The Buffalo Sabres are 9-3-2 following their eight-game losing streak in November, but as a young team, there is no guarantee they keep this up.
The Buffalo Sabres are 16-14-2 (34 points) and right in the thick of things in December. Given their high-octane ways, the Blue and Gold have shown they can hang with even the league’s best teams. So will they keep winning? The odds are getting higher, and here are three reasons why.
1 – Improved goaltender play
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s play has been outstanding over the past few contests, and Craig Anderson has looked remarkable all season. Given the better play from the Buffalo Sabres goaltenders, it gives them better odds to win more than most critics anticipate.
This is a bigger if, because Luukkonen has only had about three outstanding games and the others have been subpar at best. Further, Anderson is 41, and he can hit a wall at any time, while Eric Comrie has not shown much. But if only two of their goaltenders keep playing well, the Sabres could be going places.
2 – Scoring
Even amidst an extended break, the Buffalo Sabres are still the NHL’s highest scoring team with 127 goals in 32 games. The Blue and Gold have scored five or more goals on 12 different occasions this season, and if you do the math that’s over one-third of their contests.
This team proved they can score on anyone, and it has allowed them to beat opponents that are better on paper, and more experienced. If the Sabres keep up their high-scoring ways, expect them to keep winning consistently.
3 – Young hockey team
This one may sound ironic, since being a young team is also a weakness. However, younger teams that have some NHL experience won’t wear down as much as experienced teams later in games. With fresher legs on the ice than the rest of the NHL, the Buffalo Sabres can theoretically outlast their opponents come March and April.
We saw this occur last season when the Sabres finished 16-9-3 in March and April 2022. They got healthy, but their youth let them outlast older opponents as the season reached its twilight.
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