The Buffalo Sabres open November 2022 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, one of the league’s most stable and model franchises.
Despite the Buffalo Sabres strong 6-3-0 start to the season, we must remember that they kicked off 2019-20 at 9-2-2, and 2021-22 at 5-2-1. We know how both seasons turned out, and while there are different vibes this year with a more stable situation than in years’ past, kicking off November 2022 with a win will help keep the momentum rolling.
Standing in their way is a Pittsburgh Penguins team that, on paper, the Sabres should have no trouble beating. Ask me if this would have been the case one month ago and I would have said the exact opposite, given the Pens sheer talent, even if their top three players are aging.
But get this: The Penguins have yet to beat a team the Sabres played in 2022 – They not only finished 0-4 on the same exact road trip the Blue and Gold took; they were outscored 18-6. Then they returned home and blew a lead to none other to the Boston Bruins, losing in OT, and dropping to 4-4-2 on the season.
Buffalo Sabres have no excuse to lose tonight’s contest
While it’s true the Sabres are still a young team that will see their fair share of pitfalls this season, they also have excuse to lose at home to a struggling team like the Penguins. For starters, this is a team that has allowed 24 goals (4.8 GAA) over their previous four contests.
And while the Sabres struggled to get anything in the net against the Montreal Canadiens last week, they also went on a scoring frenzy over their last four periods (plus overtime), sinking 11 goals in that span. In other words, the Sabres have been red hot, and aggressive with taking 40-plus shots at the net over their last three games.
They also outscored opponents 37 to 25 (4.1 to 2.8 on average) in October. While the Penguins will likely get it together and the Sabres, given their lack of experience, could stumble as the season progresses, Buffalo is firing on all cylinders at the moment as the Pens are stuck trying to righten the ship. There are no excuses in tonight’s contest, that’s for sure.
(Data provided by Hockey-Reference)
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