The Buffalo Sabres‘ season has taken a nosedive and they continue to drop further down in the standings. It seems there is no rock bottom for the Sabres as they reach new lows with every loss. After a 5-3 defeat to the Toronto Maple Leafs, coach Lindy Ruff issued a very strong admission on the team’s shortcomings.
The Buffalo Sabres currently hold the longest active NHL Playoffs drought and as the season nears its halfway mark, it looks like Buffalo will extend its hex to fourteen years without playoff hockey.
The Sabres came into the season with revamped expectations, hoping their young core could put together an over-achieving campaign and make the postseason in a jam-packed Atlantic Division. However, it’s been an absolute nightmare of a season.
After falling to the Maple Leafs, Lindy Ruff sent a very concerning message to the team. Over their last ten games, Buffalo has posted an 0-7-3 record—needless to say, no other team has fared worse during this span. The team’s last win was on Nov. 23, but since Ruff has been unable to solve the many issues during the team’s outings.
“I’m almost lost for words, obviously,” Ruff said, via NHL.com. “It’s on me to solve this. This is the toughest solve I’ve been around, but it’s on me to get these guys in the right place to win a hockey game. And nobody else, just me.”
Drama heightens
Lindy Ruff is coaching through his 16th season with the Sabres, though this is his first year back in New York since leaving in 2013 for stints with the Dallas Stars and New Jesey Devils. Ruff knows the Sabres organization like the back of his hand, yet even he seems bewildered by the ongoing drama.
To make matters worse, Buffalo’s Monday morning practice was called off due to a last-second notice team meeting. The Sabres are gearing up to take on the Montreal Canadiens, the only team that’s still beneath them in the Eastern Conference.
There’s too much going on inside the team at the moment. The practice was cancelled as owner Terry Pegula traveled to let the roster know they won’t be making any trades in the foreseeable future and this is the lineup they’ll be riding with, according to insider David Pagnotta.
For Buffalo, there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. With over 50 games left in the season, the team already appears defeated and out of contention. It’s now up to the winningest coach in franchise history to steer what many believe is a sinking ship—but only Ruff knows this ship’s controls as thoroughly as he does.