Buffalo Sabres burning questions for Week 10 involves one upstart team

The Buffalo Sabres might be facing the 2023-24 version of what they were last season, but that’s not the only major question for Week 10. 

The Buffalo Sabres are facing quite a few burning questions in Week 10, and given their overall inconsistencies, you can argue this team still has more questions than answers. But, they played this trio of teams well on the road last season, and they have also gotten pretty good at pulling off shockers against the NHL’s best.

So perhaps a stint on the road against some of the most talented teams in the Western Conference is exactly what the Sabres need. That, and the fact they may be playing a group every bit as surprising as they were just a season ago highlight this week’s burning questions.

Burning questions for the Buffalo Sabres in Week 10 of 2023-24

1 – How will the Sabres fare facing the 2023-24 surprise team?

Last season, the Sabres came out of nowhere and nearly made the playoffs, surprising the NHL in the process. This year, they appear to have passed the torch to the Arizona Coyotes, who currently have 28 points and sit in fourth place in the Central Division.

With an average age of 26.8, Arizona is one of the league’s youngest teams. And while they don’t have the same high-octane identity that the Sabres boasted to fuel their surprise run, the Coyotes are a consistent hockey team, sitting 13th and 12th in goals for and against, respectively.

2 – Will the Sabres pull off an improbable sweep?

The Sabres looked like a team ready to tap out early this season before they turned around and shut out the Colorado Avalanche. Like the Blue and Gold, the Avs have struggled so far in December, posting an identical 1-3-1 record, so maybe Buffalo can catch them on another off-night.

If that’s the case, then the Sabres may pull off arguably their most improbable upset sweep of the season. And if they can rediscover what made them so successful against the Western Conference on the road last year, perhaps they stun more than just Colorado, and it’s something we will discuss next.

3 – Will the Sabres rediscover their magic from last season’s road trips?

Last season, the Buffalo Sabres boasted a 12-2-2 record inside arenas of teams in the Western Conference. These included several improbable upsets, including wins against the Avalanche, Coyotes, and Golden Knights in three straight games by a combined score of 12 to 6.

These were back-to-back-to-back contests that occurred between December 15th and December 19th, so perhaps the Buffalo Sabres can rediscover that magic during a pivotal time of the year. To do that, they must once again find what made those road trips so much fun, and that may catapult them to once again return to the City of Good Neighbors with a few more wins.

(Statistics and information provided by Hockey-Reference)