Once again, the Buffalo Sabres go on a Western road trip, and things fall apart. It is a tradition as old as time. After a pair of wins that had the fan base feeling excited, the Sabres promptly went on the road and suffered ugly losses to the Philadelphia Flyers and Winnipeg Jets.
Surely a visit to what may be the worst team in the league – the Calgary Flames – would remedy what ails them? If you thought that, then you haven’t seen this Sabres team before. They put up an inconsistent game and ultimately dropped a 7-4 decision in Calgary.
Team Defense Remains an Achilles Heel
Season after season, the Buffalo Sabres are among the worst teams in the league defensively. Nothing has changed on that front. Even after making changes to make the team better defensively and “tougher to play against,” they are still the same sloppy, inconsistent team.
The penalty kill wasn’t good on the night, giving up a pair of goals in the process. That said, there were several goals where goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen couldn’t do much about it. There are too many lapses that leave opposing forwards open with far too much space to work with.
Calgary Flames left wing Jonathan Huberdeau scores a goal against Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Sergei Belski-Imagn Images)
Net-front defense continues to be abysmal as well. Consistently, night in and night out, there are too many chances in front of the net that most goaltenders aren’t going to be able to turn aside. The defense continuously puts its goalies in unfavorable positions that they can’t get out of.
Goaltending isn’t Good, Either
Though there seems to be a logjam of goaltenders, potentially facilitating the need to move one, the group has not been good of late. Yes, team defense has been poor and left them in positions that are difficult to get out of but goaltending hasn’t been great, either.
Related: NHL Morning Recap – December 9, 2025
The Sabres are the third-worst team in the league in goals against per game at 3.55 per contest and have given up the second-most goals in total. They are 23rd in the league in team save percentage at .881 and the teams below them are also largely struggling in the standings.
The two things go hand in hand. You can’t ask Luukonen, Alex Lyon, and the rest to play exceptionally each night. The best teams are the ones that play good enough defense to allow their goalies to have an off night without it killing he team.
Terrible Third Period Team
It also doesn’t help that the Sabres are also one of the worst teams in terms of third period goals against and differential. They have allowed 37 goals in the third period, tied for the fourth-most in the league while only scoring 28 in the final frame.
Only the Minnesota Wild (-10), Vancouver Canucks (-13), and Columbus Blue Jackets (-14) are worst in the third period than the Sabres (-9) in terms of goal differential. Fighting back from a deficit is fine and well but giving up a pair of empty net goals erases all of that.
Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier celebrates goal by left wing Noah Cates (not pictured) against the Buffalo Sabres (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)
It is just another trait that bad teams have, and the Sabres have it. When things are tight and they need the most out of their group, the Sabres collapse in on themselves, and fall apart at the end.
What Do You Even Say Anymore?
What’s left to say? The Sabres are 2-9-2 on the road and dead last in the Eastern Conference by multiple points. Head Coach Lindy Ruff is taking not-so-vague shots at management. Nothing changes for the better.
The Buffalo Bills went 17 years without a playoff appearance before finding Josh Allen and coming out of the darkness. The Sabres’ playoff drought is surely going to extend past that mark and beyond because there is no plan, no direction, and no hope for this franchise right now.
