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 | The Sabres turned in one of their better defensive performances, but couldn't get the offense going enough to win. | | Buffalo - November 28, 2014 - Following every Sabres game, we’ll be taking a little look at the previous night’s action with a little segment called “good, bad and ugly”. Expect a loooooooot of ugly.
After taking a day off to be thankful, we'll take a look at Wednesday's 2-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets.
The Good
Was…was that a defensive effort I saw on Wednesday night? I think it was! The team managed to limit the Jets to 26 shots, which didn’t even seem possible the way this season has gone. That’s even considering Andre Benoit replaced a late-scratch in Tyler Myers.
That said, Benoit is still awful – his turnover led to Michael Frolik’s eventual game-winning shorthanded goal in the second period – and should not be a Sabre this year, let alone going forward. I get what they were trying to do by bringing him in, but there’s a reason he’s bounced around the league throughout his career.
Anyways, this is supposed to be a good, so good on the defense for managing to limit the amount of shots poor Jhonas Enroth had to see on the night.
The Bad
As predicted, the offense dissipated. They managed just 20 shots on the night, giving Ondrej Pavelec a relatively easy night. Chris Stewart managed to break the shutout five minutes into the third, but there never really seemed to be a threat of the Sabres coming back or taking the lead at any point.
I’m not sure where the three-game outburst came from; I suppose the odds dictate that every team will have one of those at some point, but this is the real Buffalo Sabres offense. They just can’t maintain possession and they can’t generate pressure. I’m still not sure whether it’s a system or talent issue, but it’s clear that they are inferior to just about everyone on the offensive end.
I know this is going to seem hyperbolic, but they could end up right around 1.00 goals per game to finish the year. They’re that bad offensively. And if/when they move guys like Stafford, Stewart and maybe even Hodgson, it’s going to be even worse.
The Ugly
I’m going to admit something to you guys: I’m very apathetic towards this season. Normally, I’m pumped for the season to start and can’t wait to watch. But this year has had a much different feel to it even to begin the year. That comes from knowing the team is going to be awful and that, really, there’s nothing to hope for.
And that’s what I learned about sports: when you have nothing to hope for, there’s no point. There’s no motivation to watch, to care, to live vicariously through your team. And I’m a fan of some BAD teams. Sabres, Bills and Michigan football over the last several years have really brought out the apathy.
I can’t wait for June for obvious reasons, but I’m hoping that it’ll get rid of that apathy and make me really care again.
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