Sabres Closing Distance With Win Over Wings

Buffalo moves to within five points of Eastern Conference playoff spot

The Buffalo Sabres have little room for error over the final month of the regular season to have a chance to make the postseason for the first time in 13 years. In a critical span of three games against the two clubs tied for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot, the Sabres scored four times in the first period and pulled away in a 7-3 thumping of the Detroit Red Wings at Key Bank Center on Tuesday.

Newcomer Bowen Byram had a pair of goals and rookie Zach Benson posted a career-high three points (1 goal, 2 assists) in the win that moved the Sabres to within five points of the Red Wings and New York Islanders (who Buffalo faces on Thursday), something that seemed improbable as recently as last week when the club traded leading scorer Casey Mittelstadt, team captain Kyle Okposo and veteran defenseman Erik Johnson prior to the NHL trade deadline.

"It's a game at a time. (We can't look) too far ahead. These games start slipping by, so we're just sticking with the mindset (that) each game is a new contest and we're looking to get the two points." Benson said. "Within this room, we believe. We got a skilled group so that outside noise really means nothing to us."

The Sabres faint hopes will become stronger if they manage to win against the Isles and defeat Detroit in their rematch on Saturday, but that will be followed by success in a road swing through the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada against the Seattle Kraken, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, and Calgary Flames next week.

The last Eastern Conference playoff club last season had 92 points, and for Buffalo to reach that mark, they would have to go 12-3-1 in their final 16 games. 

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