3 wild predictions for the Buffalo Sabres first road trip in 2022

The Buffalo Sabres will travel north of the border to kick off their first road trip in 2022, with the Edmonton Oilers as the first game on the slate. 

The Buffalo Sabres split in their first homestand of the season, winning 4-1 against a solid Ottawa Senators team before narrowly losing to an elite Florida Panthers squad. While the Sabres still have their struggles in some key areas, their 7:5 goals for to goals allowed ratio indicates they are a much-improved team over last season.

But things will not be easy for them as they head to Edmonton to face the Oilers before dates with the Calgary Flames and the Vancouver Canucks. They will ultimately travel south to face the Seattle Kraken, a team that is still trying to foster its identity. So what can we expect from the Sabres for their first road trip? Here are three wild predictions.

1 – Buffalo Sabres pull off (at least) one upset

It will come against either Edmonton or Calgary, but these Sabres loved playing spoiler last season. I’m going to have some fun and say they upset the Flames much in the same way as they did last season.

Maybe not in shutout fashion. But they will take the game into overtime and edge out their friends in the Western Conference, and I use the term friends lightly. It will give the Sabres momentum for the second half of the trip.

2 – Sabres goaltenders combine for a 0.920 save percentage

Goaltenders Craig Anderson and Eric Comrie combined for roughly a 0.930 save percentage and a 2.5 GAA in the season’s opening contest. So far, they are proving doubters wrong, but it’s still early enough for things to change.

And while they will face some teams with a high-scoring potential this week, look for the Sabres goalies to continue their strong play. Not that they will win every game, but expect them to keep things manageable.

3 – Tage Thompson shines with one point per game

Tage Thompson didn’t get a chance to show much in the first two games, so you will see him generate more opportunities this week. Thompson, however, did show what he was capable of doing in the preseason, taking over games against competition that he should have been able to push around, even going as far as to record a Gordie Howe Hat Trick.

Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves, though. Tage doesn’t need any more of them, and I won’t predict it. He will, however, go on his first of many hot streaks this season against some top-tier competition in Edmonton and Calgary, and the Canucks are also no slouches.

Overall, look for another set of solid performances as the Buffalo Sabres continue to show they are one rung ahead on the ladder over last season. And I am projecting they win at least two of these road trip affairs and return to Buffalo with five points.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)