Here's Why Sabres' Next Stretch Could Decide Whether Buffalo Makes Or Misses The Playoffs

After getting back into the Stanley Cup playoff picture with their current eight-game win streak, the Buffalo Sabres still have to navigate their way through the rest of the season, and if you look ahead at the teams they’ll be facing in the next month or so, you’ll find that the Sabres’ entire year could come down to the way they play in a two-week schedule.

Here’s what we mean: the Sabres’ schedule includes three of its next four games coming against soft-touches in the St. Louis Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets and Vancouver Canucks. But after that – from Jan. 8-through Jan. 19 – Buffalo is going to get serious tests against some of the best teams in the NHL. 

Starting on the 8th, the Sabres will take on, in order, the New York Islanders, Anaheim Ducks, Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens, Minnesota Wild and Carolina Hurricanes are all going to give Buffalo a run for their money. And unless the Sabres can keep their head above water, they’re going to see this solid stretch of games ostensibly wasted.

Now, winning eight games in a row is quite the feat. Eight games is 10 percent of the season. So to get the maximum 16 standings points is something Buffalo can take pride in. But the NHL game is a constant grind, and who knows – maybe the Sabres lose eight games in a row. And really, any considerable stretch of time where Buffalo is not making the most of their opportunities, is going to erase any gains they make prior to their losing skid.

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Certainly, the Sabres’ strong play has saved the job of coach Lindy Ruff – for now, at least. But by finding ways to eke out victories in games they would previously have found ways to eke out losses. Buffalo’s players are confident, and why wouldn’t they be – in their eight-game winning streak, the Sabres have beaten high-end teams including the Flyers, New Jersey Devils and Edmonton Oilers. And Buffalo has taken care of business in beating teams that aren’t so strong. 

Consequently, the Sabres are back in the thick of the playoff race. But think of how they had to beat the odds just to be on the fringe of the playoff picture. This is why Buffalo has to put its nose to the grindstone, and survive these upcoming games while keeping pace in the Atlantic Division.

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If the opposite happens and the Sabres lose for most, if not all of their games, you can point to this stretch as the place where their season began to swirl down the drain.