Your Sabres were flat last night, and it wasn't pretty.
Last night was one of those nights where you just shake your head, folks. The Buffalo Sabres looked tired, plain and simple, and the Montreal Canadiens took full advantage, beating us 5-1 right here in our own barn. It started rough with Alex Newhook putting one past our guy barely a minute and a half in, and then Mike Matheson piled on a few minutes later. We just couldn't seem to get our feet under us, and even though Zach Benson popped one in late in the second period from Casey Timmins and J.D. Doan to give us a little hope, it was too little, too late. Newhook got another, then Alex Carrier, and Nick Suzuki sealed it up. Twenty-eight shots to their twenty-nine, but they made theirs count. It was a tough one to watch, especially after that overtime loss we had been riding.
Now, what does this mean? We’re still sitting pretty, top of the Atlantic, 50-23-9, 109 points. That’s good, really good. Six wins in our last ten, so this isn't a spiral, it’s just a clunker. But losing to Montreal, at home, like that? It stings a little extra, you know? You want to send those Canadiens fans back across the border with their tails between their legs, not cheering like they just won the Stanley Cup. We got to tighten things up, especially on defense, and get our focus back for the next one. The season's long, and we've proven we can hang with anyone. Just gotta remember that feeling.
This morning, the mood around Larkinville and down by the waterfront feels a little muted, like when you order wings and they bring you the wrong sauce. We know this team is good, we know what they can do. This isn't the end of the world, not by a long shot. But it’s a wake-up call. Let's Go Buff-a-lo — from the City of Good Neighbors, this is Peg.
The guys on the morning show are probably going to have an earful about this one – check ‘em out at mornings.live.