Buffalo Sabres Draft Lottery Odds: Shootout Points Closes Gap

Whatever side of the fence you are on for the Buffalo Sabres, whether you have embraced the tank or really think the path to a generational player is foolish, the Buffalo Sabres played an interesting game last night.  It was entertaining to watch.  The end result has been the same, just as it has been the entire month of March however, with a loss.

The only difference right now between the Buffalo Sabres in January, and the Buffalo Sabres in March, is the existence of two loser points, the team still cannot find a way to win.  With those loser points however, comes the fact that they are now only five points separated from the Edmonton Oilers and Arizona Coyotes.

The Coyotes were shutout last night by the Los Angeles Kings, and the Edmonton Oilers picked up a win by trashing the Toronto Maple Leafs.

With the basement teams the only ones playing last night outside of Montreal and Tampa, here are the standings as they look as of this morning.

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We have been pulling the trigger on the NHL Draft Lottery Simulator for about a month now, and the Buffalo Sabres have only won the thing twice since starting it.  The odds were finally in their favor as this morning when I clicked the button, the Buffalo Sabres were selected as the number one pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

As we get closer to the draft it is interesting to see that the divide between fans wanting McDavid or Eichel are dividing, as the two are being compared more and more closely.  Is Eichel the better player because he is playing against NCAA opponents as opposed to Canadian juniors?

Not that the Canadian junior leagues are slouches, but the level of competition is slightly different, with the age gap variation.

Buffalo Sabres Return To Ice For Back-to-Back

There are nine total games on the schedule tonight, * denotes having an impact on the draft lottery.

Pittsburgh Penguins @ New Jersey Devils*

Any hope for the playoffs for the New Jersey Devils is just about out the window, but they are high enough in the standings that dropping much further isn’t really a possibility, so there is only one thing left to do, and that is play spoiler.

Ottawa Senators @ Carolina Hurricanes*

The Ottawa Senators are only five points back of the Boston Bruins for the final playoff spot, and with wins in their last three games are making the dash for eight interesting.

Buffalo Sabres @ Boston Bruins*

This is the game at hand for the Buffalo Sabres.  Tonight they will pull even in games with both the Arizona Coyotes and Edmonton Oilers to chase out the remaining dozen games on the schedule.  Buffalo has not beaten Boston all year, going 0-1-2 so far, being outscored 10-6 in those three games.

Montreal Canadiens @ Florida Panthers*

Montreal has a game in hand on the Tampa Bay Lightning, so that may help them overcome the loss they suffered last night.  Florida is slowing drifting away from the playoff pack, but can still make a run for eighth, being only six points out.

Minnesota Wild @ Nashville Predators

Minnesota has their playoff ticket punched, but needs to keep winning to hold onto it.  Nashville is slipping having lost 8 games of their last ten, and are now second in the Central and third in the West.

San Jose Sharks @ Winnipeg Jets*

One of these teams will not be making the playoffs.  Maybe both will miss, that fate rests not just in their hands, but with Los Angeles, Minnesota, and Calgary.

New York Islanders @ Chicago Blackhawks

Call it what you will, a potential Stanley Cup matchup in Chicago tonight.

St. Louis Blues @ Calgary Flames*

Can the Flames hold on to make the playoffs?

Philadelphia Flyers @ Vancouver Canucks*

Vancouver can help cement their playoff hopes by dashing those slim chances in Philadelphia even more.