It would be a mighty miracle for Buffalo to get to the postseason. They, however, have turned things around lightly and have climbed out of last place in the Eastern conference since December. One thing they could set their sights on is finishing with a winning record.
Despite not seeing the playoffs since 2011, the Sabres have had two back to back winning seasons. If they are able to close this season on a high note and end with a winning record, it could be something they use as fuel and motivation for next year.
They currently stand at 32-36-6. They have 70 points on the year. Their 5-2 win against the Ottawa Senators put them one point above the Boston Bruins to get them out of the basement of the conference. They are currently nine points behind the Montreal Canadians for the final wild card spot.
They have eight games remaining. It would indeed be something if they could get in, but with their recent play not out of the realm for them to finish with a winning record.
They are 7-3 in the last 10 games which includes two wins against the Ottawa Senators.
It also saw them beat Winnipeg and Washington, two teams that have already clinched playoff berths. Their recent play could be a sign of things to come and if they are able to finish the season above .500, it is something to build on.
With eight games left, they would need to win five times and tie the remaining three. They could also win 6 times while tying two of the final eight or win seven times while at least tying the final game.
It is not out of the realm of possibility as they are 4-1 in their last five. Two years ago they posted their winning first winning record since the 2011-2012 season. Last season they followed up it up with another winning record.
The Sabres fanbase has had so little to cheer for the last 14 years, a third straight winning season could give them some hope as they enter another long offseason asking questions as to what has to be done to get back into the postseason.
Over the next eight games they will need to turn to the likes of Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch who both have 30 plus goal seasons.
The Sabres start their campaign to get over .500 this Saturday at Keybank Arena against the Tampa Bay Lightning.