Things felt like they were perhaps turning the wrong corner as recently as a week ago. A 4-3 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins only added to those frustrations despite a valuable point in the standings. For the Buffalo Sabres, a statement win on Friday night was necessary to get back on track.
Instead, the Sabres got the complete opposite result. They came out sluggish once again, falling behind 3-0 in the first period against the Detroit Red Wings. They were never able to recover, dropping a 5-2 decision, their third straight loss.
Alex Lyon Was Not Good
It has been a rough couple of starts for Alex Lyon. Once upon a time, he was red-hot, becoming just the sixth goaltender ever to rack up 10 straight road wins. Now, he has been outright bad in back-to-back games.
He gave up six in an overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks and allowed four goals on 19 shots against the Red Wings. Team defense wasn’t good (more on that below) but Lyon has often been dependable enough this season that the Sabres could take chances.
Fatigue is certainly a possibility for a lot of players this season, and Lyon is no different. His 33 starts are the second-most in his career and he has been playing well above board. The hope is that he’s having a minor rough stretch rather than coming back to earth at the wrong time.
Team Defense Was Horrendous
The caveat to everything said about Lyon is that team defense was abysmal. Part of that wasn’t helped by special teams, where the Sabres gave up a pair of power play goals. The penalty kill is one of the best units in the league, but it is hard to overcome sub-par goaltending and bad defense.
Related: Sabres’ Goaltending is a Big Reason They are Contenders
The Red Wings had open looks and Lyon couldn’t stop them. That’s the wrong kind of combination if you hope to win hockey games. The Sabres have stretches where they are careless with the puck, turning it over and failing to adequately defend in their own zone.
In particular, the penalty kill is concerning. They’ve given up six power play goals in 15 opportunities over the lats four games. The Sabres need to be disciplined anyway, but especially if the penalty kill isn’t going to be as good as it has been so far this season.
A Milestone for Tage Thompson
The Sabres need a few key players to up their games but one guy they can consistently depend on is Tage Thompson. Trailing 3-09 and desperately needing a spark to get back in it, Thompson answered the bell. Just over five minutes into the second period, Thompson picked up his 37th goal of the season to make it a two-goal game.
First and foremost: it was Thompson’s 400th NHL point, so congrats to Thompson for hitting that milestone. It also gave the Sabres a shot in the arm in a period where they looked like they were starting to take control of the game.
The end result may not have been there, but Thompson continues to show that he can be one of the best players on this team on a nightly basis. He is a tone-setter for the Sabres and a guy who will be pivotal in getting them back in the win column.
Concerning Trends
The Sabres have lost three in a row for the first time since December. This is also just their third loss by three or more goals since the turn of the calendar. Most concerning is that everything has felt sloppy and disjointed in terms of their play. Maybe something as simple as shuffling the lines could provide a boost.
Every team – even the dominant Colorado Avalanche – has had a rough stretch. The Sabres need to figure theirs out quickly. Their excellent play has built them a little bit of a cushion, but the stretch run is going to be difficult. It starts by getting right against the Seattle Kraken on Saturday evening.
