COLUMBUS – With each passing win on their 10-game streak, members of the Buffalo Sabres spoke about keeping a measured, even-keel mindset.
The streak is over following a 5-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena Saturday – but the approach is not.
“I think that’s what contributed to a lot of our success,” forward Josh Norris said. “I don’t think we got too high and didn’t get too low.”
“This is our test,” captain Rasmus Dahlin added. “We need to bounce back here.”
The Sabres’ winning streak matched a franchise record and catapulted them up the Eastern Conference standings Their focus now is on maintaining the identity they developed in those 10 games, beginning at home against Vancouver on Tuesday.
Dahlin admitted the Sabres did not look like themselves against the Blue Jackets. Early turnovers led to three first-period goals against – matching the highest full-game total they’d allowed at any point during the streak.
Norris set up a goal for Josh Doan to erase an early 1-0 deficit, but the Blue Jackets responded with four unanswered goals beginning when Brendan Gaunce buried his wrist shot on a shorthanded breakaway.
Dmitri Voronkov scored next, deflecting a shot from the point through Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s pads to send the Blue Jackets into the first intermission up 3-1.
“We kind of let the first period go,” Luukkonen said. “As a team and as myself, I have to be better at the start. Going down 3-1 in the first period just kind of kills the momentum for us.”
Mathieu Olivier cut behind the Buffalo defense to tack on a fourth goal in the second period. Lindy Ruff pulled Luukkonen for an extra attacker with 9:24 remaining, but Cole Sillinger scored into the empty net.
Columbus goaltender Jet Greaves did his part to prevent a comeback, particularly at the end of the second period. In a span of seven minutes, he flashed a quick glove to stop a Thompson shot from in close, used his shoulder to direct a Jack Quinn shot on the rush out of play, and turned away a Ryan McLeod chance from the slot.
Greaves finished the night with 32 saves, including 10 high-danger stops (according to Natural Stat Trick).
The Sabres finished with an 80-66 lead in shot attempts, but 33 missed the net.
“Our hands weren’t connected to our brain,” Ruff said. “There was plays there to made, and we had some good looks, but we just didn’t make the next play offensively. I thought we stayed on the outside a little bit too much on the offensive zone. We had plenty of zone time but didn’t generate enough. But when you’re not hitting holes quick enough or not getting people [to the net] quick enough, there’s nights you don’t get much done.”
It all amounted to an uncharacteristic performance when stacked against the Sabres’ previous 10 games, which were defined by stringent defense, timely goals and timelier goaltending. But in an 82-game season – of which more than half still remain – those types of performances are expected.
The response to such games is what matters.
“That’s the most important part,” Ruff said. “It has nothing to do with winning 10 anymore. Now it’s about not losing two in a row, about responding to the game we just played, going back in our building and playing a good hockey game.”
