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)
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.
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.
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
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.
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