Game 60: Devoured by Sharks

In a season that's had more than a few lowlights, Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the worst-in-the-NHL San Jose Sharks is the latest.

BUFFALO — One night after dropping a hard-fought game in overtime against the Canadiens on the road, the Buffalo Sabres had the chance to right things against the team with the worst record in the NHL, the San Jose Sharks.

The Sharks entered the game with 11 regulation wins, the fewest points and are shaping up to be the team that’ll have the best odd in the NHL Draft Lottery after the regular season ends. The Sabres were 13 points better than San Jose in the standings even though they too are scouring the bottom only just in the Eastern Conference. On paper, the Sabres are a vastly better team, but on the ice on Tuesday they most certainly were not.

The Sharks schooled the Sabres 6-2. The rookie combo of 2024 No. 1 pick Macklin Celebrini and 2023 No. 4 pick Will Smith looked every bit the part of elite young star players when they made plays that faked out Sabres veterans and each managed to score a goal (Smith also had an assist). Yeah, the Sabres are a young team, but they weren’t born yesterday either.

“Too many passengers,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “They won the compete, they won the puck-play game. Our puck play was awful. Just too many guys took the night off.”

The Sharks had a 29-22 edge in shots on goal and even outshot the Sabres in the third period 8-6 as Buffalo tried to get back in the game. It was ugly, the fans booed often and lustily, and it’s yet another head-shaking defeat for the home team who now sits in their own mess with the fourth fewest points in the NHL.

“I think it’s just a respect for the game,” Tage Thompson said. “It doesn’t matter who you’re playing. It’s having that pride that you’re going to put everything you’ve got into a battle to come out with the puck and if you don’t, you’re going to track to get it back. I thought we were just too casual all the way through tonight.”

More ahead from what was the kind of game that makes you have the thousand-yard stare afterward.