Sabres Can Be Spoilers in Atlantic Division Playoff Race

The matchups also have the Sam Reinhart storyline to consider. The forward could play with a “see-what-you-gave-up” approach or the Sabres may be showing off his replacements, validating the move.

Apr. 10: Tampa Bay Lightning

The last month of the season will be important for the Lightning as they gear up for a three-peat. Nothing will destroy their confidence more than a loss to the Sabres. Yet, Tampa Bay is so seasoned before the season even begins, and they have the experience to overcome any obstacle during the playoff, which they have proven the last two years. On the other hand, let’s remember that things are different this year (e.g. fans in stadiums all season long)—and hopefully stay that way (knock on wood).

Apr. 12, 2022: Toronto Maple Leafs

Imagine this: the Toronto Maple Leafs are jostling for the division crown and potential Eastern Conference top-seed, and then the Sabres come in and absolutely demolish the Leafs’ on the road after beating the Lightning in Tampa just two days before.

Let’s not get crazy here. Playing spoiler is twofold; it humbles the confidence of a rival, but it also builds poise within an organization hoping to be on the rise. These back-to-back games are a good opportunity for Buffalo to gain said poise.  

Apr. 26, 2022: Montreal Canadians

The Montreal Canadiens are not going to make the Stanley Cup Final again. They may not even make the playoff. However, they could be in wild-card contention toward the end of the season, and a late blow against Buffalo could knock them right out of the playoff picture with only two games remaining after.

Apr. 28, 2022: Boston Bruins

Two nights later, Buffalo can do the same thing to the Boston Bruins. The Bruins will likely be safely heading to the postseason, but seeding is very important. If the Bruins were to lose to the Sabres, they may lose home ice in a series against Florida, Tampa Bay, or Toronto. Or, even worse, they could drop into the wild card spot and have to face the New York Islanders or Carolina Hurricanes in very hostile environments. How delightful for Sabres fans.

Buffalo Sabres Have Hope

There is reason to be excited in Buffalo. After the Rasmus Dahlin extension, management is showing some commitment to ending this decade-long transition back to competitive relevance.

It will be interesting to see now if they become more or less aggressive in moving Eichel. General manager Kevyn Adams needs to decide if the star young center is still part of the plan or if his annual $10 million against the cap for the next five seasons is worth it. Eichel’s herniated disk, recent failed physical, and being stripped of his captaincy doesn’t help his cause—or his trade value for that matter.

Yes, the Sabres haven’t been great of late. This year has the potential to be different from a developmental aspect, however. They’re building a core and young talent will be fighting for roster spots to claim on 2022-23’s opening night. If Granato gets his players in a groove, Buffalo’s division rivals shouldn’t overlook these late-season matchups that could affect their playoff positioning. Just because they’re projected to be bottom dwellers again, doesn’t mean they can’t mess with the teams on top.