No Show (sabres)

Sidney. Crosby. Five assists. Thanks for coming. Drive safely.

Kris Letang had 2 goals and 2 assists.

On Saturday night, you knew the wheels had flown off the Buffalo bus when in the first fifteen minutes of the game Crosby and Letang each had three points. The Sabres could not defend the Penguins in the past two meetings.

In the past week, the Pens have outscored Buffalo 11-1.

After last Saturday night's skunk job in Da Burgh, the Sabres bounced right back the next day and showed heart in beating the Detroit Red Wings in the shootout. They played very well in their shootout loss to Montreal on Wednesday night. They blew a third period lead and gave up 52 shots lost to Edmonton.

Things won't get any easier for the struggling Sabres as they now head out to play in their former captain Steve Ott St. Louis and to Minnesota where they will face Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville. Do you want to know why the Sabres are losing shifts, periods and the majority of their games this season? They don't work harder than the opponent. To a man, the Sabres players have to compete relentlessly as a unit of five at all times. Ted Nolan cannot get his message through the clutter in between the ears of his players. Nolan can't skate for his players. He can't hit for them. He can pass for them. He can't shoot for them. He can't defend and compete for them. He can't score for them. They have to do their jobs and not point the finger of blame at a teammate when he makes a mistake during the game. Nolan is trying to drill into the skulls of his Sabre players that when they point the finger of blame at a teammate, three will be pointed back at the pointer.

The players have to do the work. When they don't work, they get blown out.

The difference between Pittsburgh and Buffalo is that the Penguins have world class players and working stiffs who always answer the bell and work their tails off. Their best players are their best players.

The Sabres don't work hard every shift. Their best players don't play like they are the best players. If only every Sabre player could play with the oomph and passion of 20 year olds Zemgus Girgensons, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Nikita Zadorov.

***

While the Penguins were curb stomping the Sabres in their own barn, Buffalo fans had their minds on Connor McDavid. The junior hockey phenom and his Erie Otters pumped the Saginaw Spirit 8-1 on Saturday night.

Sabres fans keep telling me to stop caring so much about wins and to embrace the tank.

On a night like Saturday, its not difficult to think about the next generational player. Crosby put on a 200 foot hockey show in Buffalo. If McDavid is the same type of player and can make the same type of dramatic impact on his NHL team, then sign me up right now.

Poor Josh Gorges. He was on the ice for all six Pittsburgh goals. The saving grace is that it was his point shot that Zemgus Girgensons deflected past Marc Andre Fleury in the third period.

Gorges didn't hide from his poor performance. He stood tall and owned it.

"To be scored on that many times is embarrassing."

**

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