Buffalo Sabers End Long Playoff Drought

The Buffalo Sabers have finally made it back to the playoffs, breaking the longest playoff drought in NHL history. On Saturday, they clinched their spot after the New York Rangers defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-1. This marks the Sabers’ first playoff appearance since 2011.

It’s been a rocky road for the team over the past years. They’ve struggled significantly, only managing to score more than 90 points in a season once in the last 14 seasons. But this season started off just like the rest. Back in early December, the Sabers held an 11-14-4 record, which didn’t seem promising, to say the least. Yet, somehow, they turned things around, culminating in a remarkable 10-game winning streak after defeating the Edmonton Oilers.

Things took a pivotal turn when they released general manager Kevin Adams and brought in Jarmo Kekalainen. Since then, the Sabers have boasted an impressive record of 32-8-4, the best in the league.

While they’ve secured a playoff spot, there’s still work to do in terms of playoff seeding. Currently, they are tied for first place in the Atlantic Division with the Tampa Bay Lightning, both sitting at 100 points. However, the Montreal Canadiens are close behind, with 98 points.

Next up, the Sabers will face the Washington Capitals on Saturday night at 7 PM ET, an opportunity to strengthen their position before the playoffs.