Rock Bottom, Pt. 1 Billion
Somehow, the Buffalo Sabres' 18th straight loss (!!) was the saddest L in franchise history
For a team like the Buffalo Sabres, there is no such thing as rock bottom. Rock bottom implies that you've hit your lowest point, that things can no longer get any worse. As the Sabres continue to prove night in and night out, things can most certainly get worse.
On Monday night, two nights after losing their 17th straight game, the Sabres welcomed in the reeling Philadelphia Flyers, presenting a prime opportunity to snap the streak. Philly had dropped seven of its last 10, including a pair of 9-0 and 8-3 losses to the New York Rangers. Like the Sabres, they were playing very bad hockey, and when two equally bad hockey teams are playing each other, they both feel like they can get a much-needed win.
The Sabres appeared destined to get that dub on Monday, jumping out to a 3-0 lead that they took into the third period. Things got a little hairy late, however, when the Flyers cut the lead to 3-2 with nine minutes to go. As time winded down, the Flyers pulled their goalie, and Buffalo had a chance to seal the deal on the empty net with 1:50 to go. Watch if you dare....
Oh no. For a good team, this is a "damn, so close, let's finish it anyway" miss. For a 6-23-4 team, this is a "oh no, we are dead" miss. It was obviously the latter for Buffalo, as Philly's Sean Couturier tied the game less than 20 seconds later to force overtime. Forty-two seconds into overtime, this happened:
And there it is, 18 straight Ls, which matches the 2003-2004 Pittsburgh Penguins' winless streak. What did the Penguins get out of that? Evgeni Malkin in 2004, then Sidney Crosby in 2005. This upcoming NHL draft class does not have a Malkin or a Crosby in it, so we're comfortable in saying the Sabres will not be similarly rewarded.
If it's any consolation, the Sabres did get a point for their effort, something they've only done once since February 25. I'm sure Sabres fans are rioting in the streets for that.