Sabres Weekly Review: 11/20/23-11/26/23

The Buffalo Sabres had a busy Thanksgiving weekend as they had three games in four days. With games starting on Wednesday and the only day off being Thanksgiving Day, it was clear they would have their work cut out for them. Sabres fans were excited to see how the team would look coming off a 3-2 win against the Blackhawks to end last week. Let’s take a look at how they did.

Transactions

11/24 – LW Zemgus Girgensons placed on IR Lower-body injury – left game

11/25 – RW Isak Rosen called up from minors from Rochester-AHL

11/25 – C Jiri Kulich called up from minors from Rochester-AHL.

11/25 – LW Jordan Greenway placed on IR personal reasons.

Weekly Point Leaders

1. Victor Olofsson – 4 points (0 goals, 4 assists)
2. Jeff Skinner – 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist)
3. Alex Tuch – 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists)
4. Casey Mittelstadt – 3 points (0 goals, 1 assist)

Sabres at Capitals (11/22)

Buffalo got off to a hot start in their first match-up as JJ Peterka and Zach Benson put the Sabres up 2-0 a little over 16 minutes into the game. Benson, 2023 first-round pick, tallied his first NHL goal on a beautiful between the legs goal – arguably the best first goal fans have ever seen. They wouldn’t take that 2-0 lead into the intermission though as Capitals got on the board less than a minute later.

The lead would be taken into the intermission but, eight minutes into the second period, the Capitals tied it up on a bad defensive zone turnover and defensive breakdown. Dylan Cozens would later take the lead back for Buffalo on a one-timer on the powerplay. This lead would hold until Tom Wilson tied it for Washington with 1:15 left in the third. The game would go to overtime, and the Capitals sent Buffalo home with a 4-3 loss after a goal from Dylan Strome with eight seconds left.

A tough loss for the Sabres as they had the game locked up with less than two minutes to play. Victor Olofsson led Buffalo in points with two assists, and Devon Levi made 26/30 saves for a .867 save percentage. In typical Buffalo fashion, they dropped a game they should’ve won. Luckily, they did end up getting one point out of it.

Penguins vs Sabres (11/24)

Two days after the tough loss, the Sabres hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins in a battle between two Eastern Conference foes fighting for a wild card spot. It was a slow start for Buffalo as they went down 1-0 in the first period on a goal from Sidney Crosby after a terrible defensive zone turnover by Mattias Samuelsson.

The second period was another quiet one for Buffalo as the Penguins added to their lead on another defensive turnover. This time it was Rasmus Dahlin whiffing on a pass leading to a Lars Ellers goal. The Penguins would take their 2-0 lead into the intermission.

The first two periods were tough, but the Sabres didn’t give up their fight. The third period was arguably the best period Buffalo played all season. Jeff Skinner got the Sabres on the board after a beautiful pass from Alex Tuch five minutes into the period. Five minutes later, the captain, Kyle Okposo, would tie it up as he threw it towards the net and managed to get the Penguins defensemen to tip it into their own net. They weren’t done in the third as Alex Tuch scored the game winning goal with 2:44 left in the third.

The Sabres showed great fight in this game as they roared back down 2-0 to get the regulation win. Alex Tuch, Jeff Skinner, and Victor Olofsson led the way with two points each. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 31/33 saves, for a .939 save percentage, in a terrific performance from the young goaltender. While it wasn’t the best overall performance, they showed that they are capable to get back into games after a slow start.

Sabres at Devils (11/25)

A day after the big win against the Penguins, the Sabres showed that back-to-back games aren’t easy. New Jersey managed to get on the board 1:31 into the game and didn’t let up from there. Three more Devils found the back of the net in the first as the Sabres looked as though they didn’t belong. They found themselves down 4-0 going into the intermission. Did the Sabres have another comeback in store?

Jeff Skinner gave fans hope as he got the Sabres on the board 1:53 seconds into the second period. However, that hope left quick as the Devils made it 5-1 less than a minute later. Neither team would score again in the second. This would leave a huge challenge for Buffalo heading into the third.

The third period was more of the same for the Sabres as they gave up their sixth goal of the night 50 seconds in. While Kyle Okposo got on the board for the Sabres second goal, it appeared too little too late. The Devils continued to dominate as they would add one more to their total with a little under six minutes to play. That would be the final goal of the night as the Devils ended up with the win, 7-2.

It was a game Sabres fans wished they never turned on. They were outshot 38-12, and the only time they got anything going was on the powerplay. The Devils were the superior team that night, and that’s the way the puck goes sometimes. Five Sabres led the way with one point each. Eric Comrie started the game, making 14/18 saves for a .778 save percentage, and Devon Levi finished it, making 17/20 saves for a .850 save percentage. Fans and players alike hope that’s the last blowout of the year.

Conclusion

It was an up-and-down week for the Sabres as they ended up going 1-1-1, bringing them to 9-10-2 on the season. They struggled mightily to get anything going this week, even in their win. Fans continue to question the decision-making and the results on the ice justify those questions. They have a big week upcoming as they have four games. Getting points will be crucial as they are now in sixth place in the Eastern Conference wild card race. Can they get over .500 after these four games?