Did the Buffalo Sabres finally rise in the Week 15 Atlantic Division Power Rankings?
The Buffalo Sabres have been hot in January, but they still lag behind most of the Atlantic Division as Week 15 comes to a close.
As of Saturday morning, the Buffalo Sabres are 5-2-0 in January 2024, and are looking to win their sixth this month if they can play a clean game vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning. If they do, the Blue and Gold will put themselves in a prime position to move up in the Atlantic Division Power Rankings, but right now, they aren’t looking too good when stacked against their peers.
So where did the Sabres end up this week, and why hasn’t their recent record nudged them higher in these rankings? Keep reading to find out where Buffalo landed, and why they are still behind most of the division in Week 15.
Did the Buffalo Sabres move up in the Atlantic in Week 15?
8 - Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators have won two of their last three, but a looming matchup with the Winnipeg Jets could stifle their momentum. Their one loss in those three contests came against the mighty Colorado Avalanche, so the Senators still have their work cut out for them.
7 - Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres may have outscored opponents 11-4 in their last four games, but their strength of schedule was also weaker, dropping them down to seventh. If they can keep winning consistently throughout the rest of January, we may see them break into the top-five.
6 - Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens remain one point ahead of the Sabres after pulling off some stunning upsets, and it’s why they are now sixth in the power rankings. However, a 6-2 loss to Ottawa the other night shows us that this team still has major consistency issues.
5 - Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs may be the hardest team to judge in the Atlantic, as they dropped four straight games after winning four straight. The issue is that they beat teams they should beat, and have lost to the league’s tougher competition, so that implies they are a middle-of-the-road group at this point.
4 - Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning have won four in a row, and have outscored opponents 12-4 in their last two contests heading into Saturday’s matchup with the Sabres. As of Saturday morning, they have the longest current winning streak in the Atlantic, and they are looking to extend it to five games.
3 - Florida Panthers
Last week, the Florida Panthers came so close to passing the Boston Bruins in the Atlantic Division standings, but they have now lost four straight. The only thing keeping them from dropping further is that they are still 6-2-2 in their last 10 games.
2 - Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings put up quite a share of pedestrian efforts after they added Patrick Kane to the lineup, but that has since ceased and they are 7-2-1 in their last 10. Detroit may still be a piece away from truly contending for a top-three spot in the playoff race, but they snagged one in these rankings.
1 - Boston Bruins
So much for potential turbulence in Boston, as the Bruins have won three straight and are 6-1-3 in their last 10. No, Boston is nowhere near what they were during the 2022-23 regular season, but they are leading the Eastern Conference with 63 points.
It will be a while before the Buffalo Sabres catch the Bruins or any of the top teams in the Atlantic. But if they keep winning games consistently and pull off some much-needed upsets against their Atlantic Division rivals, then they could keep things close once they reach the season’s home stretch.
They still have a few games to play against the Red Wings and Panthers, and those contests may also be deciding factors for the Blue and Gold. We have reached the point of the season when every game should hold a playoff-like atmosphere, and it’s up to the Sabres to keep it that way.
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(Information provided by Hockey-Reference and ESPN.com)