The Buffalo Sabres kept their win streak alive against the Dallas Stars and tied the franchise record at 10 straight wins. It has been a while since fans have been this excited about a Buffalo Sabres team, and rightfully so.
When the calendar flips from one year to the next, it is roughly the halfway point of the NHL season, and fans can start to get a good idea of what to expect from the team in terms of playoffs. While it is not guaranteed, the Sabres have had one of their most successful first halves of a season in over a decade.
Games Played, Points, Points Percentage for the Buffalo Sabres through December 31st of each season
Season | Games Played | Points | Points Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
2025-26 | 39 | 46 | .590 |
2024-25 | 38 | 32 | .421 |
2023-24 | 38 | 34 | .447 |
2022-23 | 34 | 38 | .559 |
2021-22 | 32 | 25 | .391 |
2020-21 | Shortened season due to COVID | ||
2019-20 | 41 | 41 | .500 |
2018-19 | 40 | 48 | .600 |
2017-18 | 38 | 28 | .368 |
2016-17 | 36 | 34 | .472 |
Over the last 10 years, this season's edition of the Buffalo Sabres currently has the second-most points and the second-best points percentage of any previous season. Notably, the only season better than this year's team was the 2018-19 Buffalo Sabres.
The reason that season is important to note is that it was the last team to have a 10-game win streak in franchise history. However, that team had their win streak earlier in the season and at this point of the season were already struggling as they entered the new year, losing seven of their previous eight.
It is also pretty remarkable to see the improvements made just comparing this season to last season, which was Lindy Ruff's first since returning to the Buffalo Sabres. The games played are almost identical between those two seasons, but the Sabres have made a 14-point improvement, and they saw their points percentage jump from .421 to .590.
Last season, the Sabres got off to a really rough start as they lost five of their first six and then lost 13 straight starting at the end of November and all the way through December 21st. They found a way to turn it around in the second half as they would go 11-4 but at that point they had no chance to really get back into playoff contention.
Buffalo Sabres have a great chance to carry their momentum into January and potentially a playoff spot
One of the most impressive parts of this win streak is that they have been doing it mostly on the road, as seven of their 10 wins have been away from KeyBank Center. The good news is that after the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, they return to Buffalo, where they will play six of their next seven games. So far this season, the Sabres hold a 12-5-2 record at home.
When looking at where the Sabres are at this point of the season, compared to prior seasons, it shows that they really are in a great spot to secure a playoff spot. This is one of their best performances this late into the season, and it is coming during a season where no team is running away with the Atlantic Division.
Right now, the Detroit Red Wings lead the division with only 52 points, and the Sabres are just six points back with three games in hand. When looking at points percentages, the Sabres are only .02 percentage points behind the Red Wings.
There is still a lot of hockey left to be played, but the Buffalo Sabres have put themselves in a great position to end the longest playoff drought currently in the NHL.