The Buffalo Sabres are facing serious problems after losing 4-3 against the Philadelphia Flyers Monday night in their 18th straight loss.
Consequently, the Sabres have been struggling all season long, and this ugly losing streak that the team has found themselves on has just made matters worse.
Sabres vs. Flyers Game Analysis
When the Sabres took the ice Monday night, picking up a much needed win to end a nasty losing streak was on the agenda.
At the beginning of the matchup, a win was the objective. There was some hope for the Sabres during the game as they took a 3-0 lead at the conclusion of the second period.
The Sabres and their fans were looking forward to snapping a long losing streak and get back on the winning track.
The Flyers stepped up their game and scored, not once, not twice, but three times to tie the game up, forcing overtime where they eventually won.
On the Sabres’ side, this loss was quite shocking. Things were going very well for the team. They were leading 3-0. By the looks of it, the Sabres were going to win.
That was the plan. But that didn’t happen. Once the Flyers dominated the third period and pounded the Sabres with three goals, things only went downhill from there.
During OT, it was Ivan Provorov who scored the game-winning goal only 42 seconds after the extra period began.
Flyers’ Sean Couturier provided the game-tying goal in the third period.
After suffering this devasting 4-3 OT loss, the Sabres have now recorded an 0-15-3 record in their last 18 games. In addition, the Sabres now have the longest winless streak in nearly 30 years.
The Sabres have also compiled a 0-9-2 record at home and haven’t won a game since Feb. 23 in a 4-1 win against the New Jersey Devils
What’s Going on With the Sabres?
The Sabres have had a pretty rough season.They’ve been outscored multiple times, compiling a record of 74-28 so far. Clearly, the team’s performance hasn’t been where it needs to be lately.
Additionally, the Sabres have been dealing with some roster moves. For instance, Dylan Cozens was hammered into the boards during the ealry part of the game. He didn’t return back to the game.
On top of that, Carter Hutton has been inactive in between the pipes lately after suffering a lower body injury.
The Sabres’ defense hasn’t been performing well, either. The team hasn’t been able to capitalize on numerous of opportunities presented to them. These crucial opportunities would have allowed the Sabres to rack up on more goals, or at least prevent the opposing team from scoring.
Also, the Sabres are now 6-23-5 and have only 17 points. In additon, the Sabres are bottom-ranked in the league.
Any chances of going to the playoffs at this point is probably dashed for the team. Regardless of the matter, the Sabres know they need to win.
With that in mind, there will likely be plenty of chances made, especially concerning the roster. By the NHL trade deadline, there is a strong possibility that some of these players will no longer be a Sabre.
Of course, there will likely be major changes with the Sabres, especially since the trade deadline is coming up. During the offseason, the Sabres will probably be under construction as the organization will aim to do better…a lot better, next season.
The Sabres will play against the Flyers again tomorrow night in hopes of breaking their losing streak. So, it will certainly be interesting to see what changes the Sabres will make in preparation of their upcoming rematch.
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