BUFFALO – The Sabres’ recent run – after Tuesday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, they’ve earned points in six of their last seven games – illustrates the significant improvements they’ve made in the last two weeks.
Following their wretched 0-3-0 start, they’ve recovered and positioned themselves in the thick of things at 4-4-2.
Still, if they hope to surge up the standings, they must start closing out games and burying their scoring chances in overtime.
Some stronger starts would also help. The Blue Jackets held a 1-0 lead and 14-1 shot advantage in the early going. The Sabres did not pump a shot on goalie Jet Greaves until captain Rasmus Dahlin’s 48-foot slapper 12:46 into the game.
Tuesday’s setback mirrored Saturday afternoon’s 4-3 overtime road loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In each of the contests, the Sabres grabbed a 3-2 lead in the third period before allowing the tying goal. In each of the three-on-three overtimes, they lost after failing to convert glorious opportunities.
“We’re starting to trend in that right direction,” said winger Josh Doan, who scored the Sabres’ first goal. “I think we got to learn how to defend leads at the end of games because that’s a position that we as a group expect to be in late throughout the year.”
Against Columbus, fourth-line winger Josh Dunne’s first NHL goal and point put the Sabres up 2:40 into the third period.
Blue Jackets winger Miles Wood, who played his first game since getting high-sticked in the eye, tied the game at 13:55 by deflecting the puck in front past goalie Alex Lyon before winning it 2:53 into overtime.
Forty seconds into overtime, Greaves stymied Sabres center Jiri Kulich’s long breakaway attempt.
Seconds before the winner, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said Kulich vacated the middle of the ice, allowing Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski to feed Wood at the net.
“Failed on the three-on-three coverage,” Ruff said. “For me, we’ve got to be better at that. We know it. Every team in the league plays man-on-man.”
But a year ago, Ruff believes the Sabres would’ve let a point slip away in a game like Tuesday’s.
“I liked how we were playing in that third period,” he said. “I mean, probably the goal we would’ve gave up last year would’ve been an odd-numbered rush, a two-on-one or something like that. This year, it’s a little bit lack of coverage where we didn’t quite get to our guys quick enough to box them out and we didn’t get enough pressure up top.
“I think that part of the game has really changed, the high odd-man percentage rushes are missing and we’re becoming a team that knows how to still try to win but don’t make the egregious mistakes to lose.”
As the Sabres stumbled out of the gate early – at one point, the Blue Jackets had 17-1 advantage in shot attempts – their fourth line fourth line ignited them as many fans in the crowd of 15,059 grew restless.
The Sabres want to play a heavy game and wear down opponents, and Dunne, center Peyton Krebs and Beck Malenstyn embrace that gritty style.
They found themselves in the middle of a few scrums that erupted throughout the night.
“We’re harder to play against,” Dunne said. “We’re with each other throughout. It’s one of those things that’s awesome to see us coming together as a team in those moments.”
Ruff felt so comfortable he utilized the aggressive trio against Columbus’ top line.
“That line had a real good night for us,” Ruff said of the fourth line. “Almost every shift was a positive shift, and if you look at the goal they scored, got around the net.”
The 6-foot-4, 208-pound Dunne beat Greaves, his former teammate, by backhanding the puck in at the crease.
“Honestly, it was great work by my linemates,” said Dunne, who began his career in the Columbus organization and played his first 16 games for the Blue Jackets. “… I got to the net and the puck was just laying there. Right place, right time.”
The Sabres ended up outshooting the Blue Jackets 39-35. Center Ryan McLeod scored the Sabres’ other goal, briefly putting them up in the second period.
Werenski and winger Yegor Chinakhov scored Columbus’ other goals.
