Since Dec. 11, the Sabres have gone an NHL-best 26-5-2. On Sunday, they beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 8-7 in a fight-filled game that catapulted Buffalo into top spot in the Atlantic Division.
Call it the Heated Rivalry reverse curse.
The Buffalo Sabres were at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings back in December when they got publicly roasted on Crave TV's hit hockey show, with the two stars taking turns delivering pot shots the NHL's punching bag.
“Buffalo is terrible,” said one of the main characters.
“Yeah, and their team sucks too," said the other.
Three months later, the Sabres are done being the hockey world's punchline.
Since that episode aired on Dec. 11, the Sabres have gone an NHL-best 26-5-2. On Sunday, they beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 8-7 in a fight-filled game that catapulted Buffalo into top spot in the Atlantic Division.
With 18 games remaining, it looks like Buffalo will finally be ending its 14-year playoff drought. And according to coach Lindy Ruff, making the playoffs is just the start of what's to come.
“The fact is we think we can do some damage,” Ruff told reporters. “We’ve proven in these last 40 games that we can play with the best, that we can play good, consistent winning hockey.”
Ruff, who was hired in 2024, was the coach of the 2006-07 Sabres who finished first in the Eastern Conference. Unlike that team, which relied on speed and skill to finish atop the standings, this year’s Sabres are a more surly bunch.
In Sunday's game, the Sabres and Lightning combined for five fights and 102 penalty minutes. They also combined for 15 goals in what could be a glimpse of the kind of hard-nosed hockey we can expect to see from Buffalo in the playoffs.
"This is why I play hockey. This is the best part. It’s just finally. Finally we’re here," said Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin. "We're doing good things, so I don’t take this for granted at all. I’m so fired up, I’m so happy, I'm so happy for Buffalo as a city and all the fans too. This means all the world."
Yes, Buffalo has finally arrived. And the arrival comes with a Western New York-sized chip on their shoulders.
The Sabres players know what people have been saying about their team for the past decade. But rather than hide from the criticism, they are embracing it and using it to fuel this us-against-the-world comeback.
This is a team that has undergone countless rebuilds and dealt with so many coaching and managerial changes over the past 14 years. From Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart to Ryan O'Reilly and Linus Ullmark, there have been so many players who walked out the door frustrated with all the losing. At the same time, there have also been so many others who were unwilling to walk through the door and take a chance on Buffalo, and not just because former GM Kevyn Adams said the city lacks palm trees.
St. Louis' Colton Parayko was the latest to say no, refusing to waive his no-trade clause to come to Buffalo last week. Days later, the team moved on and acquired Logan Stanley, Luke Schenn and Sam Carrick — a move that paid immediate dividends with Carrick getting a goal in his first game and getting into a fight in his second.
"Buffalo is a great city. It’s disappointing to see somebody thinking it’s got something to do with Buffalo," said GM Jarmo Kekalainen. "We have a great hockey team that’s winning games. A fun atmosphere. An electric building. Our players are loving it here.
"The Buffalo Sabres deserve a lot of respect right now."
Indeed, make fun of Buffalo at your own peril. This is a team that deserves not only respect, but recognition for being one of the best in the NHL right now.