Why the Sabres are such a problem for the Penguins
Perhaps the most glaring issue during the recently snapped six-game losing streak for the Pittsburgh Penguins was their failure to beat inferior competition.
When they went out west to face the Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks, the Pens lost all three games to those clubs. They had the three worst records in the Western Conference.
Another defeat during that six-game slide came against the Buffalo Sabres, 5-2, on Feb. 22. That’s a team with just 66 points, good for only sixth in an Atlantic Division that gets pretty soft after you look at the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning.
It was the second time this year Buffalo won in Pittsburgh. The Sabres were also victorious (3-1) at PPG Paints Arena on the opening night of the season.
Overall, Buffalo has won four times in its last five matchups against the Penguins. Keep in mind they had just 76 points a season ago. The Pens wound up with 100.
This year, head coach Mike Sullivan and his players are sitting on 82 points. That’s good for third place in the Metropolitan Division, three points back of second place Philadelphia (who won against the Washington Capitals 5-2 Wednesday), and three points in front of the Columbus Blue Jackets (who lost 3-2 in overtime to the Calgary Flames).
The Pens get another crack at the Sabres in Buffalo Thursday night. Face off at KeyBank Center is at 7 p.m.
Sal Capaccio of WGR Radio in Buffalo joins me for Thursday’s “Breakfast With Benz” podcast to discuss why the Sabres have been such a pest against the Penguins in recent contests.
A few Sabres, in particular, seem to have consistent individual success whenever they see black and gold.
Since the start of the 2016-17 season, Buffalo star Jack Eichel has nine points in nine games against the Penguins. Sam Reinhart has 10 points in his last 10 games against Pittsburgh. And goaltender Carter Hutton is 5-1-0 with two shutouts against Sidney Crosby and company. His save percentage is .940 in those games.
Capaccio talks about their success versus the Pens, as well as how Dominik Kahun has looked since joining Buffalo. The Penguins traded him there in exchange for Conor Sheary and Evan Rodrigues last week at the deadline. Kahun scored on his first shot with the Sabres. But how has it gone since then, and is he part of Jason Botterill’s long-term plan?
Speaking of Botterill, the former Penguins assistant general manager is feeling some heat these days. Capaccio tells us if his job is in jeopardy.
Capaccio and I also dive into how Sheary and Rodrigues will (or won’t) be missed, the perception of Eichel five years into his Buffalo tenure, and we even mix in some Bills football talk, too.
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via X. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.
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