Sabres Hit a Wall Before Olympic Break: Depth Concerns Loom Large After Loss to Penguins
The Buffalo Sabres had been flying high - 20 wins in 24 games kind of high. But just as the Olympic break approached, the wheels started to wobble. Thursday night’s 4-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins marked their third defeat in the last four, and more than just a cold streak, it exposed some cracks in the foundation.
Defensive Depth Becoming a Real Issue
Let’s start with the obvious: Buffalo’s blue line is stretched thin. Thursday’s game was a tough one for the third defensive pair.
Michael Kesselring was on the ice for three of Pittsburgh’s four even-strength goals. Jacob Bryson didn’t fare much better, getting tagged for two before essentially being benched - logging just 4:19 of total ice time.
“That pair had a tough night. That was part of it,” head coach Lindy Ruff said postgame. “We didn’t make [Pittsburgh] pay for some of their mistakes, but they made us pay on the big mistakes we made.”
Ruff didn’t stop there. He made it clear in the locker room that the margin for error is razor-thin the rest of the way.
“I talked to the team after the game about how incredibly tight it’s gonna be,” Ruff said. “You really can’t have games like we had. We weren’t sharp.”
Top Guns Still Producing, But Support Is Slipping
Buffalo’s stars have largely held up their end of the bargain. Tage Thompson continued his strong campaign with a highlight-reel goal in the third period that briefly made it a one-goal game.
He’s now sitting at 59 points in 57 games and is on pace for a 43-goal season. Not bad for a guy heading to Italy to represent Team USA at the Olympics.
But the bottom of the lineup has gone ice cold.
The fourth line has been a concern for a while, but the third defensive pair is now a glaring problem. Kesselring, who looked like a breakout candidate last year with the Utah Mammoth, hasn’t looked the same since battling injuries in training camp. Conor Timmins, who was a key piece of the penalty kill early in the year, is still out with an injury.
That’s left players like Zach Metsa and Jacob Bryson taking on bigger roles - and the results haven’t been encouraging. Ruff has had no choice but to lean heavily on his top four: Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson, and Bowen Byram.
That group has been solid, but they’re also logging massive minutes - often north of 25 per game. With the Olympic break now here, the timing couldn’t be better for some much-needed rest. But the bigger question looms: can this group hold up down the stretch without reinforcements?
Trade Deadline Pressure Mounting
General manager Jarmo Kekalainen has been cautious since taking over in mid-December, and for good reason - the Sabres were rolling. But now, with the team showing signs of fatigue and depth issues becoming more apparent, the pressure is on.
The NHL’s roster freeze lifts on February 22, and the trade deadline is March 6. If Buffalo wants to end its playoff drought - which stretches all the way back to 2011 - Kekalainen may need to get aggressive.
The top of the lineup is playoff-caliber. The depth?
Not quite.
Sabres Player Grades vs. Penguins
Here’s how the Sabres graded out in their final game before the break:
- Tage Thompson - 8 The lone bright spot up front. Scored a sharp-angle goal and was Buffalo’s most dangerous forward all night.
- Ryan McLeod - 7.5 Quietly effective. Did a lot of the little things right in a game where many didn’t.
- Rasmus Dahlin - 7.5 Logged big minutes and moved the puck well. Continues to be a stabilizing force.
- Jack Quinn - 7 Extended his point streak to three games. He’s quietly heating up.
- Jason Zucker - 7 Brought energy and pace. One of the few forwards who consistently pushed the play.
- Bowen Byram - 6.5 Solid overall, but you can see the heavy minutes starting to wear on him.
- Alex Tuch - 6 Some flashes, but couldn’t consistently break through Pittsburgh’s structure.
- Peyton Krebs - 6 Active, but didn’t generate much offensively.
- Mattias Samuelsson - 5.5 Physical presence, but had a few lapses in coverage.
- Noah Ostlund - 5 Part of a rookie trio that’s cooled off lately. Looked a step behind.
- Owen Power - 4.5 Normally reliable, but this wasn’t his best night. Looked fatigued.
- Beck Malenstyn - 4.5 Physical, but didn’t make much of an impact otherwise.
- Josh Doan - 4 Struggled to keep up with the pace of play.
- Konsta Helenius - 3.5 Another rookie who’s hit a wall. Needs the break.
- Alex Lyon - 3 He’s stolen games for Buffalo this year, but this wasn’t one of them.
- Tyson Kozak - 2.5 Didn’t provide much at either end of the ice.
- Isak Rosen - 2.5 Off his game. Another young player who looks like he needs a reset.
- Michael Kesselring - 2 Rough night. On the ice for three goals against and looked out of sync.
- Jacob Bryson - 1 Tough to watch. His miscue on the opening goal set the tone, and he barely saw the ice after that.
Player of the Game: Tage Thompson
Even with a minus-three on the night, Thompson was the heartbeat of the offense. His third-period goal gave Buffalo a chance, and his consistent ability to create scoring opportunities was a cut above the rest. He heads to the Olympics on a high note - and the Sabres will hope he brings that fire back with him.
Quick Hits
- Jack Quinn is finding his rhythm again - 15 points in his last 15 games.
- The rookie trio of Ostlund, Helenius, and Rosen have cooled off significantly during Buffalo’s recent slide.
- Bryson’s play on the Penguins’ first goal was a defensive lapse that can’t happen - especially in a game with playoff implications.
- Alex Lyon has been a rock for much of the season, but even he couldn’t bail the Sabres out this time.
Looking Ahead
Buffalo has a real shot to end its playoff drought, but the next month will be crucial. The Olympic break offers a reset, but it also puts the spotlight squarely on the front office. If the Sabres want to keep pace in the Eastern Conference, they’ll need help - and fast.