Things cannot get much worse for the 11-16-4 Buffalo Sabres who have lost 10 straight games. In a very unusual turn of events, Sabres owner Terry Pegula traveled to Montreal to meet with the team on Monday as they prepare for their December 17 game against the Montreal Canadiens. Practice was also canceled.
Buffalo Sabres have emerged from their team meeting and canceled practice at the Bell Centre. pic.twitter.com/gweBj5kn37
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) December 16, 2024
Terry Pegula is certainly living life’s ups and downs. Between the success of his Buffalo Bills and the challenges of the Sabres, he has to be all over the map emotionally. Pegula is also tackling all of the issues himself as his wife Kim is no longer able to assist because of her health issues.
What Does Terry Pegula’s Meeting With The Buffalo Sabres Mean?
Of course, there is plenty of speculation about what Pegula and the Sabres players discussed. Before the meeting, hockey insider Elliotte Friedman speculated that his meeting could mean one of two things. There could be a trade or other large organizational shakeup about to occur. Or Pegula could have given the team a pep talk expressing his confidence that they could rebound from the losing streak.
The latter transpired at the meeting. Hocker insider David Pagnotta reported that Pegula expressed his faith in the team and indicated no major moves were planned. It is an elaborate move to travel to the team to share the message in person. Given the situation, Pegula felt it was necessary.
The good news, if there is any, is that the Sabres next face a struggling Canadiens team. The Canadiens are 11-16-3. If there is a team to bounce back against and resume winning ways, it would be the Canadiens.
Perhaps that was the crux of Pegula’s message to the team. Maybe practice was canceled to give players a mental break from everything. Losing is stressful for professional athletes.
It is a cliche that a season is made by one game. However, that could be the case for the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night in Montreal.
