Sabres eager to get back to work following shutout loss to Bruins

With no goals to show for their regular-season opener, the leadership group of the Buffalo Sabres had one thing on their minds when they got back to the dressing room on Thursday night: It's time to go back to work.
The Sabres lost 4-0 to the Boston Bruins, the product of a lack of consistency in execution on both ends of the ice. Phil Housley spoke passionately to the media afterward, balancing the disappointment of the loss with the task ahead.
"Was it disappointing in front of a good crowd that was here to support us? You're dang right," Housley said. "It's disappointing. So what can we control? We can control how we come to the rink tomorrow and work, because we are not going through this again."

The Bruins entered the game coming off a 7-0 loss of their own in Washington on Wednesday. The Sabres expected them to respond, and they did - the Bruins played stingily, limiting the Sabres' quality chances despite being outshot 32-26.
Where the Sabres faltered, Housley said, was in their attention to detail. Boston's first three goals were all scored by an unchecked man - Zdeno Chara shot alone on the rush, Ryan Donato buried a 2-on-1 feed on the power play and David Pastrnak scored alone at the back door in the second period.
"These are things just about our checking detail of our game," Housley said. "It needs to get better, or we're going to have results like that."

The problems with decision-making began in the offensive zone, where Housley felt his players too often made passes in even-man situations on the rush.
"We have opportunities as our skilled forwards to attack … and yet we turn the puck over and then it comes back at us," Housley said. "It changes the momentum, because part of the game we're OK. In the position we're in, we can't afford to that. We can't afford to do that. That's the bottom line.
"We've got to take what's given and chip and chase at times. We're going to have to make plays, but we've got to make the right choices."
Jack Eichel, who dressed for the first time as the youngest captain in franchise history, pointed to one early play in particular where he chose to make a pass to linemate Jeff Skinner rather than take a shot on the rush. The play was broken up and resulted in Chara's goal going the other way.
"I think we all have to realize that in this group and what it takes not only to score goals but win games," Eichel said. "At times I think it could be crisper. I think we gave the puck away a little bit too much and we've got to value that possession.
"I was guilty of it tonight at times, maybe trying to force plays instead of holding onto pucks. It will get better. We'll have a good day at practice tomorrow and get ready for the Rangers."

The Sabres heard boos from the crowd as they left the ice, and they understood why - it's fair to expect a shutout loss to conjure memories of disappointing seasons past.
But they also knew they would be met with adversity at times this season, and spent the summer preparing to face it. This was the first test.
"It's going to be hard," Housley said. "It is going to be very hard. We're going to have to go to work, work on the areas of improvement and it's going to be hard to get out of this. I know it's early, we lost a game, the fans boo - Well, that's going to happen.
"What can we control? We've got to come to work and we've got to get ready for that game on Saturday."

Dahlin's debut

Rasmus Dahlin became the second-youngest Sabre to make his NHL debut at 18 years, 175 days old, behind fellow No. 1 pick Pierre Turgeon. He skated 22:37, tallied two shot attempts and delivered two loud hits.

"I thought he got good as the game went along," Housley said. "Being on that stage, just trying to get accustomed to the North American game and a sold-out crowd, but I thought his game got better as the game went on. He got more comfortable."

Hutton's night in net

Including Dahlin, the Sabres had seven players making their team debuts. That group included goaltender Carter Hutton, who allowed three goals on 25 shots. (Boston's fourth goal was scored by Patrice Bergeron into an empty net.)
Hutton came up big at times for the Sabres, including this breakaway save on Sean Kuraly in the second period:

"I thought I was able to make a couple key saves at times, I stopped a breakaway and some good ones," Hutton said. "There was some good and bad to take from it."

Up next

The Sabres continue their homestand against the New York Rangers on Saturday night. Coverage on MSG-B begins at 6:30 p.m. with the GMC Game Night Pregame Show, or you can listen live on WGR 550. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.