Fans Want Changes to The Buffalo Sabres Now

Another home loss for a team with the longest active playoff drought in sports has fans fuming.

The Buffalo Sabres finished the 2022-23 campaign barely missing the postseason. Down the stretch, they rallied in a way that put fear into the hearts of every NHL team. That performance had most expecting the Sabres to, at the very least, push for a playoff spot this season.

That appears to not be happening, however.

The Sabres lost a home matinee on President's Day 4-3 to the lowly Anaheim Ducks: a team with only 42 points and ranked 3rd from last in the Western Conference. They were beaten badly yesterday by the Toronto Maple Leafs 9-2.

The Sabres are coming off a win against the Minnesota Wild 2 days ago, and were expected to beat Anaheim but failed to do so. That's been the story of the season: they often beat good teams and lose to bad ones. Also disturbing is they have a better away record than a home record. They have the most home losses in the NHL. With the loss, the Sabres are also tied for 3rd from last in the Eastern Conference with 52 points.

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This is not what fans, and pundits, expected from a team that showed so much promise, and both are wondering when a change will happen.

Will Sabres Coach Don Granato Get Fired?

That's what many fans are calling for after this loss.

The Sabres' competitiveness has often been questioned this season, and with that many have wondered if a new coach would help things. Don Granto is well-known as a developmental coach, which has served the team well early on but seems to be fading as the team looks at missing the playoffs for the 13th straight year.

Stars like Tage Thompson have fallen off the scoring map. Viktor Ollefson, who scored 28 goals last year, has sat on the bench all season. Defensive slip-ups remain this team's biggest weakness despite a heavily talented core. Whatever the message is, the team is not responding consistently.

Sabres Players Fed up With Fans?

Fans are getting fed up. Apparently, the players are fed up with the fans, as reported by the Buffalo News' Mike Harrington. He reported that after fans started chanting "fire Donny" and booed the team off the ice last month, they stopped doing post-game salutes to the fans. Of course, they haven't won much at home so it wasn't evident until recently.

That doesn't sit well with a fan base that's watched this team finish dead last in the league multiple times over the past 13 seasons. While the players haven't been here (mostly) for the drought, they are responsible for ending it. After all, the whole point is to compete for a championship, not miss the playoffs. The players being mad because fans don't have an undying loyalty to an underachieving team is a bold statement to make.

Fans Want Changes to The Buffalo Sabres Now

This report, plus the team's inconsistent play, seems to be reaching a fever pitch as seen on Twitter / X after their loss to Anaheim. First, let's look at media responses to the loss:

Then, of course, there are the fans: The people who pay to see the team and are the reason they exist. They are not happy and want Don Grantato fired, especially after his post-game press conference.

Do you think the team should fire head coach Don Granato?

Maybe, sometime soon, we'll see Better Days as the Goo Goo Dolls once sang. In the meantime, enjoy some of the better days with the most underrated Sabres of all time.