The Buffalo Sabres have now moved to 0-3-0 on the season. As the Sabres look to break a 14-year playoff drought, the team is not off to a solid start. Now, star player Tage Thompson has spoken out about the slow start to the season.
“We have a long season to go. You guys are acting like the world is ending right now. We just have to find a way to claw ourselves out of this. We’re obviously in a hole we don’t want to be in, and we have to find our way out of it,” said Thompson to the media after the game, according to Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic.
A bad start to the season does not necessarily mean playoff elimination. The 2019-20 Dallas Stars started the season 1-7-1 before rebounding and making it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. The St. Louis Blue starts the 2018-19 campaign at 1-3-2 before winning the Stanley Cup. Regardless, this is not the history of the Sabres.
The Sabres last made the playoffs in the 2010-11 season, losing in the first round. The last time the team won a playoff series was in the 2006-07 season. It has been so long since the team has won a playoff series, Zach Benson was just two years old when it happened. Benson had 28 points for the team last year. While Thompson has hope for the season, others do not.
“We have to get out of this bullshit,” said Rasmun Dahlin after losing their third game of the season. Fans are sharing this sentiment, with people responding to the post from Fairburn asking if Thompson has forgotten the last 14 years.
The Sabres next hit the ice against the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday at home. This has tied a franchise record for the most games without a win to start the season. The 2013-14, 2014-15, and 2024-25 teams all went without a win in their first three games of the year before winning game number four. If the Sabres do not bring their best, they could be off to the worst start in franchise history. That is saying a lot for a team that has missed the playoffs for 14 straight seasons.
