once.
"The game is funny how it works," said veteran Jason Zucker, who returned after missing two games due to the flu and set up Alex Tuch's goal that put Buffalo in front at 16:28 of the first period. "If you're skating and you're thinking about making plays the whole time, it's all you're looking for. You're not looking at the net. You're not looking to get pucks there.
"If you change your mentality, if it's 'I'm going to try to skate to shoot the puck', you're going to shoot the puck. You're going to find more openings to the net. So I think we did that."
The Sabres (18-26-5) combined for 151 shot attempts and 75 shots on goal in the final two games, at Calgary and Edmonton, and lost both even though they were in 2-2 ties after two periods in each one. They're tied for 26th in the league in third-period goals, with only 45 in 49 games. They're an NHL-worst 2-8-3 when the score is even through 40 minutes.
Where's the clutch genes? JJ Peterka has one goal in his last 15 games. Dylan Cozens has two in 13 games, Zach Benson has one in 10 and Peyton Krebs has none in his last 12. It's an ugly tale.
Jiri Kulich put Buffalo in front, 2-1, with a one-timer at 7:48 of the second period and the Sabres had breakaways in a 35-second span from Beck Malenstyn and Krebs to add to the lead. Malenstyn hit the outside of the post while Krebs was stopped by Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner, who made 39 saves.
The Oilers got the game's final two goals from veteran Ryan-Nugent Hopkins, at 13:20 of the second period and 8:59 of the third. The second goal came when he got behind Peterka to beat James Reimer, who made 31 saves in the Buffalo net. It started in the offensive zone, when Tage Thompson was accidentally bumped off the play by a referee and the Oilers broke back down the ice.
The Sabres nearly tied it with 3:43 left as Kulich pushed in a loose puck at the edge of the crease. But the goal was wiped out as it was ruled Kulich kicked the puck in with his right skate.
"They blocked my stick so that was the other option to put it on the net," Kulich said. "Yeah, I definitely knew I kicked it."
"I mean, we've seen almost every way of losing a game this year," Ruff said of the Kulich and Thompson plays. "Heartbreaking really."
Here's more takeaways from the game:
1. Better power play
The Sabres were 0 for 3 on the power play but had 12 shots on goal and essentially scored on one when Kulich's blast off an Owen Power pass came five seconds after a penalty expired and as part of an offensive foray that lasted nearly a minute.
"You're a power play guy for a reason and you have to have a little bit of poise out there," Zucker said. "I think guys did that tonight."
Ruff said quick puck movement created the chaos the Sabres needed on their power play.
"We tried to shoot a lot, and that makes chaos and easier play for us," Kulich added. "Just quick, quick touch and shots."
2. Oil slicks
• The victory pushed the Oilers (31-15-3) past Vegas into first place in the Pacific Division. Edmonton is 24-8-2 since early November, second in the NHL to Washington. The Oilers went 2-1 with captain Connor McDavid on a three-game NHL suspension.
• NHL goal leader Leon Draisaitl, who entered the game with 35 goals and 74 points (second to the 75 of Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon) was held without a point for just the second time in 24 games. He also lost a 17-game home point streak.
• Former Sabre Jeff Skinner scored his eighth goal of the season, potting a rebound at 16:45 of the first that came 17 seconds after Tuch's goal. Skinner had just one goal in his previous 13 games.
3. Roster news
Zucker (illness) returned after missing two games while Ryan McLeod (upper body) came back into the lineup after sitting the first three games of this trip. Tyson Kozak was loaned back to Rochester, although you can make the case he deserves a longer look in the NHL and an unproductive veteran like Nicolas Aube-Kubel could have gone on waivers instead to make room.
Zucker went on the second line with Dylan Cozens and Tuch. McLeod centered the fourth line with Malenstyn and Sam Lafferty.
On defense, Jacob Bryson came back into the lineup while Connor Clifton and Dennis Gilbert sat as Buffalo returned to a 12-6 alignment.
4. Next
The Sabres will return to practice on Monday. They host Boston Tuesday night at 7 in KeyBank Center in the opener of a four-game stretch at home.
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