Improved Buffalo Sabres gaining some much-needed points

This time last month, the Buffalo Sabres were losing games like these in regulation. Now, they are at least getting a point in overtime losses. 

This time last month, the Buffalo Sabres were losing these close games outright. In the past two weeks, they have two overtime losses, and those OTL points will add up when the playoff races get hotter.

While losing is never fun, walking away with a point at least accounts for something in the NHL. And if the Sabres were still walking away with nothing at all, they wouldn’t find themselves in contention very long. That said, I’ll take the point in an overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins where the Blue and Gold was forced to play shorthanded.

Buffalo Sabres getting OTL’s is a step in the right direction

Ideally, you need to win games to ultimately stay competitive in the NHL. But at the absolute least, you need to at least find a way to gain a point when you can. It was something the Buffalo Sabres could have used during their eight-game losing streak in November, which pushed them toward the Atlantic Division’s basement.

So with two OTLs in the last two weeks, let’s call it a step in the right direction. The OTL leaves the Sabres with 26 points, and just two behind the Montreal Canadiens for the next rung in the Atlantic. It also gives them a more comfortable margin against Ottawa.

But imagine had just two of the Blue and Gold’s eight losses during the streak been OTLs. That would put the Sabres at 28 points, and tied for the sixth spot in the Atlantic at the moment, with a chance to not only jump ahead of Montreal, but also a chance to sit on the same rung as the Florida Panthers for fifth should they win tomorrow night’s matchup.

It just shows you how important attaining a single point is, even if the team doesn’t snag the W. Now that the Sabres are getting some OTLs under their belt, it only shows that the arrow continues to point North.

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