3 Big Sabres Takeaways from Disappearance Against Flyers

The Buffalo Sabres dropped a dud against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night, 5-2. Buffalo fell to a 4-0 deficit before making a push late in the third period. The effort in all zones and situations was not up to par, as evidenced by the scoreboard.

Tyson Foerster got the Flyers on the board first, as he pushed the loose puck in front of Devon Levi through the goaltender’s pads. A rough shift by Buffalo in their own end resulted in Travis Sanheim scoring on a one-timer to make it 2-0 after the first.

The second period wasn’t any better for the Sabres, as the Flyers registered two more goals. Egor Zamula shot a puck that sent Zach Benson’s stick flying, but the puck landed flat and scooted under Levi. A 2-on-0 break by Matvei Michkov and Travis Konecny resulted in the latter finishing the play.

A late powerplay goal by Rasmus Dahlin disrupted Flyers goalie Ivan Fedotov’s shutout bid. Ryan McLeod tapped in a loose puck with Levi pulled late in the game, but ultimately it wasn’t enough for the Sabres. Konecny sealed the game for Philadelphia with an empty-netter.

Untimely Penalties

The Sabres had trouble generating much at even strength against the Flyers. When they finally received their first powerplay of the game in the second period, Dahlin was called for interference just 14 seconds in.

Dahlin negated their next powerplay as well, this time 1:02 into it. He cashed in on the third man-advantage opportunity with a goal, but it was far too late to get anything of significance going.

The untimely penalties have cost Buffalo the chance to get back into games this season, particularly ones from Dahlin. That’s not exactly an attribute you want to see from your captain. Head coach Lindy Ruff has addressed it with him before, and it appears there’s a learning curve involved.

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Shooting Without Purpose

The Sabres had more shot attempts than the Flyers, but Philadelphia blocked more shots than Buffalo had on goal. Shooting more was a focus against the St. Louis Blues previously, but the message was misinterpreted in Philadelphia.

Too many outside and ill-advised shots limited the scoring chances. Fedotov, who has been shaky to begin his NHL career, settled into the game with little threat.

The forward lines are sure to be shaken up next game as the Sabres head out west. The focus should be on finding those dangerous scoring areas again, taking advantage of a couple of bottom-feeders in the NHL standings next week.

Reinforcements Coming

Tage Thompson, Jordan Greenway, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen all missed the game on Saturday, and their absence was felt. Thompson and Greenway have been two of Buffalo’s best forwards this season. Luukkonen was on the upswing before being hindered by an undisclosed ailment.

More: Video of Tage Thompson Injury

After three extra days of healing, all three should be back against Los Angeles on Wednesday. It will help balance out the lines yet again, and Thompson’s presence alone should be a huge boost to the offense.

For the Philadelphia Flyers’ point of view, visit Philly Hockey Now.