The Buffalo Sabres are the NHL’s highest-scoring team with 124 goals in 31 contests. And they have five players on pace for 82 points this year.
The Buffalo Sabres are a night and day difference in December 2022 than they were this time last season. where they had just 85 goals in their first 31 games, or 2.74 per contest. They were also 10-16-5 (25 points), and gearing for yet another 82-game season before watching the playoffs from home.
That isn’t the case this year. Not only are the Sabres leading the NHL in scoring, they are 15-14-2 (32 points), and at least somewhat close to wild card contention as the season inches toward its halfway mark.
They also have five players who are on pace for at least 82 points. If the Blue and Gold keep this pace going, I don’t know if they will make the playoffs, but they will go down as having one of the better scoring teams in franchise history. Let’s meet these five players.
5 Buffalo Sabres scoring at least one point per game
It starts with Tage Thompson, who leads the team with 49 points in 31 contests. This puts one of the NHL’s best scorers on pace for 130 points. He has 25 goals and 24 assists since October 2022, and remember, he got off to a slow start to begin the season.
When Rasmus Dahlin knocked down five goals in the first five games of 2022, you knew he was in for a remarkable year. Dahlin has just five goals since, but his 27 assists and 37 points has him on pace for 100 this year. He has a chance to set a new career high in goals scored by the All-Star break, needing just four more at the time of this writing.
Jeff Skinner returned from a three-game suspension to add to his point total. Through 28 games, he has 35 points, putting him on pace for 99 in 79 games. Skinner’s contract has long been the subject of scrutiny, but he is slowly erasing that narrative.
Alex Tuch is on pace for 93 points, as he also has put up 35, but in 31 contests. Tuch arrived in November 2021 in the Jack Eichel Trade, and he has since become one of the cornerstones on the Buffalo Sabres.
Finally, Dylan Cozens has 31 in 31, putting him within striking distance of his career high 38 points. Like Dahlin, Cozens can potentially set a new high in goals scored. He has 11 this season, and only needs three more to break the mark. If Cozens keeps up his overall pace, he will score 82 points.
Overall, the Buffalo Sabres have become a force to be reckoned with. And since their losing streak ended on November 19th, they have also once again become one of the NHL’s most exciting teams to watch.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)
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