Buffalo Sabres are on one of the best runs in NHL history

The Buffalo Sabres rolled to a 5-0 road win over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night, which improved the red-hot team's record to 32-6-2 over the past 40 games.

TSN's StatsCentre pointed out those 32 victories are tied for the fourth most by any team over a 40-game span in NHL history:

It's almost unbelievable considering the Sabres owned last place in the Eastern Conference with an 11-14-4 record before the turnaround began with a Dec. 9 win over the Edmonton Oilers.

Buffalo is now tied for the top spot in the East with the Carolina Hurricanes at 92 points, though the Canes have a game in hand in the race for the No. 1 seed. The franchise hasn't finished atop the conference since the 2006-07 season.

Sam Carrick, who scored two goals against the Sharks, joined the Sabres in a trade with the New York Rangers a few weeks ago. It hasn't taken long for the veteran center to find his niche and understand why the club has enjoyed so much success.

"I think we do a good job here of rolling our lines, trusting everyone in all situations," Carrick told reporters. "It's been great to be on the fourth line; we're getting put in different situations, and it's just easier to find a groove when we're rolling lines like that."

Buffalo has a few franchise cornerstones in Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson, but it can't match the high-end star power on the top-tier Stanley Cup contenders' rosters. It's made up for that with perhaps the league's most well-rounded lineup, an elite compete level and terrific goaltending.

Whether it'll be enough to embark on a deep playoff run is still up for debate, but there's no doubt the extraordinary 40-game run has reinvigorated the United States' best hockey market.

Meanwhile, let's dive into the latest edition of our Sabres player grades series after the Blue and Gold's latest impressive showing against the Sharks.

Alex Lyon keeps the San Jose Sharks at bay until the Buffalo Sabres offense comes alive in March 19 win

Sabres player grades

Buffalo Player of the Game: Alex Lyon

The Sabres were outplayed in the first period by a Sharks group desperately trying to hunt down a playoff berth in the Western Conference. San Jose won pretty much every puck battle and probably deserved to enter the intermission with the lead.

Lyon refused to let that happen. He stopped all seven shots sent his way in the opening 20 minutes, and he continues to relay a sense of maximum calmness every time he's between the pipes. He's reading the play at an astounding level.

"To get through that first period and not give up any, with some of the opportunities we gave them, got to give our goaltender a lot of credit," head coach Lindy Ruff said.

Lyon finished the night with 23 saves for his third shutout of the season. He also won his 10th straight road decision, moving him within one of the all-time NHL record.

The 33-year-old journeyman goalie has found a home in Buffalo, and he has an argument as the team's MVP with a .914 save percentage through 33 appearances.

Sabres quick hits

• Along with his two goals, Carrick also won eight of his nine faceoffs on Thursday night. Calling him a perfect fit might be an understatement at this point.

• Noah Ostlund's contributions don't always show up on the stat sheet. He's constantly doing the little things to help the Sabres win games, so it's nice when he's rewarded with a goal. His tally midway through the second period opened the floodgates for Buffalo.

• Logan Stanley has played a lot better over the past few games after a sluggish start following his arrival at the trade deadline.

• Stanley and Zach Metsa are making a strong case to serve as the Sabres' third defensive pair when the playoffs get underway.

• It was a balanced performance for the Blue and Gold as 12 different players recorded at least one point.

• The Sabres (43-20-6) continue their West Coast road trip Saturday afternoon (4 p.m. ET) when they visit Crypto.com Arena to battle the Los Angeles Kings (28-24-16).