Last season, the Buffalo Sabres did not let anyone in the Eastern Conference sweep them, and this year, they will go two for two.
Ask any professional athlete, and they will make it clear that you can’t take anyone lightly and expect to twin. So for a young team like the Buffalo Sabres to avoid a season sweep last season against everyone in their own conference is nothing short of amazing.
There were some close calls, however, as they didn’t score wins against the Philadelphia Flyers or Carolina Hurricanes until April. They also dropped their first two games to the Toronto Maple Leafs before snagging a win against their rival north of the border on March 13th.
This season, the Sabres repeat, but they will beat everyone in the Eastern Conference at least once before April 2024. The Blue and Gold play the Washington Capitals twice in the season’s closing month, once on the second, and again on the 11th. So for this to become a reality, they must beat Alexander Ovechkin and Company during their initial meeting of the year.
Buffalo Sabres avoid season sweeps in 2023-24 and then some…
Since we’re all counting on the Sabres to climb another rung on the NHL ladder, let’s get even bolder with this take. Not only will Buffalo avoid a season sweep against any of their division rivals or intra-conference opponents, but they will also win at least eight season series against the other 15 Eastern Conference teams.
This means they will take either a 3-1-0 or 2-1-1 win over several of their division rivals, and an overall winning record against their remaining two rivals and conference opponents. The wins will set this team up to be in a prime position to solidify themselves as a wild card contender, and it’s highly possible they can break into the Atlantic Division’s top three.
Now the question remains: Can the Buffalo Sabres accomplish the same thing vs. the Western Conference and avoid a season sweep from anyone altogether?
(Historical data provided by Hockey-Reference)