The Buffalo Sabres continue to inch closer and closer to ending the 14-season playoff drought this franchise has gone through. At this point in the season, most sites like MoneyPuck have them almost a guarantee to get in and as close to 100% without actually clinching a spot.
However, Sabres fans are not one to celebrate until it is official and that magic number went down to 11 on Tuesday night.
It was a busy night across the NHL as every team in the league was playing except the Sabres and the New York Rangers. For the fans focused on just making sure the Sabres are in the playoffs, the two games worth watching are the Ottawa Senators vs. the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks vs. the New York Islanders.
The Senators continue there incredible run with a 3-2 win over the Red Wings, which is now their fourth straight win. They currently sit in the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
It wasn't such a good night for the Islanders as they would lose 4-3 to the Blackhawks and remain at 85 points. More importantly for the Sabres that magic number went down by two and is now only 11.
Buffalo Sabres' chances to earn the first seed in the Eastern Conference get a bump
It wasn't even so much the Sabres lowering their magic number but they also got a gift from the Montreal Canadiens, who were playing the Carolina Hurricanes. Entering Tuesday, the Hurricanes were one point ahead for the top seed but had a game in hand.
It looked like they were about to jump to a three-point lead over the Sabres after jumping out to a two-goal lead over the Canadiens. However, Montreal responded with five straight goals to get the win in regulation and keep the Hurricanes at only one point ahead of Buffalo.
The Sabres are now set to kick off four straight at home, starting with the Boston Bruins on Wednesday. It is not out of the question that by the end of these home games, the Sabres not only have clinched a playoff spot but are in first place in the Eastern Conference in points.
On a night the Sabres weren't even playing, they couldn't have asked for much better in terms of the results around the league as it pertains to their playoff chances and se