The first week of games is filled with overreactions. Are there any that you feel might have some weight to them? And are there any that are simply that — an overreaction? — @WagnerHimself
It is not an overreaction to be concerned about the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders three games into the season. They’re both 0-3-0. The Sabres have scored two goals in their three games; losing 4-0 to the New York Rangers, 3-1 to the Boston Bruins and 3-1 to the Colorado Avalanche. The Islanders have allowed 13 goals in their three games; losing 4-3 to the Pittsburgh Penguins, 4-2 to the Washington Capitals and 5-2 to the Winnipeg Jets.
Matthew Schaefer, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, has been an obvious bright spot for the Islanders with three points (one goal, two assists) and ice time that has increased in each of the three games. The defenseman has played 26:04 and 26:35 the past two games, respectively. But goalie Ilya Sorokin hasn’t looked comfortable yet and center Mathew Barzal looks like he’s re-adjusting to NHL game speed after missing 52 games last season, including the last 31. None of their forward lines seem to be clicking. Five teams in the Metropolitan Division have at least two wins; the Islanders have zero. You can’t get too far behind in October and expect to climb back into it. They need a win when they play the Edmonton Oilers at UBS Arena on Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET; ESPN+, HULU, SN360).
Things are arguably more concerning in Buffalo. The Sabres are 0-3-0 for the second straight season. They’re dealing with debilitating injuries; goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (lower body), forwards Josh Norris (upper body), Zach Benson (upper body) and Jordan Greenway (middle body), and defenseman Michael Kesselring (undisclosed) are out. Beyond that, we’re hearing complaints from coaches and players about compete level and incomplete efforts all around, which is always bad news for a team. This isn’t about the Sabres history of not making the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2011. Forget about that for a moment if you can. This is a repeat of things that went wrong early last season that the Sabres could not recover from. It’s not an overreaction to think or worry that the same thing is happening again.
I’m seeing a lot of panic in Hockeytown. Are the concerns for the Red Wings real? — @mugnoma
It was easy to conclude that there was panic in Detroit after the Red Wings lost 5-1 to the Montreal Canadiens in their season-opener on Thursday.