There is no such thing as a “must-win… game in the month of December in the NHL.
However, there are “must-not-lose… games in the month of December in the NHL.
On Tuesday night in Detroit, the Buffalo Sabres won a “must-not-lose… against the Red Wings. The win came in regulation and it set up the Sabres perfectly for their home-and-home series against the hated Boston Bruins. The win in Detroit move the Sabres to within six points of the Bruins for third place in the Atlantic Division standings.
The narrative quickly shifted:
“Two Buffalo regulation wins over Boston would leave the Sabres just two points behind the Bruins for third place…, with three games in hand.….
Talk about an opportunity to catch a team that you are competing with in the Atlantic standings.
On Thursday night in Buffalo, the Sabres stalked the bear and got out to a 2-0 first period lead.
They owned the Bruins for the first thirty minutes of the must-not-lose game. Then, they collapsed and allowed the Bruins to fight off the chain link fence and win the game skating away.
Saturday afternoon in Beantown, the Sabres started slowly, were slapped in the mouth and before you knew it, the score was 3-0 Bruins.
At least they showed up to work on time on Thursday night. They stunk for the final 30 minutes and lost. What was the excuse for sleep walking in the first period in Boston on Saturday?
Totally. Unacceptable.
No such thing as “must-win… games in December, right?
The Sabres blew two glorious opportunities to win two “must-not-lose… games against a division foe.
Hello, 10-point deficit to the Bruins.
In so doing, the Sabres lose the season series to Tuukka Rask and the Bruins for the first time in franchise history. The Sabres had never been skunked by the Bruins in a season series in the 46 year history of the team.
To add insult to injury, the Sabres have now lost seven straight games to the Bruins. Buffalo's walk of shame against the Bruins dates back to December 27, 2015 when Buffalo won at Boston and Jack Eichel scored 4 points in his first ever NHL game against the Bruins.
Buffalo are losers of 6 of their last 7 “must-not-lose… games in December 2016.
After 36 games, the Sabres have just 13 wins. They are the owners of the basement apartment of the Eastern Conference. They are two stone throws away from the NHL cellar.
Fans are confused. Are the Sabres looking to take a run at first overall draft pick Nolan Patrick? Or, are they all-in on earning a wild card berth?
2017 can't get here quickly enough for Dan Bylsma and the Buffalo Sabres.
On Saturday, Jack Eichel scored his seventh goal of the season late in the second period. His teammates could not find the inspiration to tie the game as the period dragged along. Eichel's frustration with losing has been percolating for the past two weeks. After the matinee loss in Boston, Eichel dumped his gear and likely a few F-bombs, and left the room without speaking with media. If only some of the twenty-somethings and grey beards in the Buffalo room had the same disdain for losing as Eichel does.
Eichel exploded in room, pounding equipment, screaming, storming out without speaking. Good to see. Said more than any quote could. #Sabres
— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) December 31, 2016
I love Eichel's passion. I love his swagger. He has the heart of a champion. The guy is a winner. He is not content to watch games fritter away due to poor starts or sloppy late game mistakes. Eichel is telling his teammates: "Enough is Enough".
The Sabres tanked to get Eichel and Samson Reinhart in the NHL Draft Lottery. Eichel will not tolerate his teammates accepting the taste of losing games in crunch time while they still have a chance to grab a wild card berth.
Eichel is 20 years old. He is his team's best player.
Eichel was sour after Thursday's loss. He was also salty after being benched from the first power play unit in a recent loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Matt Moulson took Eichel's place on the first PP unit.
An agitated Eichel refused to speak with reporters when asked about the brief benching.
"It's not my decision, it's the coach's".
"Obviously, Moulson has a lot of power play goals this year and he's helped our team. Just switching up looks".
I predict that Eichel will continue slamming gear and mean mugging until his GM Tim Murray makes a move to add a top four defenseman and to subtract some of the veteran spectators.
Murray may well end up trading away Evander Kane and Zemgus Girgensons in exchange for a left shot D who will easily eat 22 minutes a night while next to Rasmus Ristolainen.
Tim Murray had better do something to stop the hemorrhaging of valuable points.
The Sabres now play the NY Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks. Both games will be aired on national TV in the U.S. Bylsma and Murray better do something now to spark their team. The NHL trade deadline is not until March 1.
Waiting sixty days and doing the same thing and expecting a different result will be ludicrous.
If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got.
That is the definition of insanity.
You show me someone who accepts the taste of losing and I will show you a loser.
It's high time that Murray and Bylsma assess their roster, and subtract those players who are content to lose "must-not-lose" games in December.
Rochester Amerks leading scorer Nick Baptiste may be the next man up.
Were I Murray, I'd give Eichel a legit play making winger in Alex Nylander once the World Junior Championships tournament ends. Nylander plays with pace, creativity and desire. He is the antithesis of Matt Moulson, Eichel's current set up man.
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With his assist on Eichel goal, Ristolainen is now 4th ranked scoring D in NHL with 25 points in 36 games #AllStar #Norristolainen
— SabresBuzz (@SabresBuzz) December 31, 2016
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The Sabres will add forward Johan Larsson to their injured list. Larsson dislocated his wrist in the first period of Saturday's loss in Boston.
Nick Baptiste has himself another goal today. Will be a suitable replacement for Larsson
— SabresBuzz (@SabresBuzz) December 31, 2016
Larsson was on pace to surpass his career highs in goals and assists. The agitating Swede forward has six goals and five assists for 11 points in 36 games this season. In his first full NHL season in 2015-16, Larsson had just 17 points in 74 games.
Also, Josh Gorges didn't finish the game with a hip injury to go along with the broken bone in his foot.
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Samson Reinhart has two goals and five assists in his past six games.
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Meanwhile in Montreal, Team Sweden pumped Team Czech at the World Junior Hockey Championships.
Jonathan Dahlen scored a hat trick for Sweden to complete a perfect round-robin round.
Sweden are a perfect 4-0 (12 points) in Group and will face the loser of Monday's Russia-Slovakia quarter-finals game
The Swedes are looking for their first WJC gold medal since 2012 and first medal of any shade since 2014's silver medallion.
Buffalo Sabres prospect Rasmus Asplund scored a goal and an assist, and Jens Looke had a single.
Buffalo Sabres 2016 first rounder Alexander Nylander assisted on two of Dahlen's goals and now has nine points in four games at the 2017 WJCs. Nylander led Sweden by scoring nine points in seven games at the 2016 WJC tourney.
David Kase replied with a goal and an assist for the Czech Republic, and captain Filip Hronek also scored.