Rocky Mountain Meltdown Memories
Colorado Avalanche (2-0-1) vs. Buffalo Sabres (0-2-0)
Puck Drop: 12:30 pm Eastern Time | KeyBank Center | Buffalo, N.Y.
TV: MSG, ESPN+
Know Your Opponent
Colorado Avalanche
Record: 2-0-1 | 5 PTS
Last Game: 5-4 SO loss to Dallas
Division Ranking: 1st in Central
PP: 20% 12th (Sabres: 0.0% 28th)
PK: 77.8% 19th (Sabres: 100% 1st)
What to Watch
1) Catastrophic Collapses
Last season, the Buffalo Sabres endured two of the worst breakdown games in their recent history. Both at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche. The Sabres hosted the Avs on Dec. 3rd in a game in which they lead 4-0 after the first period. They still had a 4-1 lead after two. But Buffalo imploded in the third period, giving up four goals en route to a 5-4 loss. A devastating defeat.
Exactly one month later, on Jan. 3rd, the Sabres trekked to Colorado for the rematch. Buffalo had a healthy 3-0 lead late in the 2nd period and a 5-3 lead with under three minutes to play in the game. No problem for Colorado. They tied it up with some sloppy Sabres’ defense and won it in overtime easily. Two brutal setbacks that were daggers in the heart for Buffalo’s season. Besides the long losing streak, these two meltdowns helped do in the team last year.
If the Sabres can actually get into position again to have a lead in today’s game, they are going to have to play to the final whistle. No letting up at all. The Avalanche have a high octane offense and are always dangerous.
2) Everything We Didn’t Want
The injury to number one center Josh Norris and the total lack of offense have team morale very low right now. I recently wrote about the leaders on this team leading and putting on their big boy pants this season. So far they have been baby bottom soft. These players we have just won’t take that next step. They are content just going through the motions and our coaching staff have little effect in motivating them. They are individually skilled but don’t gel as a team unit. It is both deplorable to watch and mind numbing at the same time. This organizational dark cloud over them is real, it’s something these players can’t shake. (especially ones that have been here several years)
These first period efforts so far have been excruciatingly poor. It’s almost like they just try to survive the opening frame before they decide to go to work. Tage and Tuch have been mostly non-factors, besides spinning out and shattering their sticks. Kulich has made little difference and not having Benson’s jump out there has hurt. The most active forward in the lineup has been Josh Doan, working hard, grinding out pucks, getting decent chances. I don’t find it surprising that the best forward so far has been here the least amount of time.
The offense has been SHAMEFUL in these first two games. Just look at this screenshot of the top scorers for both teams today. When Mattias Samuelsson is your leader in assists, you have real problems.
3) I’m a Loser, Baby
Dynamic superstars and the real winners in this league perform at a high level throughout the year. Players like Nathan MacKinnon, with six points in just three games. Not pretenders like Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch, who have played terrible, uninspired hockey so far. Sure, they will get going eventually, pick up some points, even win a few games. They will resemble something close to the top players on this team. But they will never be real winners, real top players. Why? Well, their skills are a step less than players I’m generally referring to. But mosty the issue is dedication, heart and sacrifice.. This team refuses to embrace a strong work ethic (though they talk a big game about it) and they don’t have any real team unity. The true superstars in this league thrive in that enviroment and become something more.
The sub par coaching for Buffalo doesn’t help matters either. The game has moved past Lindy Ruff, he does not relate to the players anymore. And our assistant coaches are bush league trash. I’m not sugar coating it one bit, they are bush league trash. Sure, our PK is ranked 1st right now, (through 2 games) but I expect Alex Lyon’s play is the main reason for that. Our power play remains the Sabres’ Kryptonite. It is totally ineffective and predictable and costs the Sabres games on the regular. This staff continues to be a liability and offers no answers to the directionless players.
If this team is going to continue to play with the fear of failure, they will continue to fail. Don’t want to be labeled a loser? Stop playing like one. Stop BEING one.
Projected Lineups
Buffalo Sabres
Forwards
Zucker – Kulich – Thompson
Quinn – McLeod – Tuch
Doan – Krebs – Danforth
Geertsen – Kozak – Malenstyn
Defense
Byram – Dahlin
Power – Timmins
Samuelsson – Johnson
Goalies: Lyon, Ellis
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Colorado Avalanche
Forwards
Lehkonen – MacKinnon – Necas
Landeskog– Nelson – Nichushkin
Colton – Drury – Olofsson
Kiviranta – Kelly – Brindley
Defense
Toews – Makar
Manson – Burns
Solovyov – Malinski
Goalies: Wedgewood, Miner