"We've got to find consistency in the way we play, find an identity that we can build off and that we have as a foundation, as a team and as an organization," Sabres captain Brian Gionta said. "That's what the goal would be coming down the stretch here."
The problem that plagued the Sabres in their loss to San Jose was simple: the Sharks dominated the possession game, which was a product of Buffalo's puck management. The struggles managing the puck, Gionta said, stemmed from a lack of support up the ice.
"Everyone says make more plays, make more plays, but it's about support," Gionta said. "If the support isn't there, the play's not there to be made. You need to support each other on the forecheck in order to get it back, support each other in the D-zone to get it out. It's little things like that."
"We get glimpses of it each game, the consistency of it isn't there," alternate captain Ryan O'Reilly added. "We're working hard and you see guys, they want to make the right plays, but it's just there's certain times where you just get caught thinking.
"Everyone's trying to do the right thing, we're working, everyone's trying to get to the right areas but we're just a split second behind. You see how it shows, the way we get hemmed in or the way we're not crisp."
If you're looking for an example of puck support, look no further than Buffalo's opponent on Tuesday. The Sharks are an established contender in the League, and Gionta said they played the style of game that the Sabres are looking to achieve.
"They're a veteran team that moves well up and down the ice," Gionta said. "If you look at their game, it's not much different than what everyone else is doing. You're coming over and supporting with two, three guys, you've got options of where to go with the puck.
"They made our D go back the other night. Everyone says make plays, but a lot of it is just getting it by their D and being supportive on the forecheck."
The difficulty of becoming a perennial contender like the Sharks, or like Buffalo's next two opponents in Los Angeles and Anaheim, might be the single biggest lesson to take away from this season.
"I think for ourselves, you don't just wake up one year and decide you're going to win a Stanley Cup, decide you're going to be a competing team," O'Reilly said. "It's tough to make a jump in the standings each year and make a push. For us, it's not over yet. We've got a lot to prove to ourselves, that we can play and beat these teams.
"No matter who we play each night, we've got to show that we're better and we should be in the playoffs, that it should be our run this year. That's something we have to prove constantly.
