Atlantic Division Power Ranking Week 23: Buffalo Sabres rise again
By Sion Fawkes
The Buffalo Sabres had a rough three weeks. But after a solid weekend slate that saw them defeat two tough opponents, they are again on the rise.
The Buffalo Sabres shut out the New York Islanders on Saturday night, stringing together a pair of wins and solid defensive performances in back to back games. Before that, the Blue and Gold were playing so poorly, we could all agree they hovered around the Atlantic Division’s basement.
Today, though, it’s a different story, and the Sabres are once again ascending in these rankings. The question on everyone’s mind – can they continue that ascent?
8 – Detroit Red Wings/31-32-9 (71 points)
As badly as the Sabres looked in recent weeks, the Detroit Red Wings haven’t fared much better. In the offseason, the Yzerman-built Red and White were supposed to take the league by storm, given the additions made via trades and free agency. And that simply never materialized.
7 – Ottawa Senators/35-33-5 (75 points)
The Ottawa Senators scored a huge win over the Tampa Bay Lightning last week. But like the Buffalo Sabres, this team has allowed a lot of goals lately – 40 in their past 10 contests and 45 in their last 11.
6 – Montreal Canadiens/29-38-6 (64 points)
The Montreal Canadiens are last in the Atlantic with 64 points, but they’ve fared better recently than Detroit and Ottawa, scoring wins in two of their previous three games against the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
5 – Buffalo Sabres/35-31-6 (76 points)
The Buffalo Sabres looked terrible between February 28th and March 23rd. But with back-to-back wins over playoff-caliber teams and strong defensive play, the Blue and Gold could be making one last push to end its NHL record playoff drought.
4 – Florida Panthers/36-30-7 (79 points)
The Florida Panthers are on a three-game skid, and they’ve been outscored 14-8 in those three contests. As it stands, Florida is just outside the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders in the playoff race, but they could be on the verge of a late-season collapse.
3 – Tampa Bay Lightning/42-26-6 (90 points)
The Tampa Bay Lightning are also struggling, having dropped their previous four contests. To make matters worse, they haven’t scored over two goals in a single game since their 5-3 win over the Canadiens. However, barring a monumental collapse, they are a playoff team.
2 – Toronto Maple Leafs/44-20-9 (97 points)
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been going back and forth over the past week. They’ve lost by five, they won by four, lost by two, and won by a goal. If Toronto finds consistency this week, they will once again have a chance to end their playoff series drought.
1 – Boston Bruins/57-11-5 (119 points)
Yeah, the Boston Bruins are once again on a tear, having won their last seven. Funnily enough, with their blowout win over our Buffalo Sabres as an outlier, Boston has been winning by narrow margins lately. And that is what you need from a great hockey team.
Related Story. Sabres: Bold predictions for Week 23 (Playoff Push?). light
Overall, the Sabres could have been worse off this week. But two big wins have kept them alive in the playoff race, and if they can sustain that tempo, we might see them crack the top four by season’s end. There are two and a half weeks to go in the year; we will see what they can do.