{"id":9344,"date":"2025-11-15T02:33:19","date_gmt":"2025-11-15T02:33:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/nathan-mackinnon-led-avalanche-pursue-another-win-in-clash-vs-sabres-2\/"},"modified":"2025-11-15T02:33:19","modified_gmt":"2025-11-15T02:33:19","slug":"nathan-mackinnon-led-avalanche-pursue-another-win-in-clash-vs-sabres-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/?p=9344","title":{"rendered":"Nathan MacKinnon-led Avalanche pursue another win in clash vs. Sabres"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Nathan<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

The Avalanche have won four games in a row and six of their last seven to move atop the NHL with 27 points.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

Thursday is setting up to be a potential trap game for Colorado, which has just one regulation loss, fewest in the league.<\/p>\n

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).<\/p>\n

The Avalanche won the first meeting of the season, 3-1 in Buffalo, on Oct. 13.<\/p>\n

The Sabres are without top-line center Jiri Kulich, who has not played since Nov. 1 due to blood clots.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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).<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got to be better, plain and simple. There\u2019s no excuse for where we are right now. We need to hold ourselves accountable and make the necessary changes, because this isn\u2019t acceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
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<\/em> \u2014 Alex Tuch<\/strong>, Buffalo Sabres Forward<\/p>\n

Buffalo Sabres fans, brace yourselves: change is coming<\/strong>. After yet another brutal defeat \u2014 a 5-2 loss to Utah followed by a 6-2 drubbing by the Colorado Avalanche \u2014 it’s clear that this team is nowhere near the contender they were supposed to be this season. And for fans who\u2019ve waited 14 years for a playoff spot, the latest string of losses is a hard pill to swallow. With Buffalo\u2019s record now at a dismal <\/p>\n

Sabres in Crisis Mode: A Season on the Brink<\/strong><\/p>\n

The loss to the Avalanche capped off a disastrous five-game losing streak, with <\/p>\n

The truth is, the Sabres have been in this situation for far too long<\/strong>. The fans are fed up, and even the players are starting to admit what\u2019s been painfully obvious: <\/p>\n

The End of the Line for Adams and Ruff?<\/strong><\/p>\n

At this point, there is no denying that accountability must fall on both <\/p>\n

As Tuch<\/strong> stated, “There\u2019s no excuse for where we are right now.”<\/em> The Sabres have been left behind in a rapidly advancing NHL, and with another playoff-less season on the horizon, it\u2019s time for ownership to act.<\/p>\n

The Roster Shake-Up: Who\u2019s Safe and Who\u2019s Not?<\/strong><\/p>\n

But it\u2019s 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 <\/p>\n

The Sabres need to shed their past<\/strong> \u2014 and that means moving out players who aren’t contributing to the rebuild. It\u2019s a painful reality, but every player needs to be held accountable<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/strong> for this team’s continued failure. It\u2019s no longer about potential or promises \u2014 it\u2019s about delivering results<\/strong>, and if you\u2019re not part of the solution, you\u2019ll be part of the problem.<\/p>\n

Buffalo\u2019s Road to Redemption: How to Fix the Sabres?<\/strong><\/p>\n

So, what now for Buffalo? The road to redemption starts with tough decisions. Kevyn Adams<\/strong> will need to make bold moves to reshape the roster, bringing in fresh talent to bolster the lineup. The Sabres\u2019 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 \u2014 it\u2019s time to build a <\/p>\n

This won\u2019t be an easy fix, but with the right moves, Buffalo could finally<\/em> start to dig itself out of this hole. The fans deserve a competitive team, and the Sabres owe it to themselves to deliver.<\/p>\n

Can the Sabres Turn It Around?<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s no sugar-coating it \u2014 the Sabres\u2019 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: <\/p>\n

The time for change is now \u2014 and for the first time in years, it feels like the Sabres have no choice but to start fresh.<\/p>\n

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<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9343,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9344","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hot-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t