With 14 minutes left in the third period, a half-empty KeyBank Center busted out into a "Let's Go Flyers!" chant. As Flyers fans cheered, Sabres fans sat quietly as they watched their team lose its third straight game, falling 6-3.
Five observations from Tuesday's loss:
Stick a fork in 'em
It's amazing how quick things can change. Less than two weeks ago the thought of a playoff push was a long shot, but not impossible. Since returning from the bye week the Sabres have lost six of seven games [1-4-2], including three games where they had the lead entering the third period.
So what went wrong? In the Sabres last eight games, the team has allowed 33 goals [4.125 goals per game]. During that same span, the Sabres have scored only 21 goals. Needless to say, that's not a winning recipe.
At this point, the playoffs aren't impossible, but either is the winning the lottery.
Unusually brutal night
Rasmus Ristolainen and Robin Lehner really struggled against the Flyers on Tuesday night, and that may be putting it lightly. To be fair, a lot of players had rough nights, but these guys usually aren't the ones who stick out for the wrong reasons.
Ristolainen was on the ice for five of Philadelphia's six goals and while plus/minus is by no means a perfect stat, minus-five in one night is pretty catastrophic.
Lehner faced 30 shots, allowing six goals. A few of the goals he couldn't do anything about, but he'd surely like two or three of them back. The Sabres netminder has had a solid season [sorry Twitter], but Tuesday may have been one of his worst games of the season.
Turnovers, anyone?
Y'all going to be mad because of the Eichel turnover, but that happens when your team can't pass the puck out of the zone #Sabres
— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) March 8, 2017
The Sabres basically gift-wrapped Philadelphia their first three goals on turnovers from Jack Eichel, Marcus Foligno, and Zemgus Girgensons.
Philadelphia got on the board with a deflection from Flyers forward Matt Read in front of the net, but Eichel turned the puck over in the neutral zone and the play went in the opposite direction. Of the three turnovers mentioned, this one bothers me the least because the Sabres were having a hard time getting the puck out of the zone and Eichel usually can start a rush himself. Every once in a while these things happen.
On Philadelphia's second goal, a failed clear attempt wound up in the back of the Sabres net courtesy defenseman Radko Gudas. If the puck leaves the zone Gudas isn't able to streak down the wall and get a shot off.
The Flyers third goal came on a redirection from Jordan Weal, but once again, a failed breakout cost the Sabres. Sure, Lehner probably could've bailed the Sabres out, but they need to be better moving the puck up the ice.
'Runnin through the second with my woes
Ahh, the 'ole second-period struggles. What else is new? On Tuesday night the Sabres were outscored 3-1 in the middle frame and saw a 1-1 tie turn into a 4-2 deficit. Philadelphia actually only had one more shot than Buffalo [9-8], but controlled play for the majority of the period.
Eichel keeps it 100.......or 101
It only took Jack Eichel 127 games to score 100 points. That's absurd.
— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) March 8, 2017
With two goals and an assist on Tuesday night, Eichel has now scored 101 points, surpassing the 100 point mark in 127 games played [42G, 59A]. The three points also extend Eichel's league best 11-game point streak.
Eichel is having an incredible season and now has 45 points in 46 games played. His game isn't perfect, but every game he shows just how special he is.
