Buffalo Sabres stand stoic in the power rankings – April 8th 2022
By Sion Fawkes
These days, if the Buffalo Sabres aren’t winning, they’re taking it to the best teams in the NHL.
And their back-to-back matchups versus Carolina show us that the Buffalo Sabres are turning into one of the NHL’s more dominant teams. Well, one of the NHL’s more dominant teams that didn’t make the playoffs. But hey, it’s a step in the right direction for the long-struggling franchise.
So let’s rejoice in these wins and close calls and stop worrying about high draft picks. You can draft a major bust at Number One Overall, and you can draft a future Hall of Famer at Thirty-Two Overall. So, onto the power rankings. Where do the Sabres stack up against the Atlantic?
Buffalo Sabres hold their ground against the Atlantic Division
8. Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings owned a six-game losing streak before they pulled off a massive upset over Boston. However, recent wins by the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators keep them in the Atlantic’s basement.
7. Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens won two of their last three contests by a combined score of 15-14. They may not be a good hockey team, but at least they’re giving their fans some exciting contests.
6. Ottawa Senators
Sure, the Senators played some disheartening hockey in their loss to the Nashville Predators. But in their three-game winning streak, the Sens outscored opponents 16-7.
5. Buffalo Sabres
The bad news is that the Sabres set an NHL record for futility. The good news is a) the Sabres beat the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday and b) fought valiantly in Thursday’s loss to the ‘Canes. Now, let’s see if they can rebound against the Florida Panthers.
4. Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning are a Tale of Two Teams. Sandwiched between two three-game losing streaks sits a four-game winning streak. Who are the real Tampa Bay Lightning?
3. Boston Bruins
The Bruins spent most of March and early April playing inspiring hockey. Then they lost to the Red Wings. Sure, it might just be a bump in the road, but it drops them to three this week.
2. Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs are one of the NHL’s hottest teams right now. On one hand, they couldn’t extend their five-game winning streak. However, the Panthers were responsible for snapping the streak.
1. Florida Panthers
The Panthers are the winners of five straight, scoring a convincing win over the Maple Leafs. Can the Sabres stop them tonight?
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Simply put, the Sabres will not rise any higher in the Atlantic Division power rankings. But they can further grow as a team by fending off those lower-ranked teams that fans now expect them to beat. The loss to the Carolina Hurricanes may hurt, but at least they kept it close enough to maintain the Number Five ranking.