Did The Sabres Season End In Detroit The odds of the Buffalo Sabres climbing back in the playoff race were long after falling behind in the first half of the season, but there were reasons for optimism since January, with the club finding consistency in goal with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and climbing to within three points of a wildcard spot after wins over Detroit and the NY Islanders two weeks ago, but from that point until their 6-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday, the Sabres have regressed and returned to the inconsistent squad that cannot put solid efforts together. The Sabres were unable to build any momentum coming off those key consecutive wins, with three losses on their five-game road trip to the Red Wings, Canucks, and Oilers pretty much slammed the door on the postseason for the 13th straight season, but the coup de grace was a pathetic effort against Ottawa to start a five-game homestand, with Buffalo allowing four goals in the first nine minutes, pulling Luukkonen and falling behind 5-0 after the first period, from which they were never able to recover. "I guess we wanted to play as individuals. I'm disappointed because we let (Luukkonen) down." Sabres defenseman Connor Clifton said after the game. "He's kept us in so many games and to just not show up and play that careless style, give (Ottawa) freebies all over the place and then playing catch up the rest of the game. Obviously, the first 20 (minutes) dictated the rest of the game." The effort against Ottawa is a sign of the Sabres regression from more complete efforts that got the Sabres back into the race. Against Detroit and Edmonton, Buffalo started strong and faded as the game progressed. The five-goal third period against the Oilers and the opening 20 minutes against the Sens could be the worst periods the club has played since giving up four goals to a bad Columbus team in mid-December, but what makes it more impactful is that it came when the Sabres had their backs against the wall. Buffalo has four games left on their homestand against New Jersey, Toronto, Philadelphia, and Washington before finishing off the season with four of five on the road, but already the critique of where things went wrong and what should be done has begun. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA0OTAwNDgyNjA1MzkzMjQy/img_5780.jpg] LATEST THN BUFFALO STORIES The Sabres Decision That Has Paid Immediate Dividends [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/news/the-sabres-decision-that-has-immediately-played-dividends] Where Are The Sabres Going? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/news/where-are-the-sabres-going]
