The intensity is starting to ratchet up and the schedule for the Buffalo Sabres is getting tougher. Coming off a disappointing but electric loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Sabres came into Thursday night looking to head into the Olympic break with a big win.
Though things started hot, defensive breakdowns ultimately got the best of them. In the end, the Sabres dropped a 5-2 decision to the Pittsburgh Penguins, keeping them in a wild card spot but just shy of second place in the Atlantic Division.
An Unfortunately Bad Game from Jacob Bryson
The thing that was hard to ignore was the performance of bottom-pair defenseman Jacob Bryson. Despite playing just 4:19 on the night, Bryson managed to commit two costly mistakes that led directly to goals.
On the first, in what may have been a miscommunication between he and partner Michael Kesselring, Avery Hayes split the duo before cashing in on his opportunity. Then, in the second period, Bryson fell while handling the puck at the blue line and Ben Kindel scored on a wrist shot seconds later.
Head Coach Lindy Ruff has been leaning heavily on his top four defensemen. It certainly doesn’t give him confidence when he puts his bottom pair out there for less than 12 minutes cumulatively and they give up a pair of goals.
Tage Thompson Nearly Dragged This Team Back from the Depths
Entering the third period, the Sabres trailed 3-1 and were in desperate need of a response. On the power play, where the Sabres have struggled this season, Tage Thompson did what Tage Thompson does: sniping from a ridiculous angle to make it 3-2.
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Thompson is back over the 30-goal mark for the fourth time in his career and is a legitimate threat to hit 40 goals for the third time in four seasons. Just a few minutes later, Thompson charged into the Penguins zone, fought off a defender, and was an Arturs Silovs desperate pad save away from tying things up at 3-3.
During the Sabres resurgence, Thompson has really stepped up and been the dominant offensive force we all know he can be. He has been playing with a drive that may have been missing during the down days, and that kind of energy is infectious.
The Break is Needed
The loss underscores how important the Olympic break is. The Sabres seem to be fading a bit, having lost three of their last four. Having a chance to regroup and work through some injuries will be important as it relates to coming out ready to do damage in the stretch run.
The Sabres only have a pair of players – Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin – going to the Olympics, so they will have the benefit of two weeks rest. It may also give general manager Jarmo Kekalainen the chance to bring in some much-needed reinforcements.
Getting Healthy is Key
Eliminating outside factors like a trade the most important thing for the Sabres is to get healthy. Both Zach Benson and Josh Norris are expected back after the break. That will be a substantial boost offensively, not to mention give the Sabres improved depth to work with.
After that, it is imperative to find a fix for the bottom pairing. Ruff talked about working with Kesselring on aspects of his game, but he has been a major disappointment after initially being believed to be the focal point of the J.J. Peterka trade. Finding another dependable option (or two) for the bottom pairing would be crucial.
