The SabresThey had their first dud of season Tuesday night against Seattle KrakenEnding a four-game road trip, the team lost 5-1
Looking beyond the individual result in Seattle the Sabres have collected six of the eight points this season on their first trip west. They won three of their games, including two in Alberta against playoff opponents from last year. But they’ll fly back to Buffalo with an ugly loss as their latest result and another game in less than 48 hours.
Don Granato stated that similar nights would continue throughout the year after the game. NHL season. The Kraken had more energy that the Sabres and Buffalo played a lazy game, full of mistakes.
“When you don’t feel good, can you play efficiently enough to keep that game tight all the way through and maybe sneak something through at the end? Granato said. “We have to get better at that because there’s a lot of nights where you’re not going to feel good.”
This game saw 16 shots taken by the Sabres. They gave up 24 shots, but Seattle held a large advantage in scoring chances. It was a blip on an otherwise successful road trip, but there were a few things to take away heading into the Sabres’ homestand.
Buffalo is doomed to a slow start
The Sabres lost their first period in the worst part of the season. Natural Stat Trick reported that the Kraken had a 19-10 edge in shot attempts and an advantage of 6-0 in high-danger scoring chance at five-on-five. The Kraken had scored 79 percent of its five-on-five goals by the end of the first.
Strong period starting in Eric ComrieThis allowed the Sabres to escape to intermission down only 2-0. But that sloppy start to game continued too often into the second period. The Kraken had 13 high-danger chances at even strength to the Sabres’ four and finished the night with 63 percent of the expected goals.
Seattle was clearly the team that had more energy during this game. The Sabres were on the eighth day of a four-game road trip, so it’s not a complete surprise the wheels would come off at some point. However, as Kyle Okposo told reporters after the game, “We have to make sure it doesn’t become a trend.”
On to the next.
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) October 26, 2022
That’s going to be a challenge for the Sabres because they don’t have a lot of time to gather themselves. They will return from Seattle in the evening, then have Wednesday off and play a home match against the Steelers. CanadiensThis Thursday They need to quickly turn the page.
Defence depth
The defense was a problem for the Sabres during this game. Without it, the defense would not have been possible. Mattias SamuelssonAnd Henri Jokiharju, the Sabres’ depth was tested. Casey FitzgeraldIt remained in the lineup. Lawrence PilutHe was also called upon when he was brought in from Rochester during the trip. That’s a tough situation for that group, and it didn’t go well. It’s understandable, considering Buffalo had five defensemen to replace in the three first games of this road trip because they were injured.
Now the question is how this group will do without Samuelsson, Jokiharju and Jokiharju who are both currently on injured reserve. Pilut will need to be in control of the situation, while Fitzgerald will keep it down. Jacob BrysonAnd Owen PowerMore responsibility will be taken on. Power has held up to the increased workload, as he’s one of only two Sabres’ defensemen with an expected goals for percentage above 50 percent. He may be able to improve his skills quickly. He should have more confidence in his ability to shoot. He’s averaging only 1.7 shots per game, which is too low for a player of his caliber. Power received a pass on one play of this game. Jeff SkinnerHe was in the lead and had a chance. He attempted to pass it back to Skinner, but Skinner fanned on his pass. Power has a lot of potential because of his speed, vision, size and speed. Before long, he’ll figure out how to finish them.
Dahlin shines on
There weren’t many bright spots for the Sabres on Tuesday night, but Rasmus DahlinHe was once again one of them. He did not score a goal this season for the first-time in his career, so his streak of goals is over. He did have an assist on the Sabres’ only goal, though, and now has nine points in six games to start the season. In such a lopsided game, Dahlin still managed to tilt the ice in Buffalo’s favor when he was on the ice. Dahlin was available for twenty shot attempts against, and nine for at five-on-five. Dahlin was playing at five-on-5, and the Sabres had a 75-percent expected goals share as well as a 10-3 scoring. There were only two other Sabres. Dylan CozensAnd Vinnie HinostrozaAt five-on-five, he had a share of more than 50% in expected goals. It’s worth highlighting Dahlin because of how consistent he’s been through six games. He’s going to be even more important with the Sabres shorthanded on the blue line.
Power play struggles continue
The Sabres now rank 25th in the league, with a 13.6 per cent success rate with man advantage after going 0-4 against the Kraken. If Buffalo is to maintain its pace in the eastern conference, that group must be better. It will be interesting for Granato to manage that unit in the future. Some of the problems are structural. They haven’t had consistent success entering the zone, and penalty killers have felt free to play aggressive against them as a result.
It is possible to make a case to have personnel changes. Young players like J.J. Peterka and Jack QuinnCould potentially bring something to the group. Quinn was a power play player during preseason, and could benefit from some spark. His power play time against Seattle was 2:31, so perhaps a longer-term opportunity is on the horizon. A power play goal he had in this game was called back because of an offside challenge. Casey MittelstadtThe Sabres were a foot away as Quinn was cruising out of the zone. It had little to do with the goal, so it was a bad break from Quinn, and one that was entirely Mittelstadt’s doing.
The power play should be more consistent. A young team can benefit from special teams. Clearly, the Sabres have some offensive talent on their roster, so they shouldn’t be lingering near the bottom of the league on the man advantage.
Dylan Cozens is steady
We’ve mentioned Dylan Cozens quite a bit early in the season, but his play has warranted it. His second goal was scored on Tuesday. He also led the team with five even strength shot attempts and three net shots. He was the team leader for individual expected goals by a wide margin. He seemed like one the few players who maintained a high level of energy and speed throughout the game. When going through difficult times of play, teams need players like this. He’s someone who is willing to work himself and his team out of slumps. He did that against Seattle.
(Photo of Sabres center Dylan Cozens, right wing Kyle Okposo: Jeff Le/USA Today)
