[Matthew Fairburn] The Sabres are 29th in the NHL in high-danger chances per 60 at 5 on 5. That showed up in this week’s losses to the Wild and Canucks. On Buffalo’s need for more offense and other thoughts from a hard-earned OT point for the Sabres
[Matthew Fairburn] The Sabres are 29th in the NHL in high-danger chances per 60 at 5 on 5. That showed up in this week’s losses to the Wild and Canucks. On Buffalo’s need for more offense and other thoughts from a hard-earned OT point for the Sabres
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We simply cannot survive Peterka and Quinn being ice cold
Time has long passed to make a trade.
Zach Benson has, though
>The Sabres are averaging 2.27 goals per game in their last nine games, down from the 3.35 goals per game they had in the first 14 games of the season. As of this writing, the Sabres are 29th in the NHL in high-danger chances per 60 minutes at five-on-five. They are 28th in the NHL in high-danger chances per 60 minutes at all strengths.
>For stretches of the season, the Sabres have been too reliant on the top line for offense. But while Alex Tuch is playing at near a point-per-game pace, his linemates have been snakebit the last few games. Tage Thompson has 20 shot attempts and 12 shots on goal in his first two games back from injury but hasn’t found the back of the net. He’s creating chances, but he’s still finding his finishing touch after missing five games with a lower-body injury. JJ Peterka, meanwhile, hasn’t scored in seven games and doesn’t have a point in five straight. With the game on the line in overtime, Peterka made a savvy play to find Thompson for a scoring chance in the slot, but Thompson couldn’t convert after a nice move to get to his backhand. The Canucks scored going the other way to win 4-3.
>The Sabres need those two to start scoring again, but the offense can’t all come from them, either. The most encouraging development from this game was the play of Dylan Cozens and Zach Benson, two critical pieces to Buffalo’s secondary scoring. Cozens took a senseless double minor early in the third period after letting the officials know how unhappy he was about the initial holding penalty he got. The Canucks scored on that power play and parlayed that momentum into a second goal moments later to take a 3-1 lead.
Everyone is thinking about who the Sabres should add to improve them (and they should add a couple of players), however the bulk of their improvement is going to have to come from what is already on the roster, which means they need to cut down on the low quality shots from far out and work the puck towards the slot. Also the power play is still awful. They had like a six or seven game scoring streak, which caused some to think it was finally out of the woods, however it was just randomness.
I think this is a case of making one too many passes in most scoring situations they are in and not having a big-bodied presence in the slot. We need a FORWARD to replace Power down low and keep him above the circles in the offensive zone where he belongs as well.
In addition to what others have also said, I’d also like to include that the last few games it feels like Sabres are often shooting square into the goalies chest. Low danger, less rebounds, etc, stuff we all know. It’s like they massively overcorrected with how much they were missing the net, in their first chunk of games
Tage being out seemed to cause a big drop in high danger chances, but I have generally not liked their shot choices lately. Seems like they swung from being to selective about shots to shoot everything. These past two games they have fired way many shots into the legs of defenders instead of using their speed and skill to break down the defense more. Its not like they can’t do that either because the 3rd period of the Canucks game they were getting chances inside a lot more.
Gotta crash the net and have someone willing to take a beating in front of the net. More greasy goals.
We miss Greenway as another forward who can play a more direct game like Zucker does.
I dunno if you guys are watching the games in person or on TV, but being there makes a huge difference. Quinn & JJ have not been playing as bad as Tage in my opinion. Tage looks slow, looks like he could give 2 shits out there on the ice, especially if the play involves defense of any kind. I dunno how anybody could say he’s healthy but if he is healthy, wtf is up with his effort lately?!
Early praises for Zucker and MacLeod (and rightfully so) have dried up of late. The young guns have not taken the next leap in play that we hoped for. Maybe this is all because of adapting to Lindy’s style, but that should turn around right about now.
Sabres needed to add that top 6 forward from game 1 for a jump in goals and standings early on. I think that move we all thought that would happen could’ve been a difference maker by a few points at this time. It seems KA is always a year behind in what the Sabres needs are. The new players added this year (shoulda happened last year) replace Okposo and Girgensons, that were given another year here. Skinner’s goals need replacing with that top 6 we need now, not in Zucker who adds to the third line, an upgrade in Olofsson (he was hot in Vegas though until injured). Levi plan for Rochester shoulda been started last year. Hopefully something can shake up this core. Even a mid-season move. Take a play out of Rutherford’s book and grab a Lindholm type, or pure scorer to help this team NOW.
We desperately need a top 6 forward who can generate some offence
I’d say a big problem right now is bad point shots and a lack of movement when getting shots
The dmen take too many point shots, they’re a low value shot and for us just give up possession, the only way point shots work is if you’re built around deflections and rebounds which we are not so it’s just wasting the puck away when we take point shots.
We get slot shots but the issue is there is no good puck movement prior, the goalie barely has to move and can get set quickly. They don’t have guys going to the net to pick up a second chance, so when they take these slot shots they’re easy saves that deceive people into thinking it was a good chance.
This is just due to roster holes really. There isn’t a way around this. We have one 1st line player and no second line. We have been playing winning hockey with team defense but Tage is the other player in the proper place.
Tage is a legit 1st line player on any team. Tuch is a second line power forward and Peterka likely 1st line but not yet. Second line is then also all mis placed. Cozens isn’t close to being a 2nd line center at this point and Quinn is a big woof so far. Benson has been great but on a good team not second line player yet.
The team was doing better without Thompson. Then he came back and the Sabres started losing…