How the Buffalo Sabres fared against the Red Wings in 2022-23

How did the Buffalo Sabres fare against one of their divisional opponents? Here’s how they did against the Detroit Red Wings.

Coming into the 2022-23 regular season, the Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings were in the same boat. Both teams were expected to miss the postseason while going through a transition period. So, how did the Sabres fare against one of their Atlantic Division rivals? Spoiler alert, pretty good.

Buffalo and Detroit saw each other four times during last season. The first meeting took place in Buffalo on Halloween Night. Tage Thompson scored the only goal in the first period before Detroit tied the game not even two minutes into the second period.

The Sabres scored three straight goals before the Red Wings would make it a 4-2 game heading into the final 20 minutes. After Dylan Larkin made it 4-3, the Sabres lead was evaporating. How fitting the game was on Halloween because the Red Wings gave the Sabres a scare.

Buffalo showed no fear as they would cruise to an 8-3 victory which saw Thompson getting a hat trick. The next time these two teams would see each other would be on the final day of November in Detroit.

Buffalo Sabres took it to the Detroit Red Wings in 2022-23

The Red Wings opened the scoring early on, but two Sabres goals had them holding the lead after the first period. Buffalo scored two more goals to take a 4-1 lead heading into the final 20 minutes of play.

Unfortunately for the Sabres, they would let the Red Wings score three unanswered goals forcing the game to be decided in an overtime or shootout. Buffalo got the shootout victory thanks to Jack Quinn scoring the only goal.

One month later, the third meeting took place back in Buffalo. For the first 40 minutes, it was all Buffalo and the Sabres had a 5-0 lead after period number two. Just like the last two meetings, Detroit would not go away as they scored three straight goals to make it 5-3.

Ukko Pekka Luukkonen shut the door and Kyle Okposo got a hat trick as the Sabres won the game 6-3. After seeing each other once during the first three months of the season, the final matchup took place in April back in Detroit.

This game was a crazy one. It featured tons of scoring, multiple lead changes and feistiness. There were five goals scored in the first period and the Buffalo Sabres had the 3-2 lead going into the second period.

After Zemgus Girgensons made it 4-2, Detroit evened it up before the second period came to an end. During the first few minutes of the third period, Buffalo got its two goal lead back but it wouldn’t last as the Red Wings once again forced an overtime.

No goals were scored in the 3-on-3 overtime and once again, these two teams would need a shootout to determine the winner. Just like the last shootout, Buffalo emerged as the winner and they swept the season series.

It’s funny how both games in Buffalo were comfortable victories and both games in Detroit needed a shootout. There were two themes in the season series, the Red Wings made it hard at one point and all games were physical.

Get used to the physicality. As I mentioned earlier on in the article, these two teams are in similar phases and will be going at it for years to come.

(Historical data provided by Hockey-Reference)