Three signs the Buffalo Sabres could end their playoff drought this season

It’s no secret the Buffalo Sabres’ failure to make the Stanely Cup Playoffs 13 years and counting is frustrating for fans who have supported this team for generations. While other fanbases celebrate Cup wins or enjoy deep postseason runs, Sabres’ supporters get to decide every year who they’ll root for now that Buffalo’s out of it once again.

However, there are ways to tell if the Sabres might make it to the playoffs for the first time since owner Terry Pegula bought the franchise in 2011. Let’s examine them below.

Start the season strong

Too often, the Buffalo Sabres play really terribly during the season’s first few months and then rally as the year goes on. Looking at 2023-24, Buffalo suffered a 0 goal differential in October, followed by -9 in November and -12 in December. The Blue and Gold’s winning percentages during that stretch were 44.4%, 42.9% and a dismal 33.3%, respectively.

By contrast, some of Buffalo’s Atlantic Division rivals enjoyed very different stats. The Boston Bruins’ winning percentages during those same months were 88.9%, 53.8% and 53.8% and the team’s goal differentials were +15, +4 and +4. The Toronto Maple Leafs had positive goal differentials from October until March, only dropping to -2 in April. The Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers slipped a little in October, with a -1 goal differential, but never had a negative stat in that category the rest of the season.

It's true hockey teams can blow the start of a season and rally the rest of the year. Yet, it’s much harder to bounce back when every point in the standings counts. It’s much easier to make the playoffs when you bank a lot of points early, instead of trying to catch up to opponents in March or April. If the Sabres don’t blow the first three months or half of the season, it’s far more likely Buffalo ends the drought this coming spring.

Extended winning streaks

One of the Sabres’ major weaknesses this past season and previous years was an inability to win more than two or three games in a row. Like the bar regular who drinks in moderation, only a few beers at a time, the Blue and Gold won in moderation, only clinching a few matchups at a time. In 2023-24, Buffalo enjoyed a three-game winning streak twice and won two contests in a row just five times.

That’s not the way successful teams operate. Playoff contending franchises go on extended winning streaks, putting strings of victories together and prevailing far more often than suffering defeat. The Sabres can’t make the postseason if they don’t win more than a handful consecutive games. If the Blue and Gold do start to enjoy some longer winning streaks, they’ll have a much better chance of playing in May.

Play all 60 minutes a game

That outcome is the most likely this year. Rehired coach Lindy Ruff has a reputation as a disciplinarian and insists his players put forth consistent effort in every game. Ruff said as much at his introductory press conference back in April, stating that “there’s got to be an alignment between players, coaches and an understanding of how we need to play. And the last part of that is being consistent with that play night in, night out.”

Few observers doubt Ruff means what he says, based on his past record as head coach, not only in Buffalo but also in Dallas and New Jersey. Ruff also understands, at 64 years old, that it’s probably his last chance to cement his legacy as a successful NHL coach and he won’t let sloppy, inconsistent play jeopardize it. Look for the Sabres to perform at a consistent level 60 minutes a night, every night. While that’s not enough to make the playoffs, it’s bound to help.