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Buffalo Sabres Bad Memories: The 2014-15 debacle

By Sion Fawkes |
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 23: Nikita Zadorov #51 of the Buffalo Sabres plays during the game against the Los Angeles Kings during the second period against the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center on October 23, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 23: Nikita Zadorov #51 of the Buffalo Sabres plays during the game against the Los Angeles Kings during the second period against the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center on October 23, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

The Buffalo Sabres saw their worst stretch in franchise history in the 2010s. And 2014-15 may have been their worst season of the decade. 

The 2014-15 Buffalo Sabres were about as opposite of the legendary 2005-06 team as you could get. Like the 2005-06 Sabres, the 2014-15 version faced long odds to win the Stanley Cup, ranking higher than only the Florida Panthers and Calgary Flames.

So how bad was the team head coach Ted Nolan led? They finished dead last in the league with 161 goals for (1.96 per game) and 29th out of 30 teams with 274 goals allowed (3.34). Their best scorer, Tyler Ennis, put up a “whopping” 46 points, 20 goals, and 26 assists.

And like the 2021-22 team, their carousel of five different goaltenders didn’t help. Of the group, Anders Lindback may have been the best, compiling a 2.76 GAA and a 0.924 save percentage. Which really isn’t saying much, as Lindback never played in another NHL game after the 2015-16 season.

Some call the 2014-15 Buffalo Sabres the worst team in franchise history.

Overall, this team finished the year 23-51-8 (54 points). But if you think their end result is bad, it is nothing compared to how poorly this team played between January and April 2015. During the first three months of the season, the Sabres compiled a 14-21-3 record. Not good, but nothing compared to what was to come.

Fast-forward to between January and April 2015, and the Sabres went 9-30-5 (23 points). This included a 14-game losing streak between December 30th, 2014, and February 2nd, 2015. They lost four games in a row on six different occasions, and five games in a row on four.

You may be reading this article and think to yourself, By how many points did the Sabres finish behind the 29th-place team. In all honesty, as bad as this team was, they finished just two points out of 29th place, with the Arizona Coyotes having compiled 56 points.

But the Sabres (-113) goal differential was by far the worst in the league, with only the Coyotes coming close with (-102). As for goal differential in the Eastern Conference? The Toronto Maple Leafs, (-51), finished second to the Sabres.

When you look at these dreary numbers, it is easy to conclude that this was one of the worst teams in the NHL. But how does an NHL team get so bad? Well, they reportedly tanked in an attempt to receive the first overall pick for the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

Buffalo Sabres Good Season: The 2005-06 Playoff Run. light. Related Story

They had their eyes on Connor McDavid, who has since evolved into one of the league’s premier players. Instead, the Edmonton Oilers won the draft lottery, relegating the Sabres to the second pick. They settled on Jack Eichel, and we all know how that one turned out.

Article Source: A Look at NHL Playoff Droughts Part 1: New Jersey Devils, Anaheim to Buffalo by John Fischer

(Statistics and historical data provided by Hockey-Reference)

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