The Detroit Red Wings were riding a five-game winning streak and each win came against some of the NHL's better teams. Then they flew into Buffalo, facing a goaltender who was making his NHL debut, and couldn't take advantage of the situation.
Overall, it was a ticky-tacky game, with the Wings giving the Sabres five chances on the power play. They also looked sluggish in the first period, logging just five shots, and never bothered to get aggressive against what is one of the league's weakest lineups.
This is a trap they didn't need to fall into, and if there's any potential upside here, maybe it's lesson learned. It's the brutal test that so many teams looking like they made a big turnaround face when they're playing dominant hockey: You can beat the best in the business, but how will you fare against the worst?
Right now, the Wings are 0 for 1, and they couldn't have been dealt an easier hand on Wednesday night. Let alone facing a rookie goaltender. The Sabres won without a single point from their cornerstones, Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin, with Josh Doan, Jack Quinn, Conor Timmins, Tyson Kozak, and Mattias Samuelsson among those who racked up points.
Detroit Red Wings ought to be ashamed at the way they played the Sabres
There's no excuse for playing Buffalo that badly when the Wings looked like the best team in the NHL in the games following that demoralizing loss to the Montreal Canadiens to open the season. Sure, everybody has a bad game every now and again, but it's still so early in the season, a team that hasn't enjoyed much success in a while needed to capitalize on these early opportunities.
Whether the Wings learn this valuable lesson or not, it won't be long until fans find out. On Thursday, they're rolling into Long Island to face the New York Islanders, another team that, from a talent aspect, the Wings should beat.
And right now, every player in that lineup should approach this game like they have something to prove, just like they approached Game 2 this season when they squared off against the Toronto Maple Leafs following that blowout loss to Montreal. Just because they wasted one opportunity, it doesn't mean they can't bounce back and play like the team everyone expects them to be.
That's what happens after you win five games against playoff-worthy opponents, even when it's ultra early in the season: Fans expect more out of you. And right now, every fan in Detroit and those wearing the Winged Wheel across the globe expect bounce-back performances, starting on Thursday night. If not, then things will show enough turbulence to spiral quickly.