Buffalo Sabres 75 Bold Predictions for 2023-24: Prediction 70

With the regular season now just five days away, it’s time to grow even bolder with the Buffalo Sabres 2023-24 season, so what’s in store today?

Last night, the Buffalo Sabres allowed seven goals in what may have been their ugliest preseason game of the slate. And yeah, I’m being generous with them, but wow, that game gave us flashbacks to plenty of contests last season when the Blue and Gold just looked horrendous defensively at times.

Speaking of defense, many of my recent bold predictions have focused on when the Sabres don’t have the puck, even if they haven’t been doing me many favors lately. But until they look that bad in the regular season, I’m shunting those pitiful defensive performances to one side and focusing on the goods, like going long with Bold Prediction #70.

So for this one, I did some research and found that the Sabres allowed at least seven goals in a single game FOUR TIMES in the month of March alone last season. Yeah, that’s pretty bad if you ask me, and I’m sure you’d agree. But I think you know my 75 In 75 Series by now to have a general idea of where I’m going with this.

Buffalo Sabres allow 7 goals four or fewer times in 2023-24

The Sabres looked horrid defensively from the middle of the second frame and onward in last night’s preseason outing vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins. But with different lines and pairings amidst a group that’s been together for just one game, it was going to be a rough outing.

That said, this team will be fine when they take the ice for real next week and then some. So while I’ll project that they will allow seven goals in a few games, I’ll also go bold and say it won’t be a norm at any time this season, allowing seven goals just four times max across the 82-game slate.

Connor Clifton, Erik Johnson will be alright in the defensive rotation, and the forwards will be okay too. Give them another week to practice together, and you may be surprised to see just how much of a difference that one week can make. And it will, in turn, translate into the entire season.

(Historical data provided by Hockey-Reference)