Is 2023-24 the worst example of fools gold in recent history of the Buffalo Sabres?
By Sion Fawkes
Throughout the latter portion of the Buffalo Sabres playoff drought, one thing has been for certain: The organization has done an outstanding job of giving its fans hordes of fools gold, but the 2023-24 team could be the worst example yet. So how often have the Sabres given their fans and by extension, the NHL universe hope, only to fade into the shadows? Keep reading for a brief history lesson.
Back in 2018-19, the Sabres led the NHL world to believe they turned a corner with a 10-game winning streak. But once the streak ended, the real Sabres emerged, and the Blue and Gold never won more than four games in a single month from December 2018 to March 2019. March was particularly bad, as they finished 2-12-2 that month with an 0-7-1 record on the road.
The 2019-20 team enjoyed a hot start in October, but they didn’t score another winning record in a month again until February 2020. When the NHL kicked off their 2021 season, the Sabres made an effort to contend, mainly with bringing in Taylor Hall, but that was beyond short-lived.
2023-24 Buffalo Sabres could be the worst fools gold example in recent history
The 2021-22 Sabres also enjoyed a hot start, but the 2022-23 Sabres had us all thinking they were on the brink of a playoff berth in 2023-24. And technically speaking, they can still get things turned around and heading in the right direction, but as it stands, this may be the absolute worst dosage of fools gold the team has given us in recent memory.
Their 91 points in 2022-23 had everyone raring to go for the regular season, yet here we are, nearly halfway through the year, and they’re currently one of the NHL’s worst teams. Given what they have done to the fan base in the past, it’s something we should have seen coming, as this team has done nothing but disappoint following spans of success.
This isn’t to say the Buffalo Sabres season is over, but as it stands, there hasn’t been a dose of fools gold worse than their results to this point. Hopefully they get it turned around and this transforms into a feel-good story, but it’s hard to get excited at this time.
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(Information provided by Hockey-Reference)