A few months ago, I wrote a column where I expressed cautious optimism about this year’s Buffalo Sabres team.
I predicted the Sabres would improve upon last season’s mark but would still struggle to make many strides in the standings.
Well, it turns out that for once I may have been too pessimistic about the prospects of a Buffalo sports team.
As you’ve probably heard, the Sabres are in the midst of a nine-game winning streak and are currently sitting in second place atop the NHL standings as of this writing.
It’s been a remarkable turnaround from a team that finished 31st just a year ago and looked were eliminated from playoff contention by Christmas.
So just how have they turned that into a legitimate playoff contender?
By improving on just about every aspect of play from a year ago. Goaltending, playmakers on offense and an above average defensive corps have propelled the Sabres to their best start in nearly a decade.
And while it’s been a group effort to this point, two big-name offseason acquisitions have lead the charge for Buffalo: Carter Hutton and Jeff Skinner. Hutton has manned the pipes in 18 of Buffalo’s 24 games this year with a .919 save percentage and 2.53 goals against average — both among the better half of goalies in the league.
Not only has the 32-year-old journeyman been consistent, but he’s also stepped up and made the big saves when needed. Hutton can have a highlight-reel tape put together of his big saves from just over the past nine games, saves that included plenty of big third-period stops with the game on the line. Right now, he is Buffalo’s best goaltender since Ryan Miller. If he can stay healthy, and keep making those big saves, he may also be the first Sabre goalie to man the pipes in the postseason since Miller did seven seasons ago.
Offensively, it’s been the Jeff Skinner Show in Buffalo. Skinner is rightfully garnering national attention for his incredible season that’s included 18 goals in 24 games. For some context, Skinner had 24 goals with Carolina last season… in 82 games. It’s no secret that Jack Eichel makes players around him better, but the magic he’s worked with Skinner cannot be overstated. Sure, Skinner has plenty of natural talent by himself, but surrounded with a world-class player like Eichel, the 26-year-old is on pace for a career season.
It’s a duo — and a first line — that the Sabres haven’t had in years. General manager Jason Botterill also deserves a boatload of credit for nabbing Skinner from Carolina for just three draft picks and prospect Cliff Pu. Of course, the elephant in the room with Skinner is that he is an impending free agent at the season’s end. A postseason run would certainly weigh heavily on Skinner’s desire to re-sign with Buffalo for the long haul.
Aside from the aforementioned individual success this season, the Sabres have been winning with their comeback ability. It may not be a perfect model for sustained success, but this team is seemingly never out of a hockey game.
The Sabres have a league-best 9-0-2 record in games decided by one goal. They also are an impressive 9-6-1 after trailing after two periods, this after going a league-worst 9-44-7 a season ago.
Take Friday afternoon’s game against Montreal as a perfect example. It was the day after Thanksgiving, and the Sabres were playing predictably sluggish for most of the game. The Canadiens had a 2-1 lead late when Skinner potted a goal to send the game into overtime. Then, in the extra period, he scored on a 4-on-3 powerplay to send the Sabres off with two points.
Those comebacks aren’t a fluke, either. During this nine-game run, Buffalo has come back six times and are earning points that they haven’t since the days of Chris Drury and Danny Briere.
Through 24 games, this team is far from perfect. There’s the lack of consistent depth scoring, some injury concerns on defense, and the reliance on a swath of young players to fill big roles on this team. The Sabres will lose again at some point soon, but for now you can bet that the team and the fanbase are soaking up every point it earns, and is especially grateful it doesn’t have to hear about who is the best prospect to take in the NHL Draft.
Maybe it’s even time for this skeptical sports writer to start buying into the 2018-19 Sabres.
