The Sabres are in the midst of a 15-game stretch that sees them play 11 contests at First Niagara Center. It is a stretch of games that some may say could define the season, whether that is true or not remains to be seen.

The run began with a letdown against New Jersey on November 16. There are six games left in the “homestand” – so far the Sabres have only won one home contest. They won’t start winning if they don’t start scoring. Or defending, for that matter.

The Sabres offensive woes have been far more pronounced that the struggles they have had defensively this season. There have certainly been patches in which Buffalo has managed to look like mites in their own zone, but it has been on offense where many issues remain.

Lindy Ruff has shuffled his lines more than a blackjack deck this season and it seems to be catching up to him. Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville have each slowed the torrid pace with which they began the season. Luke Adam has managed to find the net again after a dry spell, but there is little support beyond those three players. Adam, Pominville and Vanek have accounted for 29 of the 66 (43%) of the Sabres’ goals this season. The other 37 have been scored by 17 other players.

Lindy Ruff is wasting Vanek and Pominville with Jochen Hecht. Hecht is a quality center/wing who can contribute offensively while providing the most return in a defensive role. However, Ruff’s apparent love affair with the German has placed Hecht on a scoring line year after year. It is a tired game that jumped the shark along with “putting on a show for the home fans” and expecting Ryan Miller to be Dominik Hasek. Continue reading →