If there is one consistent thing about this Sabres team, it’s their inconsistency.
With ten minutes remaining in the game, Buffalo had a two-goal lead. We walk though the action and what went wrong for the Sabres as their powerplay stepped onto the ice, and threw away a win.
First Period
For the most part, you can tell how a Sabres game will go based on the first 10 minutes. This was a game that seemed to go in the blue-and-gold’s favor. They came out with speed and they were getting timely saves from goaltender Aaron Dell.
As the time reached the halfway point in the first period, Henri Jokiharju scored his second goal of the season. A great faceoff win by Jeff Skinner found the stick of Jokiharju on the wall. A quick back and forth with partner Rasmus Dahlin opened up Jokiharju for a one-timer goal.
One sequence during the game that did not go unnoticed, was the Sabres youngster Dylan Cozens sticking up for his teammate Rasmus Asplund. Cozens immediately responded to a hit from behind by Red Wings forward Filip Zadina.
This action by Cozens has been something the franchise has lacked since the days Ryan Miller was their backstop. That infamous cheap shot by Milan Lucic is a prime example of that and one that still lingers in fan’s minds.
Second Period
The highlight of this period was an overturned goal for Alex Tuch. The former first-round pick was sprung on a breakaway by Rasmus Asplund. Unfortunately for Tuch, the pass came too late, and he was offsides. This felt like it was the first breakaway goal scored all season for Buffalo.
Another 20 minutes, and Aaron Dell was that much closer to his first shutout since 2018. The Sabres netminder stood on his head through this point in the game, while coming up huge with several timely saves.
Third Period
The third period seemed to be going the Sabres way as Jeff Skinner doubled the blue-and-gold’s lead. A strong play by Alex Tuch in the corner led to a Tage Thompson one-timer in the slot. An opportunistic Skinner gathered the rebound and ripped it past the spun-around Alex Nedeljkovic. Detroit used a second challenge on the night for goaltender interference. After a lengthy review, the officials stuck with the original call on the field of a goal.
Just like that, Buffalo had a two-goal lead and a fresh powerplay with 10 minutes left.
That all went downhill as Vladislav Namestnikov scored a shorthanded goal just one minute after Skinner’s. A turnover by Buffalo in the offensive zone resulted in a two-on-one for Detroit. Moritz Seider joined the rush and made a great pass by the stick of Rasmus Dahlin to an open Namestnikov for a tap-in goal.
A powerplay that could have sealed the deal for the Sabres opened the door for the Red Wings.
It took only three minutes for Detroit to tie the game up at two, as their captain Dylan Larkin evened the score. A goal fans have seen way too frequently this season once again happened. Larkin found the soft area in the slot and skated right by four, FOUR Sabres defenders, then roofed a one-time past, Dell.
In just three minutes, the Sabres blew a two-goal lead in the third period.
Overtime
The Sabres never even stood a chance in overtime as Detroit controlled the puck for all of the two minutes needed. Dylan Larkin struck once again, this time from a bad Jokiharju turnover. A two on one occurred, and Dell didn’t stand a chance as the Wings stole two points.
What is Going Wrong?
Depth.
The first line of Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson, and Alex Tuch once again looked fabulous together. The rest of the lineup was non-existent. This line has been the one true bright spot of this team since they have been together.
Victor Olofsson continued his 21-game scoreless drought. He once again had a breakaway and was unable to convert. Olofsson has not scored a goal since the month of October. Jack Eichel was still a member of the Sabres at that time.
This team is young, everyone knows that. But there are some veterans on this team who have gone missing the last few months. The recent mention is Olofsson, but Rasmus Asplund and Kyle Okposo have cooled tremendously since their hot start. Asplund has one goal in his last 30 games played. He once led the Sabres in scoring, now he hasn’t found the back of the net in his last 22 contests. Plain and simple Kyle Okposo has gone dormant. He has just one goal in his last 16 games played.
We know these players can produce, because they did so just a few months ago. As their production has declined, so has the results of the games for the Sabres.
If Buffalo wants to salvage some type of season and not be lumped with the Canadiens and Coyotes, they need their depth to score.
Some Positives
Mattias Samuelsson made his Sabres’ debut for the season. The 2018 second-rounder looked solid in this game. He registered a shot on goal while anchoring the Sabres’ defense in key moments. Samuelsson looked confident, but he will probably join the likes of Quinn, Peterka, and soon-to-be Krebs in Rochester where they can win some games and a Calder Championship.
Aaron Dell has turned his season around since his recall from the AHL. The 32-year-old boasted a .917 save percentage this game, while makings some huge saves early on. Dell was on the outs with almost every fan before the arrival of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, but since his return, he has kept the Sabres in games.
What’s Next
Buffalo is back on the ice Tuesday night when they travel to Ottawa to play the Senators. Puck drop is at 7 pm, as the blue-and-gold look to beat a divisional opponent.