Buffalo Sabres Schedule: Games Fans Need To Watch

We all know what kind of importance lies in the games played by the Buffalo Sabres next season. It is the first season where we get to find out if General Manager Tim Murray made the right choices with trades, draftings, signings, etc.

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With players like Robin Lehner being the starting goaltender, Ryan O’Reilly being the top line center, top prospects Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart playing full time, and top winger Evander Kane playing the leading scorer role, the games to come next season are all going to be important.

Even though there may not be instant chemistry with these new players and it may take some time for their full skills to take shape, the games that I think all Buffalo Sabres fans should make time to watch are primarily later in the year.

The first game is one I know every Sabres fan will want to watch.

December 6 – @ Edmonton Oilers – 8:00pm

Every single Buffalo Sabres fan that has been up and about on the Jack Eichel and Connor McDavid hype all year long will not have to wait very long to see them facing each other on the ice. The arguments have been shot back and forth on which player is better and which will pan out smoother. Of course Sabres fans are behind their franchise player Eichel and I too am behind him.

This game will be the first look at which player is a better player and a better fit with his respective team. It will be a good battle for sure. On top of this game being the first chance Eichel and McDavid will have to play against one another, it will be a test of sorts to see which team’s rebuild is going better. Though the Oilers are much further along (supposedly), I expect the Sabres to give them a solid run for their money.

This game is one that all Sabres fans need to take time out of their night to watch. With it being at the Oilers home arena, it will be a great time for the Sabres to show off their new talent and show the west that they are not just a punching bag anymore.

December 19 – vs Chicago Blackhawks – 1:00pm

Not too long after their showdown with the rebuilding Oilers, the Buffalo Sabres get to challenge the new dynasty Chicago Blackhawks. The defending Stanley Cup Champions made fools of the Sabres last year late in the game as Jonathan Toews took charge to win the game almost single handedly. With a revamped roster for the Sabres and a slightly depleted roster on the Hawks, the Sabres will try to pose a threat to the champs.

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When a rebuilding team is going into the first year it is trying to win games, it is trying to establish its new players while gaining respect from the rest of the league back. The Buffalo Sabres have been the league’s punching bag for the last two years and if they take on the champs and potentially beat them, it is a step in the right direction.

There isn’t much that is more exciting than beating the team that everyone knows is the best in the league. The Hawks have everything to continue their dominance of the league and Buffalo is on its way to doing the same. With a mid day puck drop, Sabres fans all around should have time to watch this key game.

February 14 – vs Colorado Avalanche – 12:30pm

The reason I pick this game is due to the trade made with the Colorado Avalanche at the draft that sent Nikita Zadorov and Mikhail Grigorenko to the mountain air and had O’Reilly and Jamie McGinn added to the Sabres.

This game will be later enough in the year and will be a good test to see if the deal was one where Murray overpaid in the trade, or if he got a steal. With the season being more than half over at that point, Sabres fans will get to know how Grigorenko did with a full year in the NHL and how much Zadorov possibly improved while also seeing if O’Reilly is worth the monster contract that he signed.

The game will be filled with top talents like Gabriel Landeskog, Matt Duchene, Nathan MacKinnon, Sam Reinhart, and Jack Eichel there will certainly be some greatness overall to the game. There will be speed, skills, goals, big saves and everything in between, and Sabres fans can expect to see everything they got this off season hopefully come to fruition.

Next: Sabres Top Prospects #1-5

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