The Buffalo Sabres didn’t get off to an ideal start to their 2023-24 season, so how badly does it reflect in the first Atlantic Division Power Ranking?
The Buffalo Sabres dropped their home and road openers last week, so they’re looking for redemption in Week 2 of what is still a young season. But, given the early returns the Blue and Gold have shown, did they find their way back into the Atlantic Division’s basement for a week?
Below, you will find our first edition of the 2023-24 Atlantic Division Power Rankings. Like last year, after each week of the season, we’ll mix up these rankings, telling you who’s hot, who’s going downhill, and who may be in a position to skyrocket.
So where did the Sabres land in our first edition? Keep reading to find out where the Blue and Gold stand among their Atlantic Division peers.
Where do the Buffalo Sabres stand in the Atlantic?
8 – Tampa Bay Lightning
One thing saving the Sabres from the eighth spot in these rankings is the fact the Tampa Bay Lightning allowed 11 goals in their previous two contests, exposing the weakness that everyone was afraid of. With Andrei Vasilevskiy on the shelf for a while, the Lightning must find a way to make life easier on their goaltenders.
7 – Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres looked awful in their first game of the season, but did everything right in Periods 2 and 3 in what was a narrow loss to the New York Islanders. That performance was another reason they got a (narrow) nod at seventh instead of eighth.
6 – Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers opened their season allowing the Minnesota Wild to shut them out. Then they turned around and allowed six goals against the Winnipeg Jets in a performance that many of us were anticipating thanks to the losses of Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad.