NHL: Preseason-Pittsburgh Penguins at Buffalo Sabres - Source: Imagn — Lindy Ruff blames poor puck management, positioning, and weak net defense for Sabres' loss to Avalanche (Source: Imagn)

Buffalo Sabres HC Lindy Ruff makes his feelings known after team blows 4-0 lead in loss to Avalanche

Modified Dec 04, 2024 05:35 GMT

The Colorado Avalanche came back from a 4-0 deficit to beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-4 on Tuesday. Nathan MacKinnon led the charge with two goals and one assist. His performance helped the Avalanche win their 14th game of the season.

MacKinnon ended a 10-game goal drought with his first goal early in the second period. Artturi Lehkonen sealed the comeback with a rebound goal late in the third period.

Scott Wedgewood stepped in for Alexandar Georgiev, who allowed four goals on eight shots. Wedgewood stopped all 22 shots he faced, helping the Avalanche complete their comeback. The Sabres have now lost four straight games, falling to 11-12-2. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 38 saves, but it wasn’t enough.

Tage Thompson scored two goals for Buffalo. He opened the scoring with a rebound goal early in the first period and added another midway through. JJ Peterka and Beck Malenstyn also scored for the Sabres to make it 4-0. But the Avalanche quickly responded. Joel Kiviranta and Logan O'Connor scored to make it 4-2 and 4-3. MacKinnon’s second goal tied the game.

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff was unhappy after the loss. He said his team’s puck management was a problem.

(0:01) "I thought we got in trouble with puck management. I think that has hurt us previously. I think it has hurt this team in the past," Ruff said.

He also mentioned his team’s poor positioning and weak defense near the net.

(0:30 )"I don't know if it's over confidence. I called the timeout (because) I sensed panic. We were running around in our end. For the two two goals, (we were) just flat out of position. And for the last couple, (we were) just not strong enough in front of the the net front," he added.

The Buffalo Sabres need to improve their defense to avoid more losses like this one.

Coach Lindy Ruff critiqued Buffalo Sabres' missed chances in 3-0 loss to Islanders

In their previous game on Saturday, the New York Islanders ended a three-game losing streak with a 3-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres at UBS Arena. Ilya Sorokin earned his first shutout of the season, making 29 saves. This was his first shutout since November 2023.

The Sabres were shut out for the second time in three games and lost their third straight. Coach Lindy Ruff pointed out missed chances, including a bad shot and a failed 2-on-1 in the third period.

“We couldn’t just quite corral the puck around the net,” Ruff said (via NHL.com). “I thought, again, we missed the net quite often. That didn’t allow a second opportunity. I think the one that probably hurt us the most was the late 2-on-1.”

The Buffalo Sabres, with a record of 11-12-2 and a 6-7-1 record at home, will next play against the Winnipeg Jets on December 5th at 7:00 PM EST. The Jets have a record of 18-8-0, with a 9-6-0 record on the road.