@boosbuzzsabres
You don’t need a lot of analytics to figure out that the Sabres hot start has cooled to the point where it looks like they’re struggling and something as simple as their record is a good place to start. Buffalo began the season going 4-0-1 then went 4-1-0 which included a three-game California road trip. However this last stretch of five games hasn't been too kind to the Sabres as they could only manage a 1-3-1 record.
Quality of competition might be a big factor as the first five teams they face had a combined 44% win percentage through their first five games, the second grouping was at 42.5% through their first 10 games while the last grouping of teams Buffalo has played clocks in at a 56.7 win-percentage, and that includes the top team in the NHL, the Washington Capitals and the second best team in the Metropolitan Division, the NY Islanders, who are a combined 20-5-3 on the season.
Team-wise it wasn't the best five games for Buffalo and one need look no further than their scoring. The Sabres managed only seven goals in those five games, never scored more than two goals, pitched a 2-0 shutout against the Detroit Red Wings and were shut out 1-0 last night compliments of the Islanders, who extended their winning streak to nine games in a row.
Buffalo's top line was held in check and their powerplay took a dive during this stretch. Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart lead a list of seven players with one goal each in those five games with all seven of them combining for a minus-17 rating. And their once potent powerplay faltered going only 2/15 with the man advantage. In addition to that the Sabres weren't drawing penalties like they did through the first 10 games. Prior to their last five Buffalo had drawn 39 penalties through 10 games, or about one more per game than they did the last five games.
Having said all that, the Sabres are still seventh in the league overall, second in the Atlantic Division and third in the Eastern Conference.
Buffalo will have some time to right the ship, that is after they acclimate to Stockholm, Sweden where they'll be playing their next two games as part of the NHL's Global Series next weekend. After their back-to-back with the Tampa Bay Lightning on November 8 and 9, the Sabres have four days before they lace 'em up for a home game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
With that in mind we take a look back at the Sabres last five games.
Buffalo-2 NY Rangers-6
The Sabres came off of their California trip with a win at home over the San Jose Sharks and headed to The Big Apple as the NHL's best team with 17 points on an 8-1-1 record. Any dreams of continuing that hot run evaporated as the Rangers scored three goals in the final 8:19 of the first period while on their way to a 6-2 win. Defenseman Marco Scandella scored an unassisted goal early in the second period to make it interesting and Vladimir Sobotka scored his first of the season late in the period to counter New York's fourth goal before the Rangers sealed it with two unanswered goals in the third period. Jeff Skinner had a somewhat bizzare start to the third period as he got called for tripping at the 1:54 mark then was called for a double minor--2:00 for high-sticking and another 2:00 for unsportsmanlike conduct. “We didn’t show the Rangers enough respect and they punished us for it,” Sabres coach Ralph Krueger said to the media post-game. “There were so many moments where we felt like we were getting back into it. We just couldn’t recover from the hole we dug ourselves into.”
Buffalo-2 Detroit Red Wings-0
The Red Wings entered the game on a six-game losing streak and pumped 41 shots at Buffalo goalie Linus Ullmark but couldn't get one past him. Jake McCabe and Sam Reinhart scored goals for Buffalo while captain Jack Eichel had two assists. It was a good way to bounce back from a poor performance in New York and it was the second time the Sabres would pitch a shutout after losing ugly the prior game. Said McCabe after the game, “We have so much confidence in this room right now that there’s no panic when we lose a game. Obviously everyone was a little off last night, but we were able to refocus on tonight’s game and do a lot of good things.” Those words might be challenged moving forward as Buffalo would stumble the next three games.
Arizona Coyotes-3 Buffalo-2 (SO)
The Sabres jumped out to a 2-0 first period lead as Eichel lasered a shot home on the powerplay while Skinner worked a beautiful give and go in the high slot for his seventh goal of the season. However, before the first period was out goalie Carter Hutton left a small opening and Arizona's Conor Garland found it from a sharp angle to halve the lead heading into the first intermission. Late in the second period the 'Yotes tied the game on the powerplay and after 60 minutes we headed to overtime. After the Sabres hit two posts and Casey Mittelstadt just missing in the dying seconds, the two teams went to the shootout with Arizona scoring the lone shootout goal. It was Buffalo's first loss at home this season.
Buffalo-1 Washington-6
Welcome to the world of champions, Buffalo. This game in Washington D.C. would represent the biggest challenge for the Sabres to date and not only were they playing against a monster of the Eastern Conference in the 2018 Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals, Buffalo also found themselves surrounded by the euphoria of a Washington Nationals World Series win the night before. The Sabres held their own for a brief time but were overwhelmed by four Capitals goals in a span of 4:17 with the last being scored just after the half-way point of the first period. After that blitzkrieg it was pretty much over for all intents and purposes. Buffalo defenseman Henri Jokiharju scored a goal in the second period to provide a glimmer of hope, but it was as if no team would spoil the atmosphere in D.C. that night.
NY Islanders-1 Buffalo-0
The Islanders rode a fluke goal early in the first period to the 1-0 shutout of the Sabres. It was Buffalo's first regulation loss at home, the first time they'd been shutout this season and it was also the first time Krueger changed up his forward lines this season, outside of injury, as he swapped Victor Olofsson and Jimmy Vesey prior to the game. In similar fashion to the Ducks game in Anaheim, the Sabres found themselves struggling to get into a serious groove as the Islanders took away space in all three zones for about as perfect a shutdown performance one could get. Buffalo had opportunities throughout but just couldn't get one past Isles goalie Semyon Varlamov and they head into the Global Series on a two-game losing streak, a three-game skid (0-2-1) and a 1-3-1 record in their last five games.
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