@boosbuzzsabres
Let's get this out of the way right now.
Since the 2013-14 season, the Buffalo Sabres have a combined 5-15-2 record against the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning in a two-game, Florida road trip and they've been swept out of the state in seven of those 11 duals.
If that isn't enough of a downer for Sabres fans, heading into this evening's matchup on the road in Sunrise, Florida, Buffalo is 1-7-2 in their last 10 games while the Panthers are 7-2-1.
Most of the focus in Sabreland for today's matchup with Florida centers around the defense and which NHL-caliber defensemen will be in the press box. The order of pairings as relayed by those at Buffalo's practice yesterday are:
Ristolainen - McCabe
Dahlin - Bogosian
Miller - Montour
Scandella - Jokiharju
Buffalo bench boss Ralph Krueger seems set on at least two of his pairings--Risto/McCabe, Scandella/Jokiharju--with the return of Bogosian seemingly influencing the design of the other two. Krueger is going with Dahlin/Bogosian in a lefty/righty pairing that also places a very young, very mobile skater in Dahlin with a rugged veteran in Bogosian leaving a mid-20's duo of two righties in Miller/Montour to round out the D-corps.
For those following the Sabres, Jokiharju has been one of the best, if not the best, defenseman skating for Buffalo all season. He and Scandella have worked extremely well on the third-pairing and any thought of sitting Jokiharju is akin to heresy. After struggling through much of the first quarter of the season, Dahlin is really starting to regain his from while Montour looks as if he's out of training camp-mode after missing the first 14 games of the season with goals in two consecutive games.
Like it or not, and there's a huge, vociferous group losing their minds over this, Krueger seems to be married to a Risto/McCabe top-pairing. For some reason that vocal group seems to think the head coach is blind and can't see the shortcomings of both players, especially McCabe, who's had his moments. With the defense in such a state of flux to start the year, and that includes both Bogosian and Montour being out of the lineup, and with Dahlin struggling as he did, it's not too far-fetched to believe that Krueger at least knows what he's getting in Risto/McCabe. It may not be ideal, but it is what it is for now.
In saying all that, it really wouldn't be surprising to see Scandella and Jokiharju sit this one out. Although it might cause some to break out the torches and pitchforks, it won't kill anyone. As mentioned, the top-pairing seems to be in place (for now) while both Dahlin and Montour are starting to regain their form. Miller has played in only one of the team's last five games (a 4-1 loss vs. MIN) and Bogosian is rarin' to go. And, fret not, the Sabres play tomorrow night at Tampa Bay and one would assume that the Scanella/Jokiharju pairing will be on the ice while Bogosian and probably Miller sit it out.
Lack of scoring is certainly a concern for the Sabres, most notably secondary scoring. Krueger is hell-bent on keeping his lines intact with the idea that they'll form some chemistry. Here are the reported lines from yesterday's practice:
Vesey - Eichel - Reinhart
Skinner - Rodrigues - Sheary
Olofsson - Asplund - Mittelstadt
Girgensons - Larsson - Lazar
Without going into the scoring slump of everyone not named Eichel, and/or unfortunate bounces or incredible saves preventing some from lighting the lamp, it should be noted that Curtis Lazar and Rasmus Asplund have been doing yeoman's work for the Sabres since their call-ups. Lazar scored in his first game donning the Blue and Gold while Asplund has been every bit the two-way player he was drafted for while displaying a strong hockey IQ and more speed than many thought he had.
This is the group of 12 the Sabres will be working with until a trade or injury happens.
Krueger has used a goalie rotation in Buffalo and it worked very well for them early on. Unfortunately it's starting to crumble. in the last 12 games here are the splits for starter Carter Hutton and backup Linus Ullmark:
Hutton--6 games, 0-4-2 record, 3.83 goals-against average, .876 save-percentage, 0 shoutouts
Ullmark--6 games, 2-4-0 record, 2.88 GAA, .908 SV%, 1 shutout
Neither's numbers are anything to write home about but we may be getting to the point where the coach needs to roll with the hot hand. Goalies are like that and once they start feeling it they can get rolling and it reverberates through the entire team. Although it's highly unlikely that one of Hutton or Ullmark will start back-to-back games in Florida, if either is in net and comes up with an outstanding performance in a win, it might be worth a shot.
The Sabres need a spark. Many want it to come from a trade, which will happen at some point, but if a turnaround happens it may end being because of a series of small, unheralded things that eventually pull them out of this rut. Confidence is the biggest factor in all of this and having a healthier blueline and (hopefully) getting secondary scoring can further that. But having a goaltender locked in and taking some of the pressure off of skaters more often than not provides a jolt that can carry a team for a bit.
Will it start in Sunrise, Florida against the Panthers? Circling back to the opening salvos, odds are probably not. But then again, that's why they play the game.
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