Three back-to-back losses in the opening rounds of the NHL season isn’t exactly unheard of. And yet, when you remember it’s the Buffalo Sabres we’re talking about, the perspective changes almost entirely. The Eastern Conference giants are yet to win their first ever Lord Stanley, but that’s not half the misery that’s been plaguing the Atlantic Division team and its fanbase for more than a decade.

The Sabres haven’t made it the the NHL playoffs for the last 14 years. Lidy Ruff’s second stint with the team is proving to be disastrous, and fans are understandably reaching the end of their frustrations. The anger isn’t misplaced, considering the Sabres matched the New York Jets’ shameful record with their postseason drought. Under the circumstances, forward tage Thompson also can’t hide his gutted feelings.

In an X post by WGRZ from October 13, following the Sabres’ 3-1 defeat to the Colorado Avalanche at home, Thompson’s comments were shared. “I’m a big believer that negativity breeds negativity, and that’s kind of how we’ve snowballed things in the past. So we can’t let three games be the end of the world,” the 27-year-old said, while noting that morale in the locker room wasn’t great at the Buffalo camp. Referring to the upcoming match against the Ottawa Senators, Thompson added, “We got an opportunity Wednesday to turn it around, and I think that’s all we got to start doing is just look at the next game.”

But the weight of history is daunting. Like the fans, Tage also can’t ignore the fact that things have been shambolic, to put things lightly. And yet, optimism prevails in his mind. “Can’t keep looking back. I mean, the last three games, the last four seasons, the last 14 seasons, whatever you want to do. We just got to keep our sights set on what’s next, and for us, that’s Ottawa,” the Sabres’ star said, urging the reporters to arrive with their questions on Wednesday.

But even amidst despair, Thompson highlighted that the team needed to find a “positive atmosphere” to keep their spirits up. But it’s easier said than done. The truth remains for everyone to see: the Sabres are struggling. Three matches into the 2025-26 season, and Ruff’s boys have scored only two goals. Their power play stats are even more concerning. Buffalo is 0-for-11 in power plays this season. Naturally, the fans are losing hope.

While the Sabres were dishing out yet another display of how not to handle business on the ice, chants of “Fire Adams!“, referring to the team’s general manager, Kevyn Adams, filled the KeyBank Center. Scenes from the venue showed a Buffalo jersey lying inside the rink, something an agitated fan had thrown, no doubt. “Haven’t the people of Buffalo suffered enough?! One goal in two games?!” bellowed the Daily Faceoff‘s Scott Maxwell.

The grievances are real, and the Sabres need to pull up their socks. But the climb ahead isn’t an easy one, either.

The challenge is steep for the Buffalo Sabres

The Senators currently have a 1-2-0 record this season. But while facing them could still prove to be unexpectedly beneficial for the Sabres, it’s the next match they need to be really worried about. On Friday, Thompson & Co. will be locking horns with the two-time defending Stanley Cup champs, the Florida Panthers.

NHL, Eishockey Herren, USA Philadelphia Flyers at Florida Panthers Oct 9, 2025 Sunrise, Florida, USA Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell 15 celebrates with center Evan Rodrigues 17 after scoring against the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. Sunrise Amerant Bank Arena Florida USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xSamxNavarrox 20251009_SNV_na2_00025Undoubtedly, that match against Paul Maurice’s team will be the biggest test yet this season for the Sabres. The reigning champs, despite not having two of their biggest stars, Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov, are on a roll, with a pristine 3-0-0 record. After today’s match, Coach Ruff is feeling all the more anxious about the road that lies ahead. “We have to just raise our level of compete. I thought our compete was terrible. Worst competing, skating, moving feet that I’ve seen,” he told reporters after the defeat to Colorado.

The blueline didn’t nearly supply enough to the offensive line to help turn things around today. The team’s stars are frantically looking for a way out of this despicable run. “The urgency has got to be there,” veteran Sabres winger Jason Zucker stated, about the only way they can start winning games. With some true behemoths waiting to greet Buffalo over the next few days, do you think this would be a good time to show that urgency? Share your thoughts on the Sabres’ season so far in a comment!