Atlantic Division Power Rankings First Edition: Sabres plummeting?
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.
5 – Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens opened the season with a shocking performance in a 6-5 shootout loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. They then won their home-opener vs. the Chicago Blackhawks, so there have been some good vibes early on for the Habs.
4 – Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings split their season-openers this past week, losing their first road game of the year to the New Jersey Devils before they put up six goals on the Lightning. With nine goals for, the Wings sit at eighth in the league, but the eight goals against may foreshadow a cause for concern.
3 – Ottawa Senators
The debate raged on between whether the Buffalo Sabres, Red Wings, or Ottawa Senators would threaten to break the plane and return to the playoffs. Right now, the Sens are your front-runners, reeling off two convincing wins following a 5-3 loss in their season-opener.
2 – Boston Bruins
Last year should have taught us to never underestimate the Boston Bruins, and so far this season, they seem to be coping with their recent losses (in players, not games) perhaps better than everyone. Stellar goaltending has also helped, so early implications tell us Boston may be in it for the long haul.
1 – Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are averaging 6.5 goals per game at the moment, so let’s hope the Sabres can figure out how to play consistent defense before November 4th before the Leafs come to town. And as a bonus, let’s also hope we see more fans of the Blue and Gold taking over the arena that night.
Sabres: 3 bold predictions for Week 2 of the 2023-24 season. light. Related Story
As mentioned earlier, it’s not easy to put too much stock into the first edition of these Atlantic Division Power Rankings simply because there haven’t been enough games played just yet. But if we’re looking at an idea regarding early returns, then this is what we’re rolling with heading into Week 2.
(Statistics and data provided by Hockey-Reference)