The Buffalo Sabres Are Making Their Push
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The Buffalo Sabres haven’t made the NHL playoffs since 2011. That is the longest active post-season drought among all NHL teams and is an NHL record. It is also the second longest active playoff drought among all major four sports leagues (NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB); sitting just behind the New York Jets. To make matters even worse, the Sabres haven’t won a playoff series since 2007, which is the longest drought in the NHL as well. Despite some lackluster hockey being played over the last fifteen years or so, Buffalo is doing everything they can this year, to ensure that their playoff dry spell won’t stretch to 13 straight seasons.
This includes winning three of their last five games; showing the rest of the league that their playoff push is very real.
While the Sabres record doesn’t look overly spectacular on paper (32-31-5), and they are still sixth place in the Atlantic Division, their path to the playoffs isn’t out of reach. They are only five points away from what would be the final wildcard spot. There are still other factors involved., however, as they would have to beat out the Detroit Red Wings, New York Islanders, and Washington Capitals, who are all competing for their chance at making the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Other teams would have to lose and Buffalo would have to continue to win, but all things considered, it is a very doable mission for the Sabres; especially with how they’ve been playing as of late.
One thing that Buffalo has to continue to rely on, is their offense. Over the last 10 games, the Sabres have scored seven goals twice, which is not an easy number to come by. The two top scorers in Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch, have to keep replicating the same offensive production that they’ve been creating for the past few seasons.
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Starting goaltender, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, is also going to have to keep playing at the same level that he has been all year long. At the moment he is sitting at a .915 save percentage, and is responsible for 22 of Buffalo’s 32 wins. Fans’ have seen Luukkonen steal wins for this team all season, and they hope to see that a few more times as the regular season is coming to an end.
There are a lot of expectations that must be met if Buffalo even wants to have a chance at sneaking into the playoffs. The city is relying on the Sabres to get the job done, and the pressure is growing after every game. However, Sabres Head Coach, Don Granato, had this to say about the team’s recent play and their expectations:
“Fearless, and that’s the difference. I think you harbor fear, and it manifests in hesitation. You identify with your vulnerabilities, and that’s fear. You identify with your strengths, that’s confidence. We’re playing much more toward the line of fearless.”
Right now Buffalo controls their own destiny. The team looks dangerous and they look hungry to complete the job that they’ve set out to do. It should be interesting to see how the team builds on their wins and continues to play. Only one question still remains; Can the Sabres finish the job?