Entering the game against the Ottawa Senators, the discussion was about the Buffalo Sabres officially clinching a playoff spot for the first time in nearly 15 seasons. However, this is a team that is not just sneaking into the playoffs but rather competing for the Atlantic Division.
On Thursday, the Sabres had a two-point lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning but with the loss, they are now tied with the Lightning at 100 points. More importantly, the race for the division is now a three-team race as the Montreal Canadiens have won their seventh straight and are only two points back of both the Sabres and the Lightning.
The challenge for Buffalo is that both the Lightning and the Canadiens have a game in hand with 75 games played to the Sabres' 76.
Montreal Canadiens might be the team the Buffalo Sabres need to worry about most
Even though the Sabres didn't get the win, not all is lost, but it does make it much tougher with not much of a cushion from this point forward. However, of the three teams competing for the division, the Lightning have the toughest schedule from here on out and it is the Canadiens that could be the biggest threat.
In the final seven games the Lightning have, they have two against the Boston Bruins, one against the Buffalo Sabres and one against the Montreal Canadiens with three of those four games on the road.
For the Sabres, they have six games left with an even split between home and away, with some much more winnable games. They have the Washington Capitals on Saturday, followed by that big matchup against the Lightning at home. After that, it is games against teams like the Rangers, Blue Jackets, and Blackhawks, with all three struggling down the stretch.
However, the Canadiens might have the easiest path forward of all the teams with only one game against a team currently in the playoffs (which is the Lightning). If Montreal keeps winning like this, which is possible with their schedule, it wouldn't be surprising to see them jump both Buffalo and Tampa Bay to win the division.
It is going to be a close race for the remainder of the regular season and the Sabres are going to need to find a way to win if they want to hold onto the division this season.