The Buffalo Sabres had a chance to turn a frustrating stretch around in Chicago. Instead, they walked out with another overtime loss, falling 3-2 to the Blackhawks and extending their skid to three games.
That result fit the theme of a season that has been all over the place. Buffalo had just put together three straight wins on the West Coast, then came home and got hammered by the Vegas Golden Knights and Tampa Bay Lightning.
A trip to face one of the league’s weakest teams looked like an opportunity to steady things. It didn’t play out that way.
For the first half of the game, the Sabres looked like the better side. They controlled play through the opening 30 minutes, outshot Chicago and carried a 2-1 lead into the second intermission. After that, the game flipped.
The third period was flat, passive and costly. Buffalo looked like a team trying not to make a mistake instead of one trying to finish the job, and that approach came back to bite them. The Sabres gave away a point they badly needed.
The most frustrating part is that they had chances to put the game away before it reached overtime. In the second period, Buffalo generated a burst of looks, but Spencer Knight kept the Blackhawks alive and prevented the game from slipping out of reach.
At the top of the lineup, the production is there. Jack Quinn, Tage Thompson, Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin are all contributing, and Thompson scored his 12th goal on the power play in this one. But the scoring depth behind them has been thin.
Josh Norris has started to show a little more life, with points in three of his last four games, but Buffalo needs more from the middle of the lineup. That part of the roster simply isn’t giving the Sabres enough right now, and it’s a big reason the offense can feel so uneven from night to night.
There was at least one encouraging development in goal. Alex Lyon returned and made 22 saves on 25 shots.
The overtime winner from Ryan Donato was really the only one that could reasonably be pinned on him. The other two goals came in ways that left him with little chance to do much about them.
Even in the two losses before this one, when Buffalo was outscored 12-4, the goaltending wasn’t the main issue. The bigger problem has been the defensive breakdowns in front of the netminders, leaving them exposed far too often.
That’s been the story too many times for the Sabres this season: one part of the game shows up, another disappears. The goaltending picture looks better now, but the team defense has to tighten up fast.
The standings are starting to reflect the slide. Buffalo is now four points out of a playoff spot, sits at 4-4-2 over its last 10 games and has been poor at home at 4-6-0. The overtime problem is piling up too, with the Sabres now having lost four times in the extra session this season.
There’s still time to recover. Last season’s surge didn’t begin until mid-December.
But the issues are obvious, and at this point it’s hard to see a simple fix. Buffalo has to sort itself out soon, because the season can slip away in a hurry.
In Other News...
Alex Tuch Shares Emotional Message Buffalo Fans Will Appreciate
Alex Tuchs ties to Buffalo still run deeper than hockey, and that was clear in a recent public message thanking the medical staff at Sisters Hospital. The former Sabres forward, now with the Washington Capitals, expressed his appreciation for the care his family received when his son Teller was born prematurely and needed immediate help in Buffalo.
Tuch said the hospital staff saved his sons life, and he made it clear the gratitude extends beyond one moment. He and his wife also gave back to the hospital, a gesture that underscores how much the Buffalo community still means to him even after moving on from the Sabres. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Fans Just Got A Nostalgia Jolt They Needed
Hall of Fame Sabres goalie Dominik Hasek made a return trip to Western New York on a night when Buffalo fans could use a lift, joining supporters at a free watch party at Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino during the teams game against the Chicago Blackhawks. For a fan base that still measures its hockey memories against the best eras in franchise history, seeing Hasek back in the area where he played for nine seasons carried the kind of nostalgic pull that only a true legend can deliver.
Hasek said he was happy to be back in the region and spoke about his hopes for the Sabres future success, a reminder that his connection to Buffalo has never really faded. With the Sabres set to face the Dallas Stars next, the timing of his visit added a little extra buzz to a season that still has plenty of room to build something meaningful. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Blue Line Issues Could Force A Rochester Call-Up
Buffalos blue line has become a little too thin for comfort, and that has pushed Caleb Jones back into the conversation. The defenseman, acquired by the Sabres in October, has settled in nicely with the Rochester Americans, where he has produced seven points in nine games and given the organization a reminder that he can still move the puck and help drive play from the back end.
With injuries piling up and the teams performance on the back end still uneven, Buffalo is weighing whether a recall makes sense as a depth move. Jones does bring NHL experience, but his path back has not been straightforward after dealing with injuries and a suspension earlier this year, which makes any decision on him feel like more than just a routine paper transaction. [Read more 🡒]