VANCOUVER -- The Sabres were in a 3-1 hole and things were getting worse Monday night. So during a second period timeout, Ryan O’Reilly gathered the troops near the bench. The coaches seemed to lie back, letting Buffalo’s most consistent player all season have the floor.
O’Reilly’s words may not have had immediate impact in an eventual 5-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks in Rogers Arena. But the Sabres hope they can be a starting point to quickly reverse their fortunes after back-to-back clunkers on their Western road trip.
“Just take a deep breath and get back to being there for each other,” O’Reilly said when asked what his message was.