Buffalo Sabres Fall Flat Again

The Buffalo Sabres just can't put two complete games together.  After an impressive 3-1 win over the explosive Washington Capitals on Tuesday night the Sabres took a 1-0 lead in the first period Friday night against the Florida Panthers then wilted.  In essentially what amounted to a Toilet Bowl game between the two worst teams in the NHL's Eastern Conference the Sabres are the ones who got flushed down the drain in a 4-1 loss.The Panthers scored the tying goal in the second period, then Evgenii Dadonov scored what turned out to be the winning goal in the third period against a screened Robin Lehner before the Panthers clinched it with a pair of empty-net goals.

You can't blame Lehner in this one.  And with a number of key defensemen still out with injuries you can't pin too much of the blame on the defense either.  It was many of the forwards who took the night off in this one.

Buffalo's two second over-all draft picks, Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart were invisible.  Ryan O'Reilly - did he even play?  Kyle Okposo scored Buffalo's only goal of the game on a deflection, but he's had a rough start this season.

At times this team plays as if it didn't care.  They were successful in running the last coach out of town and the general manager along with him.  They say they enjoy Phil Housley as their coach but they don't play like it.

The Sabres are now the worst team in the conference and after Friday night's putrid game fans should ask for a refund.  There were the same old tired excuses and explanations after the game.  They seem to know what they're supposed to do.  When they hit the ice they just don't do it.

The Sabres take their sorry act on the road to Montreal on Saturday night.