The Bleacher Report listed the Buffalo Sabres as one of the top ten NHL teams under the most pressure. And their reasoning is nothing short of hilarious.
Sara Civian of Bleacher Report ranked the 10 NHL teams that they believed were under the most pressure in 2023-24, and the Buffalo Sabres clocked in at number four. They joined Atlantic Division rivals like the Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, and the number one team on the list, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Civian gave detailed reasoning for why they chose nine of the 10 teams, writing between two and three blocks of paragraphs to back up their claims. Note, I said nine of the 10 teams, because for the Blue and Gold, their reasoning was just a comical two-and-a-half lines that sums up what every Sabres fan is feeling at the moment:
"“For the love of God, you guys, please just do the thing this time. You’ve put us all through more than enough. Get to the playoffs and we shall never speak of this again.” – via Bleacher Report"
Buffalo Sabres, fans, desperate to see team make the playoffs in 2023-24
Unfortunately for the Sabres, they liked to fold when under pressure last season. It’s one reason their home record was so miserable, finishing with just a modest 17-20-4, which included one of their worst losses in recent memory when they allowed 10 goals vs. the Dallas Stars, a team Civian ranked seventh on their list.
The loss to Dallas occurred not even two weeks after the Sabres saw themselves in the WC2 spot in the Atlantic Division standings. And during that stretch between March 2nd and March 21st, the Blue and Gold’s most important of the season, they limped to a 2-7-2 record before finally turning things around and finishing the year 9-2-1.
But that cold stretch in March was too much for the red-hot Buffalo Sabres to overcome in the final week of the month and throughout the final 12 games in April. And this season, things won’t get any easier, as Civian is correct: the Sabres are and should be under pressure, and that pressure begins when the puck drops on opening night in October.
There are also no excuses, as Buffalo has an ultra-talented group of forwards, even with Jack Quinn slated to miss a few months, along with an improved rotation on the blue line. And while their goaltenders (for now) are young and inexperienced, they’ve more than shown NHL-caliber talent, especially Devon Levi.
Source: Ranking the 10 NHL Teams Under the Most Pressure Next Season by Sara Civian, BleacherReport.com