Sabres Recap: Overtime is Spooky
Sabres turn into ghosts in three straight OT losses
What to say about this team? They need a priest. An exorcist. Or maybe just a factory reset. Three straight overtime losses is going to leave a sour taste in anybody’s mouth. Especially when the team was up 3-1 after the second period in last night’s tilt vs the Bruins. Especially when, in two of those three games, the losses came to teams that are supposed to be basement dwellers in the Blue Jackets and Bruins.
Still, five points in the last four games isn’t terrible. I said in last weeks recap, where I got the number of games they had this week wrong, that I’d like to see at least four points in those next three games. They got there. And added that fifth point in the fourth game. Who am I to complain about how they did it?
It almost feels stunning to compare this team to the Bills in any way, but after three straight overtime losses, my complaints are exactly the same as they are with the Bills. It’s how they look while doing it.
There have been some bright spots. Alex Lyon has been by far their best player to start the season. He is clearly their most reliable option in between the pipes, but there seems to be opportunity for inconsistency. Last night’s game against the Bruins is evidence of that. It was clearly his worst performance of the season, in a game that even an average performance would have secured a regulation W.
Josh Doan continues to be a great find for the team. He had another solid week this week, and if he can keep it up, will be a cornerstone piece for any idea of a playoff run. Even Mattias Samuelsson is looking like the player that the team signed to a long term deal before all of the injuries.
There have been some bumps in the road though. Some predictable, some not. UPL was in net for one game this week, and I’ve decided since then, that I’d be very okay with never seeing him in between the pipes for the Sabres again. An unfortunate thought, considering his current contract is borderline unmovable.
Rasmus Dahlin has unfortunately not been himself this year, either. I don’t know how much blame I want to put on him for it. The man had himself a rough summer. And he is showing flashes of being more of himself. But there are clear mistakes that he doesn’t tend to make that are costing the team. Hopefully he snaps out of it soon, and if so, I think it’ll give a big boost to the team.
The three-goalie experiment is already exhausting. To me, if you have three goalies, you aren’t confident that you have a good goalie. A decision needs to be made, and I don’t think it’s a particularly difficult one. Put Colten Ellis in for another game, have him prove he has the juice this season, and then do something, anything, with UPL. The season will only benefit from it.
This week, the team has a three game home stand. Saturday vs the Capitals, Tuesday vs the Mammoth, and Thursday vs the Blues. Much like last week, I am very okay with getting another four points out of those three games.
Oh, and Alex Tuch scored this week, which means we’re doing 10% off the Every Time We Tuch hoodie in our shop for the upcoming week!