Buffalo Sabres have an opportunity to pull off an early-season upset
By Sion Fawkes
The Buffalo Sabres will finish their mini homestand against a familiar face in Sam Reinhart and his mighty, new-look Florida Panthers.
I have always looked forward to my team heading into a game as heavy underdogs. Not because I want to see them get crushed or anything; but because there is nothing finer than having an opportunity to shock the world and stun the opposition. And that’s exactly what the Buffalo Sabres have going for them on Saturday.
Coming off of a remarkable win against the Ottawa Senators, in which goaltender Craig Anderson played like a man fifteen years his junior, the Sabres get a chance to start the season 2-0-0 against a hot Florida Panthers team. If they can pull this one out, then an early-season, upstart Sabres just put the entire NHL on notice.
The Buffalo Sabres face an opportunistic task against Florida
Last year, the Sabres did not fare so well against Florida, finishing the season 0-4 against their Atlantic Division rival. To make matters worse, Florida outscored Buffalo 22 to 11, averaging 5.05 goals per game while the Sabres averaged just 2.75.
Adding a bit of insult to injury, the Sabres didn’t just lose to a division rival; they also let their former second overall pick, Sam Reinhart, sweep them. And while the trade netted Jiri Kulich and Devon Levi, Reinhart has thus far dominated the Sabres in this one, even if things are looking up for Buffalo in the future.
And despite the Panthers looking like the Presidents’ Trophy winning team they were last season, the Sabres have a roster better equipped to handle the NHL’s best teams, something they proved toward the end of 2021-22, despite the 0-3 finish against the Panthers during the months of March and April.
Must Read. 3 Sabres on the rise after opening night win. light
But now the Sabres, despite being the NHL’s youngest team with an average age of 25, are one season more experienced. And it was on display last night in the 4-1 win over the Ottawa Senators, telling us this young Sabres team can once again hang with some of the NHL’s more talented squads.