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Mired in career-worst scoring slump, Moulson ‘just trying to find some confidence’

Jared McCann, Matt Moulson

Jared McCann, Matt Moulson

AP

November 1.

That’s the last time Buffalo veteran Matt Moulson found the back of the net -- which, for those of you not currently looking at the Sabres’ schedule, was 18 games ago.

It marks the longest scoring slump of Moulson’s career, accentuating a disappointing season in which he’s scored just four times in 30 games.

Needless to say, he’s desperate to break out.

“For me it’s just trying to find some confidence whether it’s making a play or getting a chance and trying to feed off that,” Moulson said, per the Buffalo News. “It’s not a light switch thing where it just turns on.”

The Sabres probably wish it was that simple.

In the second of a five-year, $25 million deal -- with a fairly hefty $5M average annual cap hit -- Moulson is Buffalo’s third highest-paid forward, and he’s been given opportunities befitting a guy making that kind of money.

In Saturday’s 2-1 OT win over the Kings, he skated on a line with Jack Eichel and Evander Kane. His last goal came playing alongside Zemgus Girgensons and Brian Gionta.

Translation: Head coach Dan Bylsma has moved the 32-year-old around plenty in the hopes of sparking his game -- but to no avail. Moulson’s production has fallen through the floor and his shots on goal numbers remain startlingly low.

And Buffalo’s first six games through the month of December could say a lot about what lies ahead.

In those six games, Moulson has only eclipsed 16 minutes once (in the aforementioned win over L.A.)

Aside from that, he’s been hovering around 12 minutes, and played a season-low 10:44 in Calgary last Thursday.