The Buffalo Sabres will face a challenging slate of games in November 2022. But they have talent to overcome long odds in the season’s second month.
In my October 2022 projection, I slated the Buffalo Sabres to finish 7-2-0. And as bad as the Sabres have been in recent seasons, they have seen some good fortune in October and/or November. And that trend will continue in 2022-23, as the Sabres will build off of momentum acquired in October.
Many fans, myself included, will be voicing concerns as to whether the Sabres, for once, will be able to play solid hockey for an entire season. Here is the short answer: They can if they stay healthy. Or, this version of the Sabres can, given their youth and overall talent despite relative inexperience.
The Buffalo Sabres will keep winning in November 2022, setting the stage for a challenging December
A home game against the notorious Pittsburgh Penguins is the first contest on the slate, and the Sabres will take this one in overtime. The Penguins are a tough bunch, but in a battle of new and old, the young Sabres team will simply outlast Pittsburgh here in a 3-2 OT win.
Despite my projection that they will keep winning in November, expect back-to-back losses in back-to-back nights against the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning. The good news? One will be an overtime loss.
Next up, we got two teams flying in from the desert: The Arizona Coyotes and Vegas Golden Knights. The Coyotes will serve as the Sabres tune-up opponent for Jack Eichel and the Knights, where Peyton Krebs will steal the puck from Eichel this time and sink a game-winner.
The Sabres will then lose in overtime to the Boston Bruins before they pick up a victory against the Vancouver Canucks. Then, they will travel north of the border with their brooms and sweep a three-game road trip over the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Montreal Canadiens. But it won’t be so easy, as they will go into overtime against Ottawa and Toronto.
Then they got the St. Louis Blues, and the current winning streak will end. But, they will end the month by winning two of their last three games. Give them W’s against the New Jersey Devils and the Detroit Red Wings, but the Tampa Bay Lightning will prove the Sabres, despite their winning ways, are still one rung below the Atlantic Division’s best teams not named the Maple Leafs.
Record at the end of November: 9-3-2 (20 points)
2022-23 Regular Season Record: 16-5-2 (34 points)
Overall, the Buffalo Sabres are looking strong at the end of November. But, you know what their recent history looks like. So their 16-5-2 run will mean nothing if they can’t carry this momentum into December.