The Buffalo Sabres' season got off to an ugly start, but they have turned it around with two good performances against the Ottawa Senators and the Florida Panthers. They can use that momentum going into a pivotal week with four games against divisional opponents.
They begin the week on the road against the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night. The Canadiens began the season with a loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs before winning four straight, and saw their win streak end on Saturday against the New York Rangers.
After that, they have a meeting at home against the Detroit Red Wings, who might be the hottest team in the NHL right now. They have won five straight games, including wins over the two teams that were in the Stanley Cup Final last season in the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers.
The challenge for the Sabres is that the Red Wings are going to be well rested with their last game being on Sunday before playing Buffalo.
After the game on the Red Wings, the Sabres end it with back-to-back games against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday and Saturday night. As good as the Red Wings have been, the Maple Leafs have been on the other end and have struggled.
However, similar to the Red Wings, the Maple Leafs are going to be well rested with only one game before Friday. Their last game was an overtime loss to the Seattle Kraken by a final score of 4-2 and only play the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday before their meeting with the Sabres.
These games could loom large at the end of the season for the Buffalo Sabres
The biggest storyline this season will be the Buffalo Sabres' playoff drought and the need for them to finally get back to the playoffs after 14 seasons. It is something that is going to be talked about until the streak is broken.
This season, the Atlantic Division doesn't look as tough as past seasons, and this gives the Sabres a really good chance to be competitive. Last season, the Sabres were 10-13-3 against the Atlantic Division, and if they can finish with a points percentage above .500, it will certainly improve their chances.
For that to happen, though, it has to start this week, and the Sabres should be looking for at least four points in the next four games.