Nathan MacKinnon has been on a two-week scoring binge, and the Colorado Avalanche would like him to keep it going when they meet the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night in Denver.
MacKinnon is riding a 10-game point streak and leads the NHL in scoring with 32 points (14 goals, 18 assists). His offense is even more important with the news that second-line winger Valeri Nichushkin will be out with a lower-body injury sustained in Tuesday night’s 4-1 win over Anaheim.
“It’s definitely a concern that he’s not here (Wednesday) and left the game early (Tuesday) night,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said of Nichushkin (five goals, seven assists). “He’s going to miss some time; I just don’t know how much.”
The Avalanche have won four games in a row and six of their last seven to move atop the NHL with 27 points.
Cale Makar has 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) to lead all NHL defensemen, Martin Necas has 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists), and Artturi Lehkonen has three goals over the last two games to push his season total to seven.
“I don’t think our game is perfect by any means, but at this point in the season, I think we’re doing a good job of making adjustments on the fly and trying to really hone in on the details of what makes us successful,” captain Gabriel Landeskog said.
Thursday is setting up to be a potential trap game for Colorado, which has just one regulation loss, fewest in the league.
Buffalo, meanwhile, lost its fourth game in a row with a 5-2 setback to the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday, The Sabres remain the lone NHL team without a road win (0-4-2).
The Avalanche won the first meeting of the season, 3-1 in Buffalo, on Oct. 13.
The Sabres are without top-line center Jiri Kulich, who has not played since Nov. 1 due to blood clots.
Buffalo also is without wingers Jason Zucker (viral infection) and Zach Benson (lower body), although Benson could be activated from injured reserve during this current four-game road trip.
The Sabres rely on leading scorer Alex Tuch with 14 points (six goals, eight assists), followed by Tage Thompson’s 12 points (six goals, six assists).
Defenseman Michael Kesselring is working his way back into rhythm after starting the season on IR with a lower-body injury. He has played seven games since returning and has yet to score.
“Scoring, I know it’s going to happen,” said Kesselring, who had 29 points (seven goals, 22 assists) with Utah last season. “It is a little frustrating. Especially (on a) new team, you want to get your first one out of the way.
“But that will come. There’s other parts of my game that I’m more focused on right now. … I’ve never, with the injury, been out that long. It’s kind of tough to get back in a rhythm here, but it’s been a few weeks now, so I expect myself to get going.”
“We’ve got to be better, plain and simple. There’s no excuse for where we are right now. We need to hold ourselves accountable and make the necessary changes, because this isn’t acceptable.”
— Alex Tuch, Buffalo Sabres Forward
Buffalo Sabres fans, brace yourselves: change is coming. After yet another brutal defeat — a 5-2 loss to Utah followed by a 6-2 drubbing by the Colorado Avalanche — it’s clear that this team is nowhere near the contender they were supposed to be this season. And for fans who’ve waited 14 years for a playoff spot, the latest string of losses is a hard pill to swallow. With Buffalo’s record now at a dismal
Sabres in Crisis Mode: A Season on the Brink
The loss to the Avalanche capped off a disastrous five-game losing streak, with
The truth is, the Sabres have been in this situation for far too long. The fans are fed up, and even the players are starting to admit what’s been painfully obvious:
The End of the Line for Adams and Ruff?
At this point, there is no denying that accountability must fall on both
As Tuch stated, “There’s no excuse for where we are right now.” The Sabres have been left behind in a rapidly advancing NHL, and with another playoff-less season on the horizon, it’s time for ownership to act.
The Roster Shake-Up: Who’s Safe and Who’s Not?
But it’s not just the front office and coaching staff that needs to change. With this current Sabres team showing no signs of getting it together, nearly
The Sabres need to shed their past — and that means moving out players who aren’t contributing to the rebuild. It’s a painful reality, but every player needs to be held accountable
for this team’s continued failure. It’s no longer about potential or promises — it’s about delivering results, and if you’re not part of the solution, you’ll be part of the problem.
Buffalo’s Road to Redemption: How to Fix the Sabres?
So, what now for Buffalo? The road to redemption starts with tough decisions. Kevyn Adams will need to make bold moves to reshape the roster, bringing in fresh talent to bolster the lineup. The Sabres’ defense needs a complete overhaul, and the goaltending situation is looking more desperate by the day. The team can no longer afford to let mediocrity slip by — it’s time to build a
This won’t be an easy fix, but with the right moves, Buffalo could finally start to dig itself out of this hole. The fans deserve a competitive team, and the Sabres owe it to themselves to deliver.
Can the Sabres Turn It Around?
There’s no sugar-coating it — the Sabres’ current path is not sustainable. Another year of misery for Buffalo fans will simply not do. As the Sabres face the harsh reality of their worst season in recent memory, one thing is clear:
The time for change is now — and for the first time in years, it feels like the Sabres have no choice but to start fresh.