Coming off another overtime loss, the Buffalo Sabres had rightful optimism. They are in the thick of a competitive Eastern Conference, a couple of wins away from being near the top of the standings. Facing the St. Louis Blues, a team struggling mightily this season, the Sabres needed a statement win.
They got a statement loss instead. There isn’t a lot to like about this one, a game that the Sabres dropped to the Blues 3-0. Let’s get into the takeaways, and there isn’t a lot of good to talk about from this one.
It’s Time to Talk About Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Following a breakout 2023-24 season, everyone was rightfully high on Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. It has unfortunately been a downhill trajectory since then. Luukkonen struggled most of last season, eventually losing the starting job to veteran James Reimer.
In three games this season, Luukkonen has definitively not been good. His 2.91 goals against average doesn’t look awful, but it is the .877 save percentage that is really alarming. If he finishes below the .887% mark he had last year, it would mark a new career low.
The goal by Nick Bjugstad in the second period was about as weak as it gets. He allowed two goals on 16 shots and just hasn’t looked confident or comfortable in a long time. It is feeling like the 2023-24 season is a fluke more and more.
The Worst Loss of the Season
Losing the opener 4-0 was tough, but it was tight until late in the game. The loss to the Colorado Avalanche felt demoralizing and put fans into a very bad headspace. The Sabres have rebounded somewhat but this is easily the worst loss of the season so far.
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The Sabres ran into a backup goalie on one of the worst teams in the league. Coming into the game, Joel Hofer had an .835 save percentage with a couple of truly abysmal games against the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins. And yet he was able to turn aside all 28 shots from the Sabres on Thursday night.
Playing at home, sporting the goat head jerseys, and getting blanked by a goalie with AHL-level stats is as demoralizing as it gets. Missing as many key pieces as they have is understandable to a point, but if you have any aims to be a good team, you can’t have games like this.
There is a Distinct Lack of Dynamic Offensive Talent
To really build on the last point, it has become painfully evident that every concern about the offense has come true. The Sabres are 28th in goals per game. They are 20th on the power play, which feels like a victory given how the unit has performed historically.
Alex Tuch (5 goals, 12 points) and Tage Thompson (5 goals, 10 points) have simply been okay this season. They are supposed to be the leaders of this team in terms of both offense and locker room contributions. Five goals in 14 games is not the kind of contribution that will cut it.
A lot of the onus is on the forwards, but the entire defensive group isn’t helping much. Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, and Bowen Byram have one goal each. Mattias Samuelsson has two, but they came in the same game. From top to bottom, the lineup is failing offensively. The concerns of replacing J.J. Peterka’s offense were legitimate and are now a reality.
A Demoralizing Loss
This loss is especially hard because it felt like the Sabres were gathering momentum even when losing in overtime. Instead of following that streak up with a hard-earned two points, the Sabres laid an egg at home.
It’s becoming harder and harder to find a positive spin for the Sabres. Losses like these do happen but they are a lot more forgivable when there isn’t so much prior baggage involved. The Sabres have no room for error, both on the ice and with the fan base.
