On what was deemed "Buffalo Bills Night," the Sabres did nothing to honor western New York's most popular sports franchise. Instead, they found a new rock bottom.
The Sabres got blown out 6-2 at home Tuesday against the NHL's last-place San Jose Sharks to pick up their fourth straight defeat.
"Too many passengers tonight," head coach Lindy Ruff said postgame. "They won the compete. They won the puck play game. Our puck play was awful. Just too many guys took the night off."
Ruff added: "Our puck play was pathetic."
Buffalo fell apart in the third period, allowing three unanswered goals in the final frame.
Defenseman Bowen Byram agreed when asked by a reporter if the Sabres took the cellar-dwelling Sharks too lightly, adding: "I don't know, I feel like you can have games like that against anyone. Did that contribute to it? Maybe."
"It's embarrassing for all of us," Byram said.
If there was one bright spot in Buffalo's game, forward Tage Thompson hit a milestone with his 30th goal of the season. However, the team's leading scorer was in no mood to look at the positives.
"We were just too casual all the way through tonight," Thompson said. "All of our forwards, myself included, were just hoping pucks would bounce our way, and they didn't."
The Sabres are well on their way to extending the NHL's all-time worst postseason drought to 14 seasons. They rank last in the Eastern Conference and 29th league-wide.
