Buffalo still unable to string together more than two wins in a row
Score: Sabres 1, Flyers 5
Shots: BUF 22, PHI 19
Buffalo Sabres Goals: Jokiharju (1)
Philadelphia Flyers Goals: Laughton (1), Belpedio (1), Konecny (9), Hathaway (2), Brink (3)
Minus 1: Flyers Hoodoo Continues
The ‘goathead; jerseys have been good for scoring in bunches for the Sabres since last season, and that has continued into this year as well. There have been a couple of times though that the magic of the black and red has simply not worked, and it may or may not be a coincidence that at least two of those times have been against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Philly were not really a good hockey team last season, and have barely improved this season, but when they take on Buffalo it’s like they’ve got voodoo dolls of the Sabres roster that Danny Briere is sticking pins into somewhere up in the rafters. Things that we’ve done well all season get forgotten, and things that we’ve been doing poorly somehow get magnified and taken advantage of.
We don’t play them again until April, and I’m pretty glad about it.
Two nights ago the Sabres mustered just four shots in the second period, tonight they ‘bettered’ that by managing exactly that total in the first period this time, and at one point only had one shot while Philly already had three goals scored. Where is the urgency in this team? All these vaunted leaders we keep bringing in through the door, what are they doing? Is there anyone still surprised that home turnouts are so poor leading to a funereal atmosphere at the KeyBank Center which then sprout more silly losses early in the season.
What was looking to be a fall to remember for Buffalo’s two big sports teams is quickly becoming one to forget.
Minus 2: Problems Continue
You have to feel for young defenseman Owen Power right now. There will be games like this in every player’s career, and you have to just hope that he can bounce back quickly from this. The 20-year-old finished the night on -5 for the night, and looked like he was standing around shell-shocked for most of those goals.
I personally like Peyton Krebs as a defensive bottom six forward, but he still has some developing to do. And he’s got to stop giving up penalties. The penalty kill has been one of the few consistently high points for this team, but you cannot keep testing that and that goes for Alex Tuch, Connor Clifton and Dylan Cozens who are the leaders in taking penalties for this team.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen looked lost tonight. He was the complete opposite of the goaltender we saw on Wednesday night. I don’t necessarily blame him for all the goals, especially since his teammates were brutal giving up the puck all game long. Even Rasmus Dahlin, whose distribution from the back is one of his strong points, got in the act with his lofted passes up the ice to imaginary Sabres forwards. Officially it was nine turnovers for the game, but that’s what it felt like per period.
Lukas Rousek was an interesting choice for a call-up given how Jiri Kulich has been scoring, but if Don Granato thought Rousek’s excellent defensive workrate from the AHL would carry over into tonight.. it didn’t.
And to add to all those woes, now it looks like Mattias Samuelsson could miss some time after leaving the game with a lower body injury after having logged just two and a half minutes of ice time. Buffalo’s record since last season when he hasn’t dressed is distinctly worse than when he is on the ice.
Final Thoughts
The Sabres simply failed to show up tonight against the Flyers in the second game of the home-and-home series, despite the additional day of rest in between. We really shouldn’t be surprised in all honesty, given how poorly Buffalo have played Philadelphia going back to last season. UPL stole one in Philly, but tonight was not his night despite not having to face a barrage of shots like he did in the brotherly city on Wednesday.
Eleven games into the new season and the Sabres are a sub-500 team hanging out in the basement of the Atlantic Division and unable to string together more than two wins – and even that they’ve done just once this season. If there’s ever been a moment to call ‘Time Out!’ and try to reset the season then it’s now.
Fortunately, Saturday should provide the Sabres exactly that opportunity should they so choose to respond. Playing against the hated division rivals Toronto Maple Leafs is always a good time to find your game.