As the Buffalo Sabres occupied last place in the Eastern Conference in early December there weren't many NHL fans, including those residing in Western New York, who expected the team to emerge as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender just three months later.
One person predicted it, however, and they did so all the way back in 2018.
A resurfaced Twitter post from WGR 550 Radio host Brayton J. Wilson is making people around Buffalo believe in psychic powers:
Had a guy, who called himself a psychic, call me three times today. He told me that the #Bills will win the Super Bowl in 2027, and the #Sabres will win the Stanley Cup in 2026. Take that for what it’s worth.
— Brayton J. Wilson (@BraytonJWilson) July 18, 2018
No team representing the City of Good Neighbors has captured a major sports championship. The closest is the Bills, who won back-to-back AFL titles in 1964 and 1965 before the AFL-NFL merger.
Buffalo has also enjoyed success in other sports, highlighted by the current three-time defending National Lacrosse League champion Bandits, but a Big Four championship has remained elusive.
So, winning two titles over the next 11 months would be quite a reversal of fortune for the city, which has continued to showcase diehard support for the Bills and Sabres despite some lean years over the past few decades.
The 2018 prediction would also mark one of the greatest calls in sports history if it comes true.
Buffalo Sabres are proving they're built for success in the NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs
The Tampa Bay Lightning challenged the Sabres on Sunday night. The Bolts, who won back-to-back Cup titles in 2020 and 2021, tried to bully Buffalo. They constantly attacked the Blue and Gold's best players after the whistle, including Brandon Hagel punching Rasmus Dahlin multiple times from behind, which resulted in a league-maximum $5,000 fine.
It was a test. Could the Sabres, who've shied away from adversity and confrontation for years, finally stand up for themselves and their teammates? They passed with flying colors.
Buffalo didn't back down from Tampa Bay's constant shenanigans. It responded every time in a game that featured over 100 combined penalty minutes.
In addition, a Blue and Gold core that's been criticized in recent years for its mental toughness, watched as a 4-1 transformed into a 6-4 deficit as the Bolts rattled off five straight goals. There's no chance the group would have overcome that onslaught in previous seasons.
Sunday night proved things have changed. The Sabres battled back, scoring the Game of the Year contender's final three goals to secure a memorable 8-7 victory to take over first place in the Atlantic Division.
One of Buffalo's trade deadline acquisitions, center Sam Carrick, was among those who fought against the Lightning. Others who have yet to debut, including Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn, were additions aimed at making the club tougher to play against, too.
Winning in the regular season is one thing, and the Sabres' incredible ascension (28-5-2 over their past 35 games) deserves plenty of praise, but a deep playoff run will require that and more.
It was fair to wonder whether the Blue and Gold would be up to the challenge. Their takedown of the Lightning, literally and figuratively, showed their ready for the intense battles ahead.
Does that mean the Sabres are going to win the Stanley Cup this season? Probably not. The East is loaded, which is going to create a gauntlet for the first three rounds, and, while the West isn't as strong, it features a couple elite teams in the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars.
Then again, who are we to doubt a psychic?