The Buffalo Sabres desperately need to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs next season. And while the Philadelphia Flyers aren't quite as desperate as the Sabres are to do so, Philadelphia GM Daniel Briere wouldn't object at all if the Flyers surprised people and got into the post-season this coming year.

Could Philadelpha get in the way of Buffalo as both teams likely pursue a wild-card playoff berth next season? That's what we're getting at in this THN.com Sabres site series. Below, you'll see how Buffalo fared against the Flyers last year, what dates the two teams will play against each other in the nex season, and more. Let's get to it.

BUFFALO SABRES VS. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

NEW FLYERS PLAYERS: Trevor Zegras, C; Christian Dvorak, C; Noah Juulsen, D ; Dennis Gilbert, D; Dan Vladar, G

2024-25 SERIES: Sabres 1-2-0, Flyers 2-1-0

2025-26 GAMES AGAINST EACH OTHER:  December 3 at Philadelphia; December 18 at Buffalo; January 14 at Buffalo

CAN THE SABRES BEAT THIS TEAM?  The Sabres and Flyers squared off against one another deep into the regular-season last year, with both teams playing their last game of the season against each other. Philadelphia beat Buffalo in a meaningless final game, but there's always been a solid-rivalry energy when the Sabres and Flyers go head-to-head. 

This time around, the Sabres and Flyers will play each other three times within a six-week span starting in early December and lasting until mid-January. And if Buffalo continues being a strong team at home this coming season, they have an excellent opportunity to put some standings space in-between them and the Flyers.

That said, the Flyers make some understandable gambles -- and some curious ones -- in the current off-season. Zegras was no longer a good fit in Anaheim, and the Flyers need some of the scoring power Zegras has been able to bring early in his NHL career. Dvorak was given a one-year, $5.4-million contract at a time where teams value the third-line center position Dvorak is pretty solid at.

Know Your Enemy, Sabres Metropolitan Edition: Will Buffalo Shock Re-Arranged Rangers Next Year?

And given that the Flyers had the league's fifth-worst goals-against average (3.45) last season, getting a veteran goalie -- in this case, former Calgary Flames netminder Dan Vladar, who signed a two-year deal at $3.35-million per season -- was paramount for the Flyers to even hope to be playing meaningful hockey down the stretch.

If there was an X-factor that could be at play in the three games the Flyers and Sabres play next year, it could prove to be new Flyers coach Rick Tocchet. If the Jack Adams Award-winner as the NHL's best bench boss in 2024 with the Vancouver Canucks can drop into that Philadelphia room and instill a sense of confidence in his players, the Flyers can look to fast-track their development and contend for a playoff berth sooner than later.

Still, if we're talking about how the Sabres and Flyers will do against each other, we feel good about Buffalo's chances of winning at least two of the three games they'll play next season. Buffalo's defense is clearly better than Philadelphia's, and the same goes for the Sabres' depth of high-end talent at forward. Buffalo has more upper-tier talent at all positions, so a Sabres sweep wouldn't and shouldn't be out of the question next year.

Know Your Enemy, Sabres Metropolitan Edition: Are Retooling Islanders A Better Team Than Buffalo?Welcome back to  THN.com's

The big question with this rivalry may be about the two teams' goaltending. Vladar doesn't have to be a superstar to do the job in Philadelphia. He just has to keep the Flyers within a one-or-two-goal distance from their opponent, and let Philly's offence win the game for them. And in Buffalo, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Devon Levi and Alex Lyon are a better trio than Vladar, Ivan Fedotov and Samuel Ersson.

You can see, then, why there are bigger expectations for the Sabres than there are for the Flyers right now. Philadelphia is still in the early stages of a proper rebuild. Buffalo is well beyond the honeymoon stage of their core talent coming up and settling in. So Sabres coach Lindy Ruff will be under enormous pressure to use Buffalo's superior depth to their advantage.

It's difficult to envision both the Flyers and Sabres being playoff teams next season. But it also feels like it will be unlikely that Philadelphia and Buffalo both fail to make the playoffs next year. There's lots to like on both teams, but the Sabres should have an urgency to their game that we doubt the Flyers can match. . 

Know Your Enemy, Sabres Metropolitan Edition: Will Devils Remain Formidable Metro Team -- And Will New Jersey Once Again Beat Sabres In Season Series?The Buffalo Sabres are a team that needs to make a playoff appearance this coming season. But in a continuing series, we're examining each of Buffalo's Eastern Conference-rivals that could be in the way of the Sabres making it into the post-season. And in this file, we're examining the rivalry between

And until they both rise to the very top of their respective divisions, the Flyers and Sabres will only be hoping for a Cinderella playoff run.