We have seen this recipe from the Buffalo Sabers before. They win a few games, including one against a heavily favored opponent, and then everyone wonders if they’ve finally turned the corner. After beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-1, spirits had to be high both inside and outside the franchise.
But in true Buffalo Sabers fashion, they returned to Earth in the ugliest way possible. With a chance to build momentum, the Sabers hosted the Calgary Flames, the last-place team in the NHL standings. Then they moved on lost to them 6-2and the questions have returned.
Mattias Samuelsson: attacking juggernaut
Although much of the attention in defense was focused on the absence of Michael Kesselringit should really be about the kind of season Mattias Samuelsson is having. The entire fan base had written him off and that was perhaps not entirely unjustified. Samuelsson has responded by making the best start of his career.
Samuelsson scored again on Wednesday evening, his fourth goal of the season. It matches the career-high he set in 62 games last season. His 10 points in 18 games already rank second most in his career and he is just four points away from matching last season.
Additionally, Samuelsson was one of the Sabres’ steadier defenders. He played more than 21 minutes per night and had a +4 rating. In short, he’s finally playing at the level the fan base had hoped for. I hope he can continue to build on the success he has had so far.
One of the worst third period teams in the league
In writing this article, it honestly came as a shock that the Sabers are not technically the worst team in the NHL in terms of third-period goals allowed or third-period goal difference. They rank seventh in goals conceded with 27. There are a handful of teams with a worse third-period goal difference than their -8.
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That said, the Sabers completely and epically collapsed in the third period against the Flames, with the score tied 2-2. In the span of just under eight minutes, the Flames got goals from Morgan Frost, Mikael Backlund and Joel Farabee to make it 5-2 to Flames. Matt Coronato would add one more for good measure.
It should come as no surprise that some of the teams with the most success – the Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars, Carolina Hurricanes – are among the leaders in third-period goals. For the Sabres, it’s just one of those things that never changes.
The rest of the team needs Tage Thompson’s fire
The challenges facing the Buffalo Sabers this season are numerous in nature. They’ve been forced to play young players in response to a slew of injuries, but that doesn’t excuse what felt like a lack of fire in much of the lineup. If anything, they should follow Tage Thompson’s example.
Thompson scored again on Wednesday, making it his fourth straight game with a goal and fifth in his last six. He now has ten on the season, but plays with a visible fire that is lacking in the lineup as a whole.
It’s nice to see Thompson become a leader on this team. It’s nice to see that he also sets a good example. If the Sabers ever want to get out of this hole, it will be by following the example Thompson set this season.
A rudderless ship
The Sabers are now 3-5-2 in their last 10 games. The formula is again pretty much the same: win a few games, then lose a few more games to kill whatever momentum they might have had.
Maybe things will be different when Zach Benson, Jason Zucker and Josh Norris return from injury. Unfortunately, the reality is that things will probably change very little. In a season that feels as make-or-break as can be, the Sabers aren’t showing much in the way of fighting.
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