The Buffalo Sabres let one get away from them last night against the Florida Panthers, once again plunging their playoff hopes into microscopic territory.
With six games to go, the Buffalo Sabres have little chance to pull off the unthinkable and earn a trip to the playoffs. The upside in all this? They might finally have a goaltender in Devon Levi, but let’s remain cautiously optimistic: The kid has played in just two games, and opponents have little film on him.
Anyway, it’s possible Levi gets at least two more starts, depending on what head coach Don Granato and Company decide to do. And despite his small sample size, he’s been the Sabres best goaltender, posting a 0.942 save percentage and a 1.98 GAA.
But let’s assume for a second, until we hear otherwise, that Levi logs two starts, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen gets another two, and Eric Comrie gets two as well. How will the Sabres fare in the last six games? Let’s predict.
Predicting the Buffalo Sabres final six contests of 2023
Game One, or better yet, Game 77, comes against the Detroit Red Wings, a team the Sabres beat three times this season. Twice, they topped Detroit by three goals, and I see no reason why they won’t do the same here. Buffalo wins it, 5-2 and sweeps the team built in free agency and trades – perhaps Steve Yzerman should learn a thing or two from Kevyn Adams, right?
The next game comes against the Carolina Hurricanes, a team that’s on the verge of sweeping Buffalo. Unfortunately, I see it happening, and the ‘Canes beat the Sabres by at least two goals, keeping the Blue and Gold at 83 points.
Game 79 features a road outing against the New York Rangers, and Buffalo skates away with a point, but they can’t complete the comeback in overtime, losing the high-scoring affair we thought we’d have gotten from these two teams over their first pair of matchups.
The Sabres skate into New Jersey next, and they stun the Devils, keeping what is now their meager playoff hopes alive, and snagging their 86th point. On April 13th, they travel to Ottawa, and the Blue and Gold narrowly defeat the Senators before they crush the Columbus Blue Jackets in the season finale.
This ends the season at 4-1-1, but unfortunately, they fall short of the playoffs for the 12th straight season. The upside in all this? I’m projecting their first 90-point outing since 2010-11.
(Info provided by Hockey-Reference and ESPN.com)