The Buffalo Sabres have been one of the best teams over the past 25 games, and this latest run has put them right in the middle of the playoff race. They are hoping to end a 14-year playoff drought this season, and while they are in a good spot to do that, it might be one of the most competitive seasons for a spot.
Entering February, HockeyStats.com Playoff Projections has seven of eight teams on pace to finish the season with 100 or more points, and the one team that is under that mark, the New York Islanders, is at 97. The Buffalo Sabres are the first Wild Card with a point projection of 102.
If all the teams keep this pace, it would be the first time since the 2021-22 season that seven or more playoff teams in the Eastern Conference had 100 or more points. In fact, that season every team in the playoffs had over 100 points.
However, the past few seasons haven't been nearly as competitive as last year, only three teams were over 100 points. In the two seasons prior to that, the total was five.
Buffalo Sabres projected to finish tied with the Montreal Canadiens for second in the Atlantic Division
While there are several teams pacing to break 100 points, the point projections don't expect all the teams to keep this pace. In fact, only the Carolina Hurricanes and the Tampa Bay Lightning are the only teams in the Eastern Conference to finish with 100 or more points.
However, there are three teams at 99 points, and the Sabres are one of those teams, along with the Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins. If these projections hold true, the Sabres would not only move ahead of the Detroit Red Wings (who have a point projection of 95) but leapfrog the Canadiens.
Both teams are projected for 99 points, but right now the Sabres are ahead of the Canadiens in the first tiebreaker of Regulation Wins. Entering February, the Sabres have 25, while the Canadiens have 20.
This would be big as the Sabres finishing second in the Atlantic Division would give them home-ice advantage, as they get the first two games of the series at KeyBank Center, as well as a Game 7, if it were to get to that point in the series.
This is why the Sabres' next three games might be one of the most important stretches of hockey all season. They have a road game against the Florida Panthers before having to turn around quickly with their first meeting this season against the Tampa Bay Lightning the next night.
The final game before the Olympic break is on Thursday as they play the Pittsburgh Penguins at home. For them to keep pace with the rest of the division and the other teams competing for the playoffs, they need to win two out of these three games.