For any fans who saw the start of the 2025-26 season, it was hard to imagine that this would be the one in which the Buffalo Sabres would break their playoff drought. It was a tough start to the season as the Sabres dealt with several injuries to key players and had an 11-14-4 record to begin the season.
However, something clicked in the middle of December, and from that point on, the Sabres were one of the best teams in hockey. They immediately jumped right back into contention with a 10-game win streak through the remainder of that month.
From an outside perspective, it was clear that as the win streak went along, the confidence grew in the players and the team. It felt like any given night, the Sabres knew they could win, regardless if it was home or on the road or who the opponent was.
However, even the players seemingly could feel it, and recently Zach Benson was on Morning Cuppa Hockey and was asked when he felt like they knew they were a special group.
"I think when you get on a three, four, probably when you get the five-game win mark in a row. Then you feel like, all right, we're a special group," Benson said. "I mean, obviously, you get to 10, and you're super confident by then, but probably the five-game mark, our win streak was okay, we're the real deal."
Buffalo Sabres turning point against the New York Islanders
It is interesting that Benson mentioned that fifth game as when the Sabres turned a corner because that was against the New York Islanders. In that game, the Sabres led almost the entire way and had a 2-0 lead midway through the second period.
However, the Islanders were able to come back with goals in the final 30 seconds of the second and third period. That final goal to tie the game up felt like one of those moments that the old Buffalo Sabres would have collapsed.
They fortunately were able to regroup going into overtime and push it to a shootout, where they eventually got the win. It seemed like they needed that adversity to really prove, both to themselves but also the rest of the NHL, that this team was different.
There is no question that last season was a huge step for the Buffalo Sabres, but it starts all over for this group, and they once again will need to show they can compete. Hopefully, a few five-game win streaks along the way can help strengthen their case.
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