The Buffalo Sabers are currently fourth in the NHL in goals scored with 43, good for 4.3 goals per game through 10 contests.
Over the past two contests, the Buffalo Sabers have outscored opponents 14-6, with an 8-3 smashing against the Detroit Red Wings on Halloween Night and a 6-3 thriller against the Pittsburgh Penguins just two days later. I say thriller because the Sabers were actually down 3-1 earlier in the third before embarking on a five-goal scoring frenzy to ice the game.
The Sabers have won six of their last eight, seemingly picking up where they left off in March and April 2022 when they defeated the likes of the Penguins, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, and other perennial playoff contenders. And this season, they once again beat Calgary, Pittsburgh, and the Edmonton Oilers, three of the league’s better teams, even if the Penguins record doesn’t show it.
As I write this, the Sabers are gearing up for a showdown against the Hurricanes before traveling to Tampa to face the resurgent Lightning on Saturday night. If they win or even play well in those two games, then we can say that, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the Sabers will be and, barring injury or a catastrophic meltdown, one of the NHL’s most exciting teams this season.
Buffalo Sabers are finding stars all over the ice
In a sense, this season is taking us back to 2005-06, when the Sabers were supposed to contend for nothing but a high lottery pick. That year, fans saw a team slated for the basement shock of the NHL universe, led by the likes of Ryan Miller, Maxim Afinogenov, Chris Drury, Thomas Vanek, Mike Grier, Jason Pominville, and Daniel Briere.
And while that version of the Sabers was arguably the most exciting team to watch in franchise history, the 2022-23 squad could be well on their way to challenging the 2005-06 version of the Buffalo Sabres. Players like Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin, afterthoughts this time two years ago, have 14 points apiece.
Alex Tuch and Jeff Skinner, who typically play on the Thompson line, both have 10 points, while Victor Olofsson, who sees himself occasionally on the first line, has nine. There have also been improvements in production with youngsters like Dylan Cozens (six points), JJ Peterka (six points), and even Owen Power (five points).
The most exciting team?
Overall, the Buffalo Sabers high-octane ways have made them one of the league’s most entertaining teams. Although they are the youngest, and by extension, the league’s most inexperienced squad, the Sabers have also displayed sound chemistry that comes organically with a talented roster. experience playing together.
And this is why they have become one of the most riveting groups over the first 10 games of the season: They are a talented roster, and although they lack sound NHL experience, they make up for it with their blossoming experience playing as a team.
Which served as the entire point of Kevyn Adams’ rebuild through the draft and the players they currently have on the roster. It’s why he never traded for Matthew Tkachuk, Patrick Kane, or Alex DeBrincat. Adams knew that even adding an ultra-talented puzzle piece could disrupt that chemistry, something I said over the summer.
With such a high-octane approach of young but ultra-productive pieces, it is safe to say the Sabers are one of the more exciting teams in the NHL. The most? That question is always up for debate. But this team is definitely showing that they have turned a corner, something that started brewing last March and April.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)
Article Source: The Buffalo Sabers are… fun? Is that what this says here? That can’t be right by Sam Fels