Buffalo Sabres fans will be staying up late for a few games over the next week or so as the team takes its show on the road to the Pacific Time Zone.
After playing five of the first six games of the 2021-2022 season at home, the Buffalo Sabres are heading out west for the traditional California road trip. But this year they will add a stop in Seattle to face the Kraken for the first time ever. So, the trip will be four games long instead of three.
The trip to California has been a daunting task in the past. The L.A. Kings, Anaheim Ducks, and San Jose Sharks have had their share of success over the years, including multiple Stanley Cup Finals appearances between them. In previous seasons, the Sabres could feel good about collecting three out of the available six points before returning home.
But this year’s trip will be different for a couple of reasons.
The first difference will be the schedule. In the past, the Sabres would often have to play all three California games in four nights, which included back-to-back games against the Ducks and the Kings. This year there are off days in between each of the three California games and another off day before the final game of the trip in Seattle. The four games will be played over the course of eight days instead of three games in four days. That means we won’t likely see the team look like they are skating in sand like they did against the Devils in their only back-to-back scenario so far this season.
It also means I won’t have to stay up past my bedtime two nights in a row. There is even an afternoon matinee mixed into this trip so there will only be three late nights for us in the eight days of the trip. Definitely better.
The second thing that makes this trip different is the fact that three of the four teams on the schedule are ripe for the taking. The Sharks have gotten off to a great start, winning four of their first six games, but the Ducks, Kings, and Kraken are a combined 5-12-3 between them. The Sabres should be setting the goal of collecting at least five or perhaps even six of the eight points that are available for them on this trip.
The Sabres have established themselves as a group of young men willing to put forth maximum effort. They have taken full advantage of the fact that five of their first six games were at home and they have reaped the benefits of having the chance to exploit the struggles of teams like the Canadiens and Coyotes. They now have a chance to go west and add to their resume of respectability and relevance by picking on a few more teams that are struggling out of the gate.
Six out of eight points on this trip would give them 15 out of 20 to start the season. If they can do it, they will create a nice cushion if the novelty of a fun October wears off and things start to get rough in November.
This is an important trip. If the Sabres take care of business, they can start to really believe they are creating something truly special. If they lay an egg it could be tough to bounce back once they get back east and face the likes of the Capitals, Oilers, and Maple Leafs.
We’ll see. But isn’t it nice to be thinking about six of eight points on a West Coast trip? Isn’t it nice to fantasize about 15 points in the first 10 games and actually think it has a decent chance of coming true?
Go Sabres. I will be staying up late and cheering you on.