The Buffalo Sabres head into Toronto on Thursday still chasing a first real clean start to their season - and, more specifically, a lead after 40 minutes.
Buffalo’s three-game road trip opened Tuesday in Montreal, where the Sabres were pushed into a hole after the Canadiens scored three straight goals to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead entering the third period. Tage Thompson and Olen Zellweger bailed them out with third-period goals to force overtime, but the Sabres still left with only a point after the shootout loss.
That result fit the larger picture for Buffalo, which is 3-3-1 and already dealing with issues that have shown up in a few different places, including goaltending and special teams. But the most glaring problem is the one that has separated this season from the one before it: the Sabres have not once carried a lead into the third period through seven games.
They’ve trailed after two periods in six of their first seven, with the only exception coming in the game against the Florida Panthers, when they were tied. Even so, Buffalo has found its way in the third period. The Sabres have outscored opponents 8-3 in the final frame and have already erased multi-goal deficits against the Minnesota Wild, Chicago Blackhawks, and Montreal.
That late-game push is useful, but it’s a long way from the formula that worked so well last season. When Buffalo led after two periods a year ago, it was nearly automatic: the Sabres went 35-2 in those games. Add in contests that were tied after two, and their record still stood at 46-8-6.
The second period was a major part of that success. Buffalo ended last season with a +23 goal differential in the middle frame, best on the team by period, and it had the lead or was tied after two periods in 60 of 82 games. This year, though, the Sabres are already at -9 in the second period.
Toronto isn’t exactly rolling either. The Maple Leafs are also 3-3-1, and they enter Thursday with a clear split in results depending on how they finish the second period. They are 2-0-0 when they have the lead after two, but 1-3-1 when they are tied or trailing.
Buffalo also has an added complication: it will be without its captain. Lindy Ruff called him “doubtful” for the game.
So the mission is simple, even if the road to get there has been messy. The Sabres need to avoid another chase-and-catch effort and finally get themselves in front before the third period begins.
In Other News...
Sabres Watched A Leafs Coaching Blunder Fuel Another Rival Collapse
The Maple Leafs latest stumble against Buffalo came with an unusual subplot, as rookie Gavin McKenna saw his ice time shrink in a game Toronto still had a chance to close out. Toronto had a two-goal lead heading into the third period before the Sabres pushed it to overtime and finished the comeback, leaving the Leafs to answer for how they handled the final stretch.
Jim Hiller said penalties played a role in McKennas limited minutes, but he also took responsibility for the way the bench was managed as the game tightened. For a young player trying to find his footing in a high-pressure division matchup, the night became less about what he could do and more about when Toronto decided to trust him again. [Read more 🡒]
Jason Zucker's Return Could Force A Sabres Lineup Squeeze
Jason Zucker is getting close to rejoining the Buffalo lineup after missing the start of the season because of offseason surgery, and his return is already creating a tricky conversation for the Sabres' forward group. The team has had enough moving parts up front that one established scorer coming back does not simply add offense, it forces a look at who has earned a spot, which lines have clicked, and how much continuity Lindy Ruff is willing to disturb.
The Sabres have also been getting useful work from several forwards in Zucker's absence, which only sharpens the question of how to fit him back in without upsetting the rhythm that has developed. Buffalo has options, but not many easy ones, and once Zucker is ready, the roster math becomes as important as the production on the ice. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Win Came With A Josh Norris Worry Fans Feared
The Sabres got the kind of result they needed against Toronto, but the win came with a familiar kind of concern attached to it. Joshua Norris left the game after a collision, and Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff later confirmed that he has entered concussion protocol, an unwelcome development for a player whose health has already been a recurring storyline.
Buffalo will be waiting for more clarity, because Norris was not the only important name whose night ended early. John Tavares also suffered an injury in the game and did not return, leaving the Maple Leafs without a status update from head coach Jim Hiller. For the Sabres, the immediate takeaway was two points, but the longer-term interest is how Norris responds once the leagues protocol runs its course. [Read more 🡒]