Buffalo Sabres seeking solutions while knowing it’s solely on them to put a stop to 0-8-3 skid
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) – Coach Lindy Ruff and the Buffalo Sabres have tried everything from benching players to providing extra days off, shuffling lines to even a pep talk from owner Terry Pegula, and nothing has worked to lift the team from its latest double-digit skid.
The one solution forward Dylan Cozens knows won´t work is the Sabres talking their way out of it.
“Looking at every guy in here, we have the team to win and the players to do it,” Cozens said following practice Thursday.
But we´ve been saying that for awhile now,” he added before punctuating his final comment with a profanity. “It´s about time we go … do it.”
Frustration is growing as the Sabres continue spiraling. They’re in the midst of an 0-8-3 slump, the NHL´s longest of the season, and fifth-worst for a franchise accustomed to losing over a league-record 13-season playoff drought.
“There´s not much really to say. It sucks,” Cozens said. “Just got to try and put it behind you as much as you can and go out and win the next game.”
The Sabres, who host Toronto on Friday, have gone nearly a month since their last victory – a 4-2 win at San Jose on Nov. 23, which capped three-game west coast sweep. The win pushed Buffalo into third place in the Atlantic Division standings and seventh in the Eastern Conference.
What´s followed is an ugly string of losses that’s dropped Buffalo (11-17-4) to last in the East, with the Sabres having as many wins as the Pegula-owned and playoff-bound Buffalo Bills (11-3).
It’s a skid in which the Sabres have lost six one-goal games, been blown out and blown leads in being outscored 44-24. The low point was a 5-4 loss to Colorado on Dec. 3 in which Buffalo became the 90th team in NHL history to squander a four-or-more goal lead.
