What Is Wrong With the Sabres?

The Buffalo Sabres are itching to make the postseason for the first time since 2010/11, and last season gave their fans plenty of hope.

It had been a long stretch of below .500 play by Buffalo. The team was still good enough to be at that mark or higher in the two seasons following their last playoff appearance, but certainly had slipped. The team then went into a funk that lasted through the Jack Eichel era, and seemed lost after the 2020/21 season, in which the Sabres were 15-34-7.

Things improved a bit in 2021/22, and seemed to take a big step forward the next season. Buffalo finished 42-33-7 in 2022/23, and there was plenty of reason for optimism. Didn't Tage Thompson not score 47 goals? Didn't defenceman Rasmus Dahlin average nearly a point a game (73 points)?

Collectively, as a team, the Sabres scored a lot of goals last season. They were third in the National Hockey League in goals for with 296 goals for in 2022/23. There was, however, a weakness. Their defence and goaltending were quite suspect. Only Craig Anderson (.908) and Devon Levi (.905) had save percentages over .900. 

A year later, Anderson is retired, and Levi has a save percentage of only .892 in fifteen appearances. Devon is only 21 years old, and is looking at another trip around the globe in a few days (December 27). Last season, that good save percentage was posted in only seven appearances with Buffalo.

So did that mean there isn't any good goaltending left in Buffalo? One thing I noticed about the Sabres from the season before last, was the team seemed to play better in front of Craig Anderson than anyone else. In a season in which Buffalo finished below .500 (32-39-11), it was the veteran netminder that proved he still had it. At 40 years old, Craig went 17-12-2 for a team that was seven games below .500. The rest of the goaltenders were not very good. Aaron Dell was 1-8-1. Malcolm Subban was 0-2-1. Really, the only goalie on the team other than Michael Houser and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen who had much success with Buffalo was Dustin Torkarski, who went 10-12-5. Anderson and Torkarski were two veterans on the team, and dealt with poor defence well. Houser and Luukkonen combined for just eleven appearances that season.

Tokarski, after a fling with Pittsburgh, is back with Buffalo, but stuck with the AHL's Rochester Americans as this is being written. Dell, after recently trying out with the Carolina Hurricanes, is about to play for Team Canada in the Spengler Cup, possibly as a test run to see if he can make it back to the NHL. Personally speaking, I am rooting for him.

The overall lack of leadership in goal is showing. No Anderson, no Tokarski, and no Dell (Plus Houser is in the ECHL) means the team has to rely on Ukko-Luukonen and Levi. That was a bit of pressure to put on two youngsters  to step it up. Devon Levi has a winning record (7-4-2), but neither he nor Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen have a good save percentage. Each sits at .892, well below the league average (.903).

The Sabres aren't trending enough in their own zone. Goals allowed in the last three seasons and so far in 2023/24:

199 (in 56 games)

290

300

121 (in 35 games)

The Sabres, as you can see, are on pace to allow 283 goals against, which would put them among the worst of the worst in that category. Without veterans like Tokarski and Anderson to step in, that's bad enough. And with their offence (which produced 296 goals for last season) lagging, it's not enough this year to offset the glaring weakness in their own end. Sure, defenceman Rasmus Dahlin has picked up (29 points in 34 games) where he left off last season (73 points), but others have to step up. The person who really needs to get it going is Tage Thompson. The last two seasons have been a big step forward for Tage. He scored 38 goals in 78 games in 2021/22, then upped it to nearly fifty red lights in as many games last season. Thompson, who stands 6'6, and seems to be blossiming into a star, is off to a rough start with but nine goals in twenty-six games. Tage has missed some games, but you have to figure that the defence of the opposition has found a counter to his awesome moves. Like the rest of the team, there is still time to right the ship.

However, that might be the who problem with the Sabres. Is it they are playing bad, or is it the opposition is that much better? In 2022/23 Buffalo competed with Boston, Toronto, Tampa Bay, and Florida in the Atlanta Division. The Bruins nailed down first place (overall) with 65 wins. The Leafs won 50, and the Lightning 46. So the Sabres were only four wins fewer than a great Lightning team. They also won just one game less than the Florida Panthers, who ended up not only making the playoffs, but going all the way to the finals.

But one thing that is obvious in the Atlantic Division last season compared to this, is that Detroit and Montreal were both below .500. The Red Wings and Canadiens won 35 and 31 games respectively. They've upped the ante in 2023/24, as both teams are above .500. Granted, I'm sure most experts expect them to fall back (and Ottawa, with a 39-35-8 record, currently sit dead last in the Atlantic with a 12-17-0 record). I expect both the Sabres and Senators to climb back (if not over) .500, but one has to wonder if its the other teams improving in the offseason, more than Buffalo lacking goaltending and depth in scoring.

Their 9-3 win over Toronto on December 21st seemed to get the Buffalo Sabres back on track. They followed that up by playing their hearts out against the top team in the Eastern Conference, the New York Rangers. The Sabres erased 2-0 and 3-2 deficits on the road, before finally conceding the contest in overtime. In a road game, no less.

That was more like it. Plenty of fight, plenty of spirit. There is still 47 games left in the 2023/24 season. So the Buffalo Sabres have 47 more contests to prove whether or not 22/23 was a fluke. Personally, I'm tired of the team's long drought, and wish them all the best. It's a tremendous incline for the young team to hike up, though. It's gonna be one of those 'now we see what you're really made of' moments for this team.


References

“Carolina Hurricanes Bring In Ex - San Jose Sharks G Aaron Dell on Free - Agent Tryout.” TSN, The Sports Network, 18 Dec. 2023, www.tsn.ca/nhl/carolina-hurricanes-bring-in-ex-san-jose-sharks-g-aaron-dell-on-free-agent-tryout-1.2050435. 

Hoppe, Bill. “After Stint With Sabres, Goalie Dustin Tokarski Happy Back With Amerks.” Buffalo Hockey Beat - WNY and Buffalo NY Hockey Coverage, Olean Times Herald, 15 Dec. 2023, www.buffalohockeybeat.com/after-stint-with-sabres-goalie-dustin-tokarski-happy-back-with-amerks/. 

“Michael Houser.” ECHL, The ECHL – Premier “AA” Hockey League, echl.com/players/4585/michael-houser. Accessed 25 Dec. 2023. 

Miller, Max. “Aaron Dell Will Play for Team Canada at Spengler Cup.” The Hockey News, The Hockey News / Roustan Media Ltd. , 23 Dec. 2023, thehockeynews.com/nhl/san-jose-sharks/news/aaron-dell-will-play-for-team-canada-at-spengler-cup. 

Official Site of the National Hockey League, National Hockey League, www.nhl.com/. Accessed 25 Dec. 2023. 

Sports Reference LLC. Hockey-Reference.com - Hockey Statistics and History. http://www.hockey-reference.com/. 25 Dec. 2023.

World Series Did You Know?

Will Smith (not The Fresh Prince actor, obviously) is the first player to win a Fall Classic with three different teams. The relief pitcher wasn't just a case of "right place, right time", as the hurler certainly contributed each season.

Smith had pitched in the 2016 with San Francisco, but the team did not advance to the October Finale. Instead, the Giants fell to the Chicago Cubs in the National League Division Series. It was the Cubbies than went on to win it all.

Five years later, there was a Will on the Atlanta Braves, and he provided a way to a championship. Still, it took Smith two years of reaching the postseason with Atlanta for the Braves to get over the hump. In 2020, the Los Angeles Dodgers dashed the hopes of Atlanta in the National League Championship Series, taking it in seven games. Smith, for his part, won two games for the Braves in the postseason, but had to look at that ugly 16.20 earned run average against the Dodgers.

So Atlanta's hopes were dashed again, but they were undaunted. All that loss to LA did was give Atlanta more determination to come back strong in 2021. Alright, maybe they only won 88 games, but their pitching was strong. And in evaluation the hurlers, let's not overlook the closer. Will Smith slammed the door on the opposition, running up a save total of 37 that season. Maybe that earned run average was a little high, 3.44, but the postseason was beconing. 

And in it, Smith excelled. He went 2-0 in the National League Championship Series against Los Angeles, as Atlanta prevailed. The Houston Astros were next up on the radar for the Braves, and Will looked to continue the ball rolling. He'd posted a 0.00 earned run average against the Dodgers.

The Astros managed to score a run in the last of the eighth in the opening tilt at Minute Maid Park. Their fans, however, were not pleased. Smith got the ball in the ninth inning for the visitors, and here's why the paid attendence were dissapointed. The run they'd scored only made it a little closer, 6-2, but Houston still trailed. It wasn't a save situation for Will.

But after allowing the first batter he faced to get on via a walk, Smith settled down. Aledmys Díaz, who had drawn the bases on balls, was forced at second by Jason Castro. José Altuve also hit into a force, and Houston was one out away from losing. Michael Brantley grounded out, and the Braves had drawn first blood.

The Atros weren't discouraged. They snapped back with a resounding 7-2 win in the second contest, but now looked at three straight games in Atlanta. The Braves got pitching, pitching, and more pitching in the third contest. For a while, the fans at Truist Park must have thought about a no-hitter, as Houston didn't get a hit until the top of the eighth. Aledmys Díaz, pinch-hitting as he had in game one, broke up the no-no with a leadoff single. However, the Astros did not score. The game was close, as Atlanta was clinging to a 2-0 lead after eight innings. The ball was turned over to Will Smith, to give the Braves the Series' lead again.

Alex Bregman greeted Smith with a single, and while this was only the second base hit by the 'stros, they now had the tying run at the plate. It turned out that Will did pretty much what he'd done in game one. Yordan Alvarez popped to third. Carlos Correa got ahead in the count 2-1, but then hit a liner to right, which Adam Duvall caught. Kyle Tucker gave it a ride to centre, but was just a long, loud out. Smith had the save, and Atlanta was up 2-1 in the 2021 Fall Classic.

The pivitol game four was even closer, as Houston had two runs after eight. But Atlanta had three, and it was Smith again with the ball in the ninth. He'd protected a two-run lead the previous contest. Now, could Will work with just a one-run lead?

Turns out that Smith had an most impressive outing. The first batter to face Will, Michael Brantley, battled him to a full count. However, on the eigth pitch of the at-bat, Smith got the better of Brantey, striking him out. The next two batters were retired on a pop-up and grounder, and the Braves were one win away from their first World Champinship in sixteen years.

The Astros had battled hard all year, and weren't about to quit down. Did it matter that they were down 3-1 in the World Series? Or down 4-0 early in game five. Not quite. They turned on the offence on this night. The Braves didn't grab any champange. For the Astros, it was sort of a bit like game two at home, as their bats were awesome. That four-run deficit was not only erased, it was put in the rear-view mirror. Houston took the slugfest, 9-5. It was back to Minute Maid Park for game six, and possibly, seven.

Max Fried, the Atlanta starter, was the perfect man for the start. He stifled Houston through six innings. No runs, four hits allowed. Atlanta was a most rude visitor. They scored three times in the top of the third, and three more in the fifth. The game and Series was over. For good measure, the Braves tacked on another run in the top of the seventh.

Tyler Matzek got through the seventh and eighth inning for Atlanta, keeping the shutout going. But fittingly, he turned the ball over to Will Smith in the top of the ninth.

Michael Brantley singled off Smith, who was in a bad habit of allowing the first batter to face him to get on base. Just as he'd previously done, Will settled down quickly. Houston hit the ball well, but their shots weren't far enough out of the range of the men behind Smith. First, Correa lined to right. Then, Yordan Álvarez got a hold of one and pounded it to left, only to have Eddie Rosario get to it. When Yuli Gurriel grounded out to shortstop Dansby Swanson, Atlanta had the 2021 World Series, 4-2.

Smith came back to Atlanta for 2022. But in August, he was traded to the very team he helped defeat in the previous year's Fall Classic, Houston. With the Astros, Will was 0-2 with a 3.27 ERA. For the second straight season, Smith had totaled seven losses. Back-to-back losing seasons (3-7 and 2-7) as far as Will's win-loss record went. The save total went from 37 in '21, to just five in this '22 season.

But Houston couldn't have cared too much. You see, they were on the way to the World Series. They'd been there in 2005, 2017 and 2019, but with this appearance, it was becoming a habit. There was one pitcher who didn't quite get a chance to contribute, alas.

The Astros made few mistakes in the Fall Classic against the Philadelphia Phillies, but Smith was not part of the equation. Sure, he was on the World Series roster, but Houston made due without Will, beating Philadelphia in six games.

Smith simply wasn't needed. In game four, Cristian Javier, Bryan Abreu, Rafael Montero and Ryan Pressly combined for a no-hitter, one the second time a team has failed to get a hit in one World Series contest. That's how deep a bullpen the Astros had. Houston carried thirteen pitchers, and Hunter Brown was like Smith, on the Fall Classic roster, yet failing to make an appearance. Pressly had two saves, as manager Dusty Baker turned the ball over to him when he needed to slam the door on Philly.

The World Series of 2022 ended on November the 5th. Will Smith didn't have to wait very long for his world to turn upside down. Houston did not resign him, Smith didn't catch on with another team until March of 2023. Texas, who had not won a World Series in their 62 seasons of existence. What would make season number 63 anything different? Their days as the second version of the Washington Senators were long gone, but now even the Nation's Capital had a winner. In 2019, the Washington Nationals (formally the Montreal Expos), won it all over Houston. Texas entered the '23 season as one of the few teams (think San Diego and Colorado) who had never won a Fall Classic. They'd been oh-so-close in 2011, but that was now ancient history.

Will Smith, for his part, saved twenty-two games for the Rangers in '23, but the bullpen ace was José Leclerc, who went 0-2, but posted a 2.68 earned run average. When I tell you that Smith's ERA was 4.40, I guess it's not surprising that his win-loss record was merely 2-7. So for 2022-23, Will had a record of only five wins and fourteen losses.

Not that Smith wasn't valuable. His ERA was 2.70 on August 3rd, but then Will slumped. After recording his ninteenth save on that very day, there didn't appear to be any concern. Indeed, despite some questionable outings that followed, Will reached twenty-two saves just over a week later. He settled into more a setup role after that, getting holds in back-to-back appearances August 27th and 29th. 

But had Texas quit on him? Smith retired the only batter to face him in the American League Division Series, but then seemed to lose it. His old team, Houston, hit him hard a round later. Still, despite the 10.80 ERA in the American League Championship Series, it was the Rangers that overcame the Astros in seven games, winning the decising contest 11-4.

So it was on the Fall Classic, and there the upstart Arizona Diamondbacks awaited Texas. Will didn't have to wait very long to contribute. Though he got neither a win nor  a save, Smith really helped.

Taking over from Jon Gay in the top of the ninth, Will had to hold the D-backs in check if the Rangers hoped to pull this one out. Smith did just that, as Geraldo Perdomo grounded out and Corbin Carroll was retired on a liner to right.

Texas was inspired. They tied the game in the ninth, and ended up walking it off in the last of the eleventh. It was José Leclerc who got the win, continuing on his reputation as one (if not the) best bullpen man on the Rangers in 2023. 

Arizona bounced right back in a big way. Game one is the least important game of any series, let alone the Fall Classic. By winning the second contest 9-1, the D-backs headed home all tied. If Arizona thought it was easy pickings at home, they were sadly mistaken. Texas got their pitching in order, as starter Max Sherzer was superb, and so was the bullpen. The 3-1 win by the visiting Rangers insured that at the very least, the Fall Classic was heading back to Globe Life Field for Texas. That is, unless the Rangers won games four and five.

Well, the fourth contest, the big one, was won by Texas in a slugfest, 11-7. But Will Smith sort of let Arizona back in this game. He was given the ball in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Rangers led 11-5, but the Diamondbacks didn't exactly go quietly into the night. No, sir. Pinch hitter Jordan Lawlar was the first batter of that Smith faced, and Will walked him. That's not the ideal thing to do to start an inning, even with a six-run lead. Geraldo Perdomo followed with a single. This looked bad.

So with runners on the corners, Will fanned Ketel Marte , for a big out. A double play would end the threat, and the game. However, Perdomo wasn't content to stay on first. With Corbin Carroll up, there went Geraldo to second. So there was no more force play.

Will Smith, to his credit, ended up fanning Carroll, for the second out. However, it proved to be the last batter Smith faced. José Leclerc came in, faced Gabriel Moreno, and surrendered a two-run single. Both runs, of course, were charged to Smith, even though he got two batters out. That pushed Will's earned run average to 13.50 in the World Series. Truth is, since Leclerc got Christian Walker to pop out to end it. The Rangers, winners of this game four, needed only one more win, and would have three cracks at it.

They wasted no time in getting it. Well, actually, game five was close. The scoreless tie was broken in the top of the seventh, when Texas scored a single run. It remained 1-0 until the top of the ninth, when the visitors tacked on four more runs to salt this thing away. Smith never got into the game, and the D-backs never did get on the board. The Rangers had a 5-0 win, and with it, their long-awaited Fall Classic win.

Despite that rough time, Will Smith had retired four of the six batters to face him, and had his third ring in three seasons. Sure, he'd have liked to contribute more to an historic first, but then again, Will was himself part of an unprecedented event in the Fall Classic.

Okay, Smith didnt automatically make his teams world beaters. It would, however, be wrong to say he didn't contribute. Even in the year that he didn't get to pitch in the World Series for Houston, his performance down the stretch in the regular season was certainly helpful. Would you believe it, Will Smith joined the Kansas City Royals for 2024, his signing taking place less than six weeks after the World Series came to a close. Will the Royals win it all in '24, giving Smith a fourth consecutive ring with a different organization? Stay tuned!



References

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. 22 Dec, 2023.

Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/. 22 Dec, 2023.