Sabres cannot recover from a 3-0 deficit against young Ducks
Sabres cannot recover from a 3-0 deficit against young Ducks
Playing Down To The Opposition
As has been the case for most of the season, the Buffalo Sabres have a nasty habit of rising to the occasion against some of the best in the NHL and conversely playing down to the lesser lights of the league. Such was the case against Anaheim, who entered the game just one point from dead last in the league. Ducks goalie John Gibson made some excellent stops in the first, but the Sabres were comatose in the middle frame, allowing Anaheim to pelt Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen with 19 shots and take a 3-0 lead into the third.
20 Minutes Does Not A Game Make
The 4-2 score was not an accurate reflection of how badly the Sabres played. Anaheim held a three-goal lead for most of the third, but Buffalo narrowed the deficit to 3-2 on late goals by Jordan Greenway and Kyle Okposo, but Adam Henrique ended the comeback with an empty-netter. This has been the frequent blueprint for many of the Sabres 23 losses and it is a sign that a club does not understand the concept of “compete” that head coach Don Granato preaches.
Confounding Cozens
The Sabres rewarded center Dylan Cozens last February with a seven-year contract extension in the midst of a 31-goal, 68-point season, in hopes that they were being proactive in getting the 22-year-old on a long-term extension for a good price ($7.1 million AAV). In the first year of the deal, Cozens has admitted to some frustration in trying to live up to the contract, and currently, at just past the halfway mark, he is on pace to score 15 goals. This is not to say that the young forward is solely responsible for his club’s poor showing in the first half, but his struggles are symbolic of Buffalo taking a step back after showing a great deal of promise last season.
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