2022-23 Biggest Surprises: Buffalo Sabres road record vs. the West
The Buffalo Sabres entered 2022-23 as the youngest team in hockey, and young teams traditionally struggle on the road. Or so we thought.
The Buffalo Sabres road record alone was nothing short of spectacular. Not only did they finish a stellar 25-13-3 in opposing arenas; they also nearly set an all-time record for points scored on the road.
Young teams often play better at home, when they have their own crowd cheering them on. But the Blue and Gold were different; so much, they finished a remarkable 12-2-2 in Western Conference arenas, good for 26 points and nearly half of their points total in all road games.
The Sabres foreshadowed just how good they were going to be on Western Conference trips with an upset win over the high-octane Edmonton Oilers in what was likely goaltender Eric Comrie’s best performance of the season.
Buffalo Sabres dominated Western Conference teams on the road in 2022-23
And it didn’t end there, with the Sabres scoring two more big wins over the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks, before they finally fell to the Seattle Kraken – a team they have yet to beat. Buffalo didn’t play in a Western Conference arena again until they faced the Colorado Avalanche on December 15th, winning 4-2, before they wound up sweeping the trip with wins over the Vegas Golden Knights and the Arizona Coyotes.
Buffalo struggled to get anything going in early January, but a trip to Nashville resulted in a 5-3 win, which eventually helped the Sabres get back on track. However, they lost their next road game in heartbreaking fashion to the Chicago Blackhawks in overtime, a team they beat on the road the previous season in what was one of the more bizarre game-winning goals in team history.
After a two-game stint at KeyBank Center that saw the Blue and Gold win both matchups, they finished off the month of January on the road with three straight wins over the Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, and Winnipeg Jets, before they fell in a shootout to the Minnesota Wild.
Buffalo saw their final three road games out west take place in February, shortly after the All-Star break. They unfortunately lost just their second matchup in regulation to the Los Angeles Kings, though they defeated the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks to complete their 12-2-2 stint out west in 2022-23.
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Will the Buffalo Sabres enjoy repeat success in 2023-24? They could, but let’s be honest; that road record in Western Conference arenas will be hard to top.
(Historical data provided by Hockey-Reference)