3 ways Lindy Ruff can improve the Buffalo Sabers

The Buffalo Sabers rehired former head coach Lindy Ruff in April after firing Don Granato at the end of the 2023-24 season. Ruff said he was looking for ways to improve the team in the upcoming year of hockey. Besides emulating Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s playmaking ability, which Ruff mentioned, here are three areas the coach needs to focus on in 2024-25.

The Sabers have long suffered from a weakness in power play scoring. Whether it’s failing to take many shots on goal, keeping the puck in opposing zones or giving it away and allowing shorthanded scoring opportunities, Buffalo often lacks the skills necessary to take advantage of opportunities at 5 vs. 4. When watching the Sabers on the power play, fans often wonder which team actually has the man advantage.

Good NHL franchises know how to score with an extra attacker. Last season, the Blue and Gold were in a dismal 29th place out of 32 in terms of PP score. In contrast, the top two teams to reach the Stanley Cup Final, Edmonton and Florida, both enjoyed power play ratings of 26.3 and 23.5, 4th and 8th respectively in the NHL in regular season.

It’s clear that if the Sabers hope to end their record 13-year playoff drought this season, scoring with the man advantage more than 17 percent of the time is something Ruff needs to address.