We thought the Buffalo Sabres faced their toughest test in March and April 2022 when they squared off with nearly two-dozen playoff-caliber teams.
But that was a lie. The Buffalo Sabres didn’t always look good against the NHL’s upper-echelon. However, they won more games than even the most loyal fans would have expected them to win. Including three blowout victories over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In the season’s final slate of games, the Sabres will play:
- Philadelphia Flyers (twice)
- New Jersey Devils
- New York Islanders
- Boston Bruins
- Chicago Blackhawks
Buffalo Sabres close out the season with high expectations
Three of the above five teams are among the NHL’s worst, while the Islanders are about on-par with the Sabres. Only the Bruins are true playoff contenders, but they have struggled recently.
So why is this such a tough test? Because after the Sabres held their own most of the time against the NHL’s best, they now need to prove they can beat teams they’re supposed to beat. And you should expect them to win every single one of the above games.
The Sabres need to show that they don’t play down to their competition. They also can’t afford to find themselves in a 4-0 hole as they had against the Chicago Blackhawks last month. While the Sabres won in the most dramatic way, they need to make quick work out of the NHL’s basement dwellers.
When the Sabres took on their gauntlet of playoff teams starting on March 2nd of this year, we hoped for a couple of upsets and for the team to keep games close. They exceeded expectations, so it’s only normal to expect more from the Sabres.
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Ironically, facing the league’s worst teams serves as a greater challenge than facing the NHL’s best. But the Sabres need to realize that the more they win, the more we as a fanbase expect them to win. And in these final six games, losing is not an option.