Forget the Buffalo Sabres 10 winning streak.  That's way in the past now as the Sabres continue a downward spiral that has now reached five straight losses after the Philadelphia Flyers scored six unanswered goals in a 6-2 rout at KeyBank Center on Saturday.

So it begs the question, exactly what kind of team are the Buffalo Sabres?  Are they the flashy and slick team that made them the hottest team in the league during the month of November or are they the group that allows leads to slip away as they find ways to lose five in a row?

The answer is somewhere in between.  Are the Sabres a playoff team?  Maybe.  Are they a contender for the Stanley Cup?  Not even close.

The Sabres had a lot of things go their way during the winning streak.  They got lucky in a couple of games.  They had a knack for winning overtime and shoot out games, but now teams are ready for them.  Plus the Sabres are having injury problems with three of their six best defensemen out with injuries and goaltender Carter Hutton also sidelined with what's described as an upper body injury.

Things started out well for the Sabres on Saturday with Jack Eichel scoring twice to give Buffalo a 2-0 lead and dominating a good portion of the first period.  But the Flyers kept chipping away with a goal before the end of the opening period.  They scored another in the second period to tie it.  Then it was all Flyers in the third period scoring four times including the game winner shorthanded.

The power play is a major problem for the Sabres.  They haven't found the right combination or the right chemistry to build on leads when they have the man advantage and its affecting them in a big way.  They're getting the goaltending to keep them in games, but Linus Ullmark didn't get any help from his defense on Saturday especially in the third period.

The Sabres also need scoring from more than the Jack Eichel line.  There are three other lines on the team that have been shut down the past two weeks.

Perhaps a last place team will be the remedy for what's ailing them.  The Sabres host the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night.

 

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