The Buffalo Sabres head back on the road for tilts against the mighty New York Rangers and the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks
The Buffalo Sabres have yet to play well in back-to-back games. Yeah, they’ve won in their latest slate of back-to-back affairs, shutting out the Calgary Flames after a debilitating loss to the Edmonton Oilers. But still, the 1-0 shutout win was a struggle.
Following the win against the Flames, the Sabres followed up with wins over the Pittsburgh Penguins and Vancouver Canucks, both of which went into overtime. And while they could not hang on to beat the Washington Capitals in a shootout, they displayed immense growth in keeping the game close. Something that would not have happened earlier this season.
Now, a big test against the New York Rangers looms. The Rangers sit in third place in the NHL’s Metropolitan Division, boasting a record of 41-19-5 (87 points).
The Chicago Blackhawks, like the Sabres, are a team in transition with 58 points compared to the Sabres 55. However, at 7-3-1 this month, the Sabres have outplayed the Blackhawks (4-4-2 in their previous 10 games). The Sabres also, as everyone knows, have recently given playoff contenders all they could handle.
But let’s not start underestimating lower-tier hockey teams, and it’s a test the Sabres will face when they travel to Chicago. Especially if they upset the Rangers.
The Sabres, if they continue to play well against the NHL’s best teams, will eventually need to worry about trap games. And since Chicago is the worst team they have faced in a successful month, the Sabres need to at least consider the trap game possibility even if the two teams have identical records and point totals.
What can you expect for this latest mini-road trip? Here are three bold predictions.