The Buffalo Sabres will finish atop the Atlantic Division if they win their final two games. It's that simple. Yes, there are other avenues depending on the results achieved by the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning, but Lindy Ruff's group controls its own destiny for the division title.
It's quite astonishing that, after an endlessly frustrating 14-year playoff drought, the Sabres are fighting for a top-two seed in the Eastern Conference and not just squeaking into the postseason on the final day. That's especially true since they started the season with a lackluster 11-14-4 record.
Buffalo has an argument as the NHL's best team since its turnaround began with a Dec. 9 win over the Edmonton Oilers. It's won 38 of its 51 games since that point to skyrocket up the standings and emerge as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
Some questions remain as the Sabres handle their final playoff preparations, though.
Sam Carrick, Alex Lyon on the mend as NHL postseason nears
Both Carrick, who was one of the 2026 NHL trade deadline's best pickups, and Lyon suffered ill-timed injuries leading up to the playoffs.
Carrick is dealing with an arm injury that occurred during a fight with the New York Islanders' Anders Lee in late March. Ruff confirmed Thursday the fourth-line center won't be available when the postseason begins, but he hasn't been ruled out for the entire playoff run.
Lyon, who split starts with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen throughout the season's second half, left Wednesday's morning skate with a lower-body injury. Ruff said "there's a chance" the goaltender won't be available at the start of the first round.
The good news for Buffalo is that Colten Ellis pitched a 37-save shutout on Thursday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets. It was his first start since Feb. 3.
Ellis will handle backup duties until Lyon is cleared to return, but UPL has emerged as the Sabres' unquestioned starting goalie to open the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Buffalo power play enters a deep rut at the wrong time
The Sabres' power play, which showed a few signs of life after the NHL's Olympic break in February, has once again been virtually useless as of late.
Here's a look at the team's results with the man advantage over the last five games:
Game | PP Results |
|---|---|
April 2 vs. Ottawa Senators | 0 for 2 |
April 4 vs. Washington Capitals | 0 for 5 |
April 6 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning | 0 for 4 |
April 8 vs. New York Rangers | 0 for 4 |
April 9 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets | 0 for 2 |
TOTAL | 0 for 17 |
Those type of power-play droughts have been commonplace since assistant coach Seth Appert took control of the unit last season. They've shown nothing in the way of new ideas throughout the campaign, and the recent attempts have been particularly stale and discouraging.
It shouldn't be that way. Buffalo has one of the league's best PP weapons — Tage Thompson's slap shot — and an elite quarterback for the No. 1 group in defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. There's also no shortage of scoring talent, as evidenced by the club's sixth-ranked offense.
The Sabres must consider alternatives for the power play in the offseason. For now, they'll just have to hope the special-teams unit gets hot at the right time in the playoffs.
Latest information on Sabres playoff tickets
The Sabres announced Friday single-game tickets for home games in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs will become available to the public on Monday morning (10 a.m. ET).
But the organization warned "inventory for the general public will be extremely limited" after tickets were initially offered to the club's season-ticket holders.
Excitement about the playoffs is starting to reach a fever pitch in Western New York, and understandably so since an entire generation of Sabres fans haven't experienced postseason hockey.
Tickets may be hard to come by, however, especially if Buffalo's first-round opponent is relatively close (Montreal, Ottawa or Boston) and those fans start grabbing seats on the secondary market.
That said, the Sabres have other viewing opportunities planned, including the return of the Party in the Plaza and watch parties at Canalside.