Buffalo Sabres taking momentum into their road trip

Mar 13, 2022; Hamilton, Ontario, CAN; Buffalo Sabres goalie Craig Anderson (41) makes a save on Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner (16) in the second period of the 2022 Heritage Classic ice hockey game at Tim Hortons Field. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 13, 2022; Hamilton, Ontario, CAN; Buffalo Sabres goalie Craig Anderson (41) makes a save on Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner (16) in the second period of the 2022 Heritage Classic ice hockey game at Tim Hortons Field. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

The Buffalo Sabres won four of their last six contests, all of whom came against playoff contenders. 

Every NHL fan would have laughed out loud had someone told them on February 28th the Buffalo Sabres would win four of their next six games. On February 27th, the demoralized Sabres left Dallas, Texas, looking like a team that just skated around for 60 minutes.

And the defense didn’t help, with goaltender Craig Anderson forced to make highlight-reel saves. But when he couldn’t freeze and rebounded the puck, the Stars took advantage.

With two months left in the season, even the Sabres most faithful had little reason to tune in. Then on March 2nd, something amazing happened: The Sabres throttled the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Buffalo Sabres have momentum heading into mini-road trip

The Sabres again struck gold 48 hours later, defeating the Minnesota Wild 5-4. Sure, a few more frustrations persisted when they couldn’t get out of their own way against the Los Angeles Kings and Florida Panthers. The result? A combined 9-1 thrashing over six periods.

Then came the big game every Buffalo Sabre fan circled in red on their calendar. The showdown against Jack Eichel and the Vegas Golden Knights. The Sabres, after threatening collapse, scored two goals in the game’s waning moments and sealed the deal, knocking off one of the NHL’s mightiest franchises.

Finally, the Heritage Classic featured a showdown between the contending Maple Leafs and a Sabres team still searching for an identity. But they once again came one step closer to finding that identity in a 5-2 win over their heated division rival.

Now, the Sabres have two more tough contests against the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames. The Calagary game is especially important, as it serves as a homecoming for Sabres forward Peyton Krebs.

But after logging a 4-2 record in March against playoff contenders, the Sabres head into this road trip realizing that, although they’re a young team, that they can hang with anyone in the NHL. Even against a division-leading team like the Flames.