After winning three games in a row, the Sabres have now lost three in a row. During that time, the opposition has scored 11 goals, while Buffalo has only scored five. Don Granato, the former head coach, had the Sabres playing at a.500 winning % after 12 games the previous season.
Ruff’s freshly constructed Sabres club is currently 4-7-1, their worst start since 2017–18, when they finished with 25 wins after a 3–7–2 start. To find a more comparable start to the season, you would need to look at the 2020–21 campaign, in which the Sabres finished with just 15 victories after starting 4-6-2. Since the Sabres haven’t begun a season with a winning record after 12 games since 19–20, the current coach is under increasing pressure to turn this season around.
The range of systems many of these young players have played in makes it difficult for a team transition coach every few seasons to identify the best one to propel the team to the postseason. Cozens and other players had scoring opportunities because Granato intended to play an offensive game with a high tempo. Although the clubs struggled defensively, the power play was very successful.
Not all 23 players have adopted the Ruff style of play, so what is being displayed on the ice is a combination of two systems. Granato’s approach was a more aggressive east-west play that aimed to extend the ice quickly, but Ruff wants structure in the way the team goes up the ice, with all five players touching the puck before entering the offensive zone.
More organized play in the offensive zone has been one benefit of the Ruff system, but many players forgetting and going back to their old habits causes a number of odd man rushes and mistakes. In an effort to inspire his squad before the season ends before December, Ruff is increasing his accountability.
Dylan Cozens said, “He tells us what he doesn’t like, and he tells it straight up,” after he stopped a session on Monday to express his feelings to his players. The athletes are aware that a careless start is not acceptable, but they haven’t received coaching to help them understand this. Getting the NHL’s youngest squad to modify their ways and play better hockey is a difficult challenge for Ruff.
After 12 games, Lindy Ruff’s failure has been evident both on the ice and in the stat sheet. In addition to finishing second to bottom in the Atlantic, the Sabres are in last place on the power play, a man advantage that was among the top 10 two seasons ago. The Sabres haven’t had a top-15 penalty kill since the 18–19 season, when they were 12th on the PK, and their penalty kill now ranks 27th in the NHL.
This season’s scoring is almost the same as last season’s. Buffalo averages about three goals per game this season, whereas the Sabres averaged 2.99 goals through 12 last season. The Sabres finished fifth in scoring through 12 games last season. So far, the Sabres are positioned in the center of the pack. Buffalo leads the NHL in missed shots with 200, 63 more than the previous season, and many of the Sabres’ shots are not going in the net.
The Sabres may boast one of the best first lines in hockey, but Buffalo also struggles with a lack of scoring in the lineup. The Sabres’ poor offseason scoring expenditures are evident in their top six. The Sabres have $6 million to spend, so perhaps their summer dream of acquiring Nikolaj Ehlers will come true as general manager Kevyn Adams wants to be bold.