Buffalo Sabres just proved March 2022 was no fluke
The Buffalo Sabres win over the Carolina Hurricanes last night is living proof their unforgettable run in March 2022 was no fluke.
The Buffalo Sabres finished March 2022 with an 8-3-3 record. And in April, they are 2-1, with all three games coming against playoff contenders.
Following a hard-fought win to the Nashville Predators to open things up, the Sabres fell to the Florida Panthers despite making things interesting in the third period. Then they turned around and beat the Eastren Conference’s second-best team.
The Sabres won ugly, with the Hurricanes outplaying them on all fronts. It was the type of game where the Sabres weren’t physical. And all game long, they had issues handling the puck, though they outlasted the Hurricanes in the takeaway category.
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After seemingly solving their face-off woes, the Sabres won just 43% on Tuesday night. The Hurricanes also outshot them with 34 shots on goal compared to the Sabres 22. But they were aggressive in helping goaltender Craig Anderson, who logged a .941 save percentage.
Rasmus Dahlin and Alex Tuch put their bodies on the line, with both players recording three blocks. Will Butcher pitched in with two of his own.
But Casey Mittelstadt was the real story here. Once again, the star-crossed center showed growth, having now logged nine points in nine games. Ditto for Victor Olofsson, who has five goals in that same time span.
Overall, even in games like what we saw on Tuesday night, the Sabres are finding ways to win against some of the NHL’s best teams. Statistically, the Sabres played poorly, and their poor play has resulted in blowout losses throughout the 2021-22 season.
Since the middle of March 2022, things have been different. Yeah, the Sabres still look completely outmatched at times.
They didn’t look good against Carolina. But they won by two goals. They didn’t look good against the Washington Capitals or the New York Rangers last month, but they still forced overtime.
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The Sabres showed in March 2022 they’re capable of being a better hockey team. And here in April, they’re proving, one game at a time, that March was not another case of fools gold.