The Sabres failed to put together a complete 60-minute effort this evening, in a 5-2 loss at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes. The loss marks the team’s second defeat in as many nights, following a four game stretch that left fans optimistic entering the second half of the season. Poor play in the defensive zone and inaccurate passing continued to plague the Sabres on the notoriously rough ice surface at PNC Arena. The typically adept Anders Nilsson was unimpressive in net, allowing five goals on 38 shots.
Buffalo was in complete control throughout the opening frame, scoring just four minutes into the game when Will Carrier notched his third goal of the season. The Sabres had the look of a team that wanted to redeem themselves following a disappointing effort against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night. Conversely, the Hurricanes could not have looked less in sync, failing to generate any offensive pressure, registering only eight shots on the period.
As has been the case in far too many games this season, the Sabres failed to maintain their strong play throughout. Dan Bylsma’s squad looked like a totally different team than the dominant, aggressive unit that took to the ice in the opening frame. The Hurricanes were able to take a two goal lead, registering three unanswered goals in the first seven minutes of the period.
Though Bylsma has been able to rally his troops back from deficits as of late, the Sabres simply could not match their opponent’s intensity and pressure. Captain Brian Gionta did give his teammates a glimmer of hope when he cashed in on a short-handed opportunity at 11:49. Buffalo’s first short-handed goal of the season represented what appeared to be a shift in momentum as the Sabres generated a handful of excellent scoring chances to close out the period.
Despite the strong finish in the middle frame, Carolina quickly seized back control when Victor Rask scored just four minutes into the third period. The Hurricanes would maintain control for the rest of the contest, against a deflated and clearly fatigued opponent.
The past two games have been indicative of the Sabres’ entire season thus far. Maddeningly inconsistent efforts with stretches of brilliance mixed in has left them with a 16-17-9 record with 40 games remaining. The potential is there, however the key now will be establishing consistency on a night-in and night-out basis. That onus is on the coach to have his team prepared and motivated every night. Though Bylsma deserves credit for the Sabres’ no-quit attitude that has been on display in several comeback efforts this season, his squad has been unable to build off of that success.
This is still a young team, and there is no doubt that consistency comes with game experience, but if the progress is not evident soon, expect Bylsma to be on thin ice entering next season.
Fans have grown tired of the constant line shifting, and rightfully so. Chemistry between line-mates cannot be built when the coach continues to move pieces on a daily basis. One of the biggest issues surrounding the Sabres this season is the poorly coordinated passing both in transition and in the offensive zone. Is the coaching strategy in place actually thwarting overall congruency?
It certainly appears so.
The Sabres will host the Dallas Stars at 1 p.m. on Monday.