Road-weary Sabres yearn for home cooking

When the Sabres struggled at home at the start of the season, they stayed afloat because of their success on the road. Buffalo opened the season 7-3 in enemy rinks (and was also credited for a road win over Los Angeles in Berlin that made the count 8-3). Things are completely different now.

The Sabres are 4-0-3 in their last seven home games at First Niagara Center. But for the first time in their 41-year franchise history, they've lost eight straight games on the road in regulation after falling to the host Islanders 4-2 Saturday.

And as for bad timing for a bad streak, the Sabres sure have it.

They don't return home again until Feb. 1 and have six more games out of town. The next four are utter doozies, beginning Monday at Detroit (with a 14-game winning streak), followed by Chicago, Winnipeg and St. Louis. Those teams are a combined 65-18-9 at home.

What's Buffalo biggest problem on the road? Offense. The Sabres are last in the NHL in goals on the road with just 36 in 19 games, a paltry average of 1.9 per game. During the eight-game skid, Buffalo has been outscored, 31-12.

"We need more net presence," said center Derek Roy. "You've got to get there, make the goalie fight for rebounds and fight to see the puck. If we play perimeter hockey, we're not going to score goals. We have to get to the inside."

Leading goal scorer Thomas Vanek hit the goalpost on a penalty shot with 1:24 left Saturday, after it was ruled the Islanders had intentionally pushed the net off the moorings. It's been that kind of season for the Sabres, especially when they're out of town.

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