April 2023: Will the Buffalo Sabres end the drought?

The Buffalo Sabres figure to be a better team in 2022-23, but they will still be on the outside and looking in come April. 

In March 2023, I projected the Buffalo Sabres to finish the month with an 8-4-3 record, which is identical to what they achieved in March 2022. If you followed my predictions and Zach’s predictions from the get-go, we both have the Sabres out there in outer orbit of the playoff race, where I personally have them standing at 38-25-12 (88 points) after 75 games.

Clearly, 88 points is not going to be enough to cut it in the Eastern Conference, so the only way for the Sabres, based on my predictions, to earn a playoff berth is for them to play mistake-free hockey in April 2023. Plus, they need a few teams in the wild card race to lose some close ones.

How will the Buffalo Sabres finish the 2022-23 season? Here are my April 2023 predictions…

Fortunately for the Sabres, or, a healthy Sabres, they could very well pull off a big finish. They will win two out of three road games to start off the month, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers and the Detroit Red Wings. But, the Sabres will also lose an overtime thriller to the Florida Panthers. This puts them at 2-0-1 to start off the month.

I do see them dropping their penultimate home game to the Carolina Hurricanes and a roadie to the New York Rangers, placing them at 2-2-1. But, I am also projecting back-to-back wins to the New Jersey Devils and Ottawa Senators, so they will finish 4-2-1 for the month.

Month of April Record: 4-2-1 (nine points)

Final Record: 42-27-13 (97 points)

Unfortunately, I doubt this will translate into a playoff berth. But, since the Sabres have spent a lot of time dwelling in or near the basement, this season will offer a sign of growth and hope. No, they don’t make the playoffs in my predictions. But I will say that this will be a successful season nonetheless.