Same old Buffalo Sabres?
Forgive fans in Western New York for being ready to answer yes to that question after just two games of the 2025-26 season.
The team with the NHL's longest playoff drought (14 years) fell to 0-2 on the season with a 3-1 loss in Boston against the Bruins on Saturday.
Buffalo, which has just one goal in two games, was outshot by an whopping 17-2 margin in the first period.
After the latest loss, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff didn't mince words.
"I thought our compete was terrible," Ruff told reporters. "Worst compete and skating, moving feet, that I've seen. We've got to compete.
"It's not the guy who has the puck, it's the guy away from it. I thought we played some one-on-one hockey. We didn't move our feet. We didn't win races for the puck. At the start of the game when everybody has energy, it's hard hockey and we lost the battle."
Not only have the Sabres lost both their games, they also learned Saturday that top-six forward Josh Norris will miss a significant amount of time after suffering an upper-body injury in a season-opening 4-0 loss to the New York Rangers.
Other top Sabres players have not been able to pick up the slack.
"On any team, your best players have to be your best players," Ruff said. "It was not a good night for them."
The only player Ruff had kind words for was goaltender Alex Lyon, who is the No. 1 man with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen out with a lower-body injury.
"He has played great. I thought that first period was all Alex," Ruff said.
Ruff finished his chat with the media with a message for his team.
"We're too much on the fancy side. Until we put the boots on and go to work and realize the only way you're going to win hockey games in this league is to outwork the other team, (it will be tough to win)."
