Sabres scrambling for answers after fourth loss in a row
Sabres scrambling for answers after fourth loss in a row
The Buffalo Sabres followed a familiar script in their 5-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings at Key Bank Center on Tuesday night, as the club struggled out of the gate, fell behind early, and staged a late comeback only to fall short in the end for their fourth loss in a row.
The Sabres trailed 2-0 as Dylan Larkin and Robby Fabbri scored for Detroit less than 10 minutes into the game. The Wings extended their lead to 4-0 in the middle frame on goals by Moritz Seider and Michael Rasmussen before Buffalo showed any signs of life.
Rasmus Dahlin got the Sabres on the board late in the second on the power play, and playing desperate hockey in the third, Casey Mittelstadt and Jeff Skinner narrowed the lead to 4-3. Buffalo had a chance to tie the game late in regulation on the power play, but Dylan Cozens could not convert past Wings goalie Alex Lyon on a scoring chance before Larkin scored his second of the game into the empty net.
Eric Comrie made 22 saves in the loss and fell to 1-5-0 on the season.
Here are three takeaways from Buffalo’s 5-3 loss to the Red Wings:
Falling Behind (Again)
The Sabres offensive firepower has significantly declined since last season with no appreciable improvement defensively. That combination has been a recipe for disaster, as the club is now 10-14-2 through 26 games. The most recent disturbing trend has been falling behind early in games and being unable to recover from large deficits.
Other than an outlier 5-1 victory against the NY Rangers at MSG last week, the club has allowed 20 goals collectively to Pittsburgh, New Jersey, St. Louis, Carolina, Nashville, and Detroit before scoring in response. The Sabres erased the Penguins' 2-0 lead to win 3-2 on November 24 and erased the Blues' 3-0 lead before eventually losing 6-4, but in those six games, they went 1-5-0.
No Answers
The level of frustration has continued to increase within the Sabres locker room and behind the bench, but the responses provided by team captain Kyle Okposo, veteran Jeff Skinner, and head coach Don Granato do not provide any explanation for why the team continues to struggle and what they can do to rectify the situation. Okposo said after the game that the club not living up to expectations and had to perform but had nothing to offer as to how to do that or what to do differently.
Mathematical Reality
With the victory, Detroit moved nine points ahead of Buffalo in the Atlantic, but the Sabres have to be more concerned about where they are in the overall race for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Sabres are five points in back of the NY Islanders, who hold the second wildcard spot, but in between there are five teams, and three of them are clubs that most prognosticators predicted would be in the playoffs (Tampa Bay, New Jersey, and Pittsburgh).
If the Sabres losing ways continue for another week or two, the distance between them and a playoff spot will become so large that it will be unrealistic for them to get back in the race.
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