The Buffalo Sabres did something that confirms they are a team on the rise: They beat another franchise seemingly at their talent level. Twice!
The Buffalo Sabres pulled out the brooms this weekend and swept the Philadelphia Flyers in two exciting contests. It was a milestone series of victories for the Sabres, whose expectations have risen since they started playing playoff contenders well.
Now that the Sabres are slowly proving their recent stint in March and April has been no fluke, we’re getting closer to confidently claiming this team no longer ranks among the league’s bottom tier. So while they set a record in futility with an 11th-straight season without a playoff berth, things are looking up. Way up.
This team is young, with not a single defensemen in yesterday’s lineup over age 25. They will also see a youth movement next season at forward where Jack Quinn and J.J. Peterka, among others on the Rochester Americans, will compete for a spot.
And we can’t forget about the youngsters already playing and succeeding at the NHL level. That young talent includes forwards like:
- Tage Thompson
- Alex Tuch
- Dylan Cozens
- Victor Olofsson (pending he re-signs)
- Peyton Krebs
If the Sabres give Casey Mittelstadt and Rasmus Asplund another chance to prove themselves and they remove their respective bust labels, the Sabres will then become one of the hottest young teams in the NHL next season.
Overall, the Sabres have a young core of talent that has really come together in recent weeks. And expect that development to continue into October 2022.
The weekend double-header versus the Flyers saw three distinct improvements the Sabres can build upon over their final four games of the season. And improvements the team can take away from the double-header and will eventually turn into a strength on a nightly basis.
What were those takeaways versus Philadelphia? Keep reading to find out more.