The Buffalo Sabres finished a meager 17-20-4 at home in 2022-23, but their road record was a polar opposite. Here is how well they played.
After accumulating 91 points this season, the Buffalo Sabres best since they last made the playoffs in 2010-11, 53 of those points came on the road. For the league’s youngest hockey team, such a feat is far from the case, as inexperienced groups tend to struggle on the road in harsh environments while they pick up most of their wins on home ice.
But the Sabres were so good in other arenas that their 53 points trailed only the 2006-07 team, who snagged 54 on road trips and a league-best 113 points. So yes, if you’re assuming that the Sabres finished first among non-playoff teams this season in road points, you’re absolutely correct, as no other non-playoff team scored over 48 points (Calgary Flames) on the road this season.
They also finished with a higher points total in away games than seven teams battling it out for the Stanley Cup. That said, their road performance was nothing short of historic, and it was the highest among any non-playoff team since the 2015-16 Boston Bruins, who also recorded 53 points.
Can the Buffalo Sabres keep up their road success heading into 2023-24?
What impressed me the most regarding the Sabres road success was their ability to constantly reset the body clock during their Western Conference road trips. It started in October when Buffalo upset the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames, before they ultimately finishied 3-1, setting the stage for what was to come.
Buffalo ended up finishing 12-2-2 on the road against the West. Overall, it was quite a remarkable showing when the team played in different time zones.
Now that you know just how dominant this team was away from home, let’s ask the burning question on everyone’s mind: Can the Blue and Gold repeat their road success in 2023-24?
While there will be some new faces on the Sabres next season, there is no reason to believe this team won’t continue to succeed on the road since they will have virtually the same group in place. I’m looking for sustained success in opposing arenas next season, and if the Sabres figure out how to win at home, then there is little doubt they will forge their spot in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Bold Prediction: Of course, this is the time of year when it’s normal to make a plethora of bold predictions. For our Buffalo Sabres, I’m going to get even bolder and claim that the 2023-24 team will break the record the 2006-07 group set 16 seasons ago. We will find out if the Blue and Gold have it in them this time next year.
Source: Mike Harrington: Sabres thrived on the road and now have to figure out the homefront by Mike Harrington, BuffaloNews.com.
(Further information provided by Hockey-Reference)