Buffalo Sabres one of the better teams in the Atlantic? (Week 3 rankings)
The Buffalo Sabres are coming off of a rough week where they went 1-2. But was that enough for them to keep pace in the Atlantic?
The Buffalo Sabres are gearing up for a Halloween Showdown against the Yzerman-built Detroit Red Wings in what could turn out to be their most anticipated matchup of October 2022. Two teams, two completely different builds, one goal: To gain supremacy over the other.
Given the polar opposites the two teams are, it might just have the makings of a brewing rivalry. But before we dive too deeply into their Halloween Showdown, let’s look at where each team ranks in the Atlantic.
Did the Buffalo Sabres hold their position? Find out below!
team. 116. . 4-4-2. Previous: 6th. Toronto Maple Leafs. 8
The Toronto Maple Leafs have lost four straight and are so far, looking like the biggest busts in the NHL. Last night, they blew it against the lowly Anaheim Ducks to conclude a road trip that also saw them lose to the San Jose Sharks. They also lost to the Arizona Coyotes earlier this season.
Ottawa Senators. 7. team. 91. . 4-4-0. Previous: 5th
If it wasn’t for the Leafs epic meltdown last week, the Senators would rank eighth instead of seventh. The good news? This team can often beat up on opponents they are supposed to beat. The bad? They can be iffy against the NHL’s better organizations.
6. team. 152. . 5-4-0. Previous: 8th. Montreal Canadiens
Sam Montembeault had a game to remember in Montreal’s big win over the Buffalo Sabres last Thursday. As for an encore, this team went out and put up seven points on St. Louis. The Canadiens, so far, have been a surprise.
team. 72. . 4-2-2. Previous: 3rd. Detroit Red Wings. 5
Detroit is in for a big Halloween night showdown against the Sabres. However, last week was not kind to the Yzerman-built group. They allowed opponents to outscore them 12-5, in what were huge losses to the Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils.
5-4-0. Previous: 7th. Tampa Bay Lightning. 4. team. 23.
No one made a larger jump than the Lightning, who are slowly looking like the championship-caliber Lightning again, and that is bad news for the rest of the Atlantic. Sure, the wins came against San Jose and Anaheim, but it was enough to shift their momentum this past week.
Buffalo Sabres. 3. team. 12. . 5-3-0. Previous: 4th
The Buffalo Sabres stagnated last week, but an epic win over the Chicago Blackhawks in the most Sabres-like way to win over the Hawks redeemed them to remain in the top half of the rankings for at least another week. Now the question bodes, can they get back on track?
5-3-1. Previous: 2nd. Florida Panthers. 2. team. 97.
The Florida Panthers saw their struggles last week, but they also scored a statement win against the Senators. This is a team that I predicted would see some waves and troughs early in the season, but would eventually pan out into one of the NHL’s better squads.
8-1-0. Previous: 1st. Boston Bruins. 1. team. 70.
When you outscore opponents 9-1 in your last two games while riding a five-game winning streak, you’re getting a high ranking. And somehow, even with an injured team supposedly past its prime, the Boston Bruins have been taking name after name. Until further notice, this team ranks #1.
Related Story. When the Sabres last won after trailing by two goals. light
Sure, the Buffalo Sabres finished just 1-2-0 last week, barely winning the game they won. But given the way the entire Atlantic Division played, they moved up one notch, and if they find ways to win, they will remain even-keel. But just for the record, I wasn’t the only one moving the Sabres up, so let’s not write this one off as favoritism.
Want your voice heard? Join the Sabre Noise team!