Half-Hearted Effort Nets Sabres Loss

Further evidence the Sabres will come up short of a playoff spot this season was there for all to see Saturday night at First Niagara Center.  The Sabres floated thru two periods, put pressure on in the third, but came up short in a 2 to 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

It looked a lot like the game the night before against the Dallas Stars.  The Sabres played poorly thru two periods and were trailing 2-0 against the Stars in the third, but scored twice to tie the game and then won it in a shootout.  Against the Lightning the Sabres were down 2-nothing in the third, Jason Pominville scored to cut the lead in half, but this time they didn't get the tying goal.

It was a waste of a golden opportunity to continue moving up the standings in the Eastern Conference.  A win would have put them in 11th place, just two points back of 10th place Winnipeg.  Instead the Sabres drop to 14th place, 8 points out of a playoff spot.

The Sabres host New Jersey on Tuesday.