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Buffalo Sabres have nothing to be ashamed of in 2022-23

By Sion Fawkes |
Apr 11, 2023; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt (37) celebrates with right wing Alex Tuch (89) after a goal by left wing Jeff Skinner (not pictured) during the second period against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 11, 2023; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt (37) celebrates with right wing Alex Tuch (89) after a goal by left wing Jeff Skinner (not pictured) during the second period against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

What the pundits around the NHL said was going to happen to the Buffalo Sabres this season was a stark contrast to what really occurred in 2022-23. 

So, this is how it ends for the Buffalo Sabres in 2022-23. A 6-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils in a game where the Blue and Gold played better than the score indicated, as they generated plenty of chances in this one. And while the playoff drought extends to 12 seasons, there is definitely light at the end of this lengthy tunnel.

This season was all about development, and it’s safe to say the Sabres overachieved, having boasted the youngest roster in the league for most of the year. And, in hindsight, we will remember 2022-23 as a year when the Sabres accomplished a lot for the first time in over a decade, sans making the playoffs.

To be honest, that’s about the only drought they didn’t end this season. So while there will be no playoffs, it’s fun to be a Sabres fan again, and hey, they can still reach a few more milestones over the last two games of the year.

Buffalo Sabres accomplished A LOT in 2022-23

Want a shortlist of what Buffalo accomplished this year? Here’s a rundown:

  • Four players with 30 goals or more
  • 80-plus points for the first time since 2015-16
  • 40-plus wins for the first time since 2010-11 (the last time the team made the playoffs)
  • A player with 90-plus points
  • The fifth-highest team in scoring at the time of this writing with 285 goals
  • And a goaltender who will be a sensation when he plays a full season in 2023-24

I know I’m missing a lot here, but this is just what I can name via memory. And come next season, this team is, for the most part, going to have one more year’s worth of experience playing together, so you can expect them to augment all of the above numbers, even if they get younger overall with the potential of some dynamic prospects coming up through the pipeline.

Hot. 3 players who Sabres are finished with when season ends. light

Oh, and speaking of some of those prospects, there’s still the Calder Cup Playoffs that they will be playing in. So while the Sabres are now out of it, we’re still going to watch some playoff hockey this season – with at least a couple of future Sabres looking to make a run.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)

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