The Buffalo Sabres are facing a daunting challenge, staring down the barrel of another potential loss as they prepare to face the scorching-hot Minnesota Wild. Can they defy the odds and snap their losing streak? Or will they succumb to Minnesota's dominant form?
(WGR 550) – It's an uphill battle for the Sabres as they head to Minnesota on Saturday, desperately seeking to end their current two-game slide. The Wild, fresh off a thrilling 3-2 shootout victory against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night, are riding a wave of momentum. That win marked their seventh consecutive triumph, a stark contrast to Buffalo's season-best of just two straight wins. Minnesota has been on a tear, securing points in their last 10 games with a remarkable 9-0-1 record. Their only stumble? A narrow 2-1 overtime defeat at the hands of the San Jose Sharks.
And this is the part most people miss... it's not just about the wins and losses. It's about the overall trajectory and the feeling around the team.
Unfortunately, things have gone from bad to worse for the Sabres, who have sunk to the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings and now rank 29th in the entire NHL with a points percentage of a mere .458. To add insult to injury, Friday's game saw owner Terry Pegula in attendance, witnessing his team's brutal 5-0 defeat at the hands of the New Jersey Devils. The atmosphere was toxic, with loud chants of "Fire Adams" and "Sell the Team" echoing through the arena, directed squarely at Pegula himself. But here's where it gets controversial... Given Pegula's apparent inaction, one can't help but wonder if he's actually content with the current state of affairs. It seems that maintaining a comfortable relationship with General Manager Kevyn Adams might be prioritized over on-ice success, as Adams clearly values and caters to Pegula's input.
The playoffs, realistically, have been drifting out of reach for the past couple of weeks. But for those still holding onto hope, the Sabres currently trail the Ottawa Senators by six points for third place in the Atlantic Division. They also sit seven points behind both the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers, who currently hold the two Wild Card spots in the Eastern Conference. Even the ninth-place New York Islanders are tied with 29 points, highlighting the Sabres' struggles. The Colorado Avalanche, meanwhile, lead the entire NHL with a commanding 40 points – nearly double Buffalo's paltry 22. This stark contrast underscores the perceived failure of Adams' five-year rebuilding effort.
On a brighter note, the Sabres have shown recent improvement on the penalty kill, allowing only two power-play goals in their last six games and three in their last nine. This has elevated them to second in the league, just behind the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tampa Bay boasts an impressive 88.5% penalty kill rate, while the Sabres are close behind at 88.1%. However, their overall defensive performance remains a concern, ranking 27th in goals against at 3.50 goals per game. Offensively, they're slightly better, sitting 19th in goals for with an average of three goals per game. Their power play, however, is still a work in progress, ranking 21st at 17.4%.
Alex Lyon was in net against the Devils, surrendering five goals on just 23 shots. As a result, either Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen or Colten Ellis is expected to get the nod in goal on Saturday. It's worth noting that Ellis hadn't played in 10 days prior to the Devils game.
Historically, the Sabres have had some success against the Wild, going 6-3-1 in their last 10 meetings and 5-4-1 in St. Paul.
However, the overall series favors Minnesota, who are 12-5-4 in their last 21 games against Buffalo.
Minnesota's recent success can be largely attributed to their stellar goaltending. Filip Gustavsson has been outstanding, posting a 5-1-1 record in his last seven starts with a 2.09 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage.
Not to be outdone, 23-year-old Jesper Wallstedt, Minnesota's first-round pick in 2021 (20th overall), has been equally impressive, racking up three shutouts in his last five starts. In his last six games, he's 6-0-0 with a remarkable 1.14 goals-against average and a .967 save percentage. In that same period, Gustavsson is 3-0-1 with a 1.69 goals against and .929 save percentage. Contrast this to Buffalo's ongoing search for a true No. 1 goalie, and the decision to select Isak Rosen 14th overall in that same draft becomes even more scrutinized. Other notable players selected after Wallstedt in 2021 include Zach Bolduc (17th overall) and Wyatt Johnston (23rd overall).
Offensively, the Wild are led by the dynamic Kirill Kaprizov, who is currently riding a six-game point streak, tallying six goals and eight points during that span.
Kaprizov ranks 10th in the NHL with 30 points in 25 games, and his 16 goals place him third overall. Matt Boldy is also enjoying a strong season, with 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points in 25 games. Boldy was the 12th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. The Sabres, with Jason Botterill at the helm, selected Dylan Cozens seventh overall. In 310 NHL games, Boldy has amassed 272 points, while in 386 games, Cozens has 229 points. This is just another example in the long line of draft mistakes made by the Sabres. Other notable players selected after Cozens in the 2019 draft include Philip Broberg (8th overall), Trevor Zegras (ninth overall), Spencer Knight (13th overall), and Cole Caufield (14th overall).
So, what do you think? Are the Sabres making progress, or are they stuck in a perpetual rebuild? And what about the draft picks – were the right choices made? Let your voice be heard in the comments below!
Tune in to the pregame show with Brian Koziol and me starting at 7:00.
