Where did the Buffalo Sabres land in the pre-All-Star Break Atlantic Power Rankings?
By Sion Fawkes
January 2024 taught us that the Buffalo Sabres won’t make it easy for the NHL to hand them their 13th straight year without a playoff berth. While things are trending in that direction, Buffalo’s 7-4-0 record this past month still has them within striking distance with nine points from tying the second wild card, and they are just four points behind the ninth-place team in the Eastern Conference.
Consistency from the Blue and Gold and a cold streak from either the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Detroit Red Wings will inch the Sabres closer in February than you may think, but that won’t yet reflect in the pre-All-Star Break Atlantic Division Power Rankings. Buffalo has some ground to make up, but they also moved up a spot from last week.
Buffalo Sabres inch closer to the Top 4 in the Atlantic Power Rankings
8 - Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators remain trapped in the eighth and final spot in these rankings, and it’s long-since become the norm for the NHL’s most disappointing team. So far, the Senators are on pace to snag between 69 and 70 points, which is the second-worst in the Eastern Conference.
7 - Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens have the worst goal-differential in the Atlantic at minus-39, and it also factors in as the worst in the Eastern Conference, and the fourth-worst in hockey. At 3-4-3 in their last 10, reality is also catching up to Montreal, and that trend could continue following the break.
6 - Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres finally ended a month with momentum and it’s something they needed to at least remotely keep their season afloat. Another good month could set the stage for a late-season run, keeping things interesting longer than we may have expected.
5 - Toronto Maple Leafs
After experiencing a lot of turbulence, the Toronto Maple Leafs may have finally gotten things right with back-to-back wins over the mighty Winnipeg Jets. However, they have been a streaky team, so we will see how long their recent success holds.
4 - Detroit Red Wings
At 7-2-1 in their previous 10 games, the Detroit Red Wings have been one of the NHL’s best teams in January. If they keep up this surge following the All-Star Break, they end up as more than just a wild card.
3 - Tampa Bay Lightning
At 8-2-0 in their last 10, the Tampa Bay Lightning are yet another team in the Atlantic finding their groove as the “down the stretch” phase of the season approaches. However, they, along with Toronto and Detroit, have a lot of ground to make up if they plan on catching the top two teams in the division.
2 - Florida Panthers
Don’t be surprised if the post-All-Star Break race for one of the top seeds in the playoffs contains just two teams - the Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins. Having won four straight against adequate competition, the Panthers have the longest winning streak in the Eastern Conference and are tied for the second-longest in the league next to only the Edmonton Oilers.
1 - Boston Bruins
With 71 points, the Boston Bruins are pacing the NHL alongside the Vancouver Canucks and there is a good chance they will become back-to-back winners of the Presidents’ Trophy. Boston has also won seven of their last eight, with five of those wins coming by three goals or more.
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(Information provided by ESPN.com and Hockey-Reference)