We are less than a month away from the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. It'll be exciting when the Winter Games take place because that also means the NHL will be taking part in them for the first time since 2014. The Buffalo Sabres have a couple of Olympians who will take place in the festivities. Before that, they have some business to take care of.
The next two weeks will be VITAL
The next two weeks could determine the Sabres season. Even though it's only January and going into February, they could tell us a lot about this team. Buffalo has been one of the hottest teams in the league as of late. In their last 10 games, the team is 7-2-1. Overall, Buffalo is currently sitting in the second wild-card spot at 26-15-5 with 57 points.
In a tight Eastern Conference, the Sabres need to get as many victories and points as they can. Talking about the next 10 games, Buffalo is on the road for seven of those games. This week, the Sabres will have a back-to-back in Carolina and then in Nashville. After a day off, they will be in Montreal, then in New York for a meeting with the Islanders two days after the Canadiens matchup.
Before coming home for two games against the Los Angeles Kings and Canadiens, Buffalo has a tilt with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Turning the calendar to February, the Sabres will have another back-to-back with the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning and will head into the Olympic break hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Why are the next two weeks vital?
Again, it's early but these games could determine whether or not Buffalo is a playoff team. It's also vital because most of the games are on the road and the Sabres are 10-10-2 away from Buffalo (16-6-3 at home). They will also be without Josh Norris as he is week-to-week, according to head coach Lindy Ruff, after being diagnosed originally as day-to-day.
In a very tight conference, every point matters. Even though the playoffs are still a few months away, we are entering the territory of games that could matter down the line. We will see what kind of team the Sabres are and hopefully, we have a reason to be happy heading into the Winter Games.