@boosbuzzsabres
The Buffalo Sabres are in Tampa, Florida tonight to take on the league-leading Lightning at Amalie Arena. The game kicks off an extremely rough stretch where they play three Eastern Conference heavyweights in the span of five days with two of those on the road. After tonight Buffalo heads home to face off against the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals then travel up to Toronto to take on the archrival Maple Leafs just a few hours after the NHL Trade Deadline. The combined record of those three teams is 115-50-15 right now.
Buffalo heads into these matchups while on a three-game losing streak. The teams they lost to--NY Rangers, New Jersey Devils and Florida Panthers--have a combined record of 75-78-24 and are three of the bottom-five teams in the conference. It was a trio of games that could have bolstered the Sabres playoff chances but in losing all three, whatever playoff optimism Sabreland had to took a big hit even though they're still in the mix.
It's not over, by any means as the Sabres are six points out of a playoff spot witg a game in hand on a couple of teams they trail and 23 games to go, but it would take one hell of a turnaround to come out of these next three games with enough points to keep their playoff hopes alive. And by the looks of it, whatever turnaround occurs will come almost exclusively from the players in the room.
Aside from the lost points in the standings, perhaps the most distressing part of Buffalo's recent losing streak is how they've played. As they've done for good chunks of the year, this edition of the Sabres has played partial games. They got away with it during their winning streak but were left to tread water as the tide changed. But at this time of year when the pressure is ramped up, a partial game oftentimes leads to being outscored 14-4 during a three-game losing streak to teams who are in spoiler mode.
The most egregious example of partial play came on Tuesday against the Florida Panthers with Terry and Kim Pegula, the Sabres owners, on hand. The Pegulas were joined by general manager Jason Botterill and the first 20 minutes of the game was about as ugly as it could get save for the score, which somehow remained 0-0. As the Pegulas retreated back to Boca Raton after the game, Botterill headed to Tampa Bay with the team and was met by some Sabres beat writers who offered up some very tough questions.
Right off the bat Botterill was asked what emotions ran through him in response to his team's recent slide and losing streak. A brief pause lead to this from the GM, "we're disappointed with our results right now," before he tried to put a positive spin on things. "It's a situation where...(long pause)...if you take a step back, we've made improvements as an organization," he said. "We like parts of our game and the development of some of our players."
As an organization they are making great progress, at least at the AHL and ECHL level where both the Rochester Americans and Cincinnati Cyclones, respectively, are atop their divisions. The youngins are developing nicely on the farm and the ones who've been called up, like defenseman Lawrence Pilut and forward C.J. Smith, look as if their development is moving along nicely. We can point to a player like rookie Casey Mittelstadt, whose game is coming along after a slow start and 22 yr. old Sam Reinhart, who's having a career year, as players who've developed well while on the NHL roster full time. But the scrutiny of Sabreland is about this Buffalo Sabres team and how they've been in a downward spiral ever since the winning streak ended.
There are a ton of questions with this club and for many it starts with the status of head coach Phil Housley. Things have gone awry for the second year coach since the streak and it seems like he's drowning. His players know what to do and know how he wants it done, but what he's saying and what he's coaching isn't hitting home on a consistent basis. One reporter framed a question about Housley's status by first stating, "the number one message from fans is they want to see a coaching change" before asking Botterill how he felt about that statement. The GM was a bit taken aback and repeated the statement with a somewhat incredulous look before quickly answering, "No."
"We've made progress as an organization compared to last year," responded Botterill. "We've been in a position where we've been in games. I see the results on the ice. I see the communication we're going through here. There's not going to be a coaching change."
Housley's status may have been on the mind of that reporter and his follower but others are wondering why Botterill didn't make a move in December or January to fortify the team. Botterill says he's always on the lookout for moves that will improve his team but is standing firm on his promise not to mortgage the future for short-term gain, which would be the correct move for where his team is right now. First round picks should not be thrown around haphazardly but conversely, should a trade come around that will help the team now and into the future, one of the Sabres four first round picks the next two years shouldn't be off the table either.
It's safe to say that this team really could have used, and still could use, a jolt but it doesn't seem to be in the cards and Botterill looks to be OK with that. He pointed to "the challenge" facing his team right now and how they're learning what it takes at this time of year when the intensity is cranked up. Most on the outside are unsure how winning only 11 of 34 recent games after winning 17 of 25 helps a team grow, but Botterill stood firm. "Because it's a lot harder to win games in the second half of the season. Teams are clamping down. When you put young players in the lineup, it's a physical drain. We have 18, 20 yr. old kids playing, and not just playing but playing prominent roles.
"We'd like for development to be a straight line but there are going to be bumps along the way."
A lot of credit should be given to Botterill as he's standing firm on his commitment to rebuilding the organization through the draft but it's been painful watching his team lately. Although he's solidified his farm system and has four first rounders the next two years to beef up the prospect pipeline his NHL team keeps falling and falling. Even with patience running thin and the fan base starting to wonder where they last put their torches and pitchforks, he's not going to do anything that will negatively affect his long-term plan.
Botterrill seems to have tapped into an old-school approach where the idea of a swimming lesson means taking a toddler and throwing them right in the water without any floaties. If it wasn't clear before, it certainly should be now--there won't be a life preserver thrown to this team at the trade deadline. It's either sink or swim for this group of players and the coaching staff.
Join the Discussion:
»