The Pittsburgh Penguins will have to fend off more than just the Metropolitan Division to make the postseason.
The NHL All-Star Game is about a week away and it’s about time to start scoreboard watching, and for the Pittsburgh Penguins, they’ve got some new company.
While the Penguins have struggled to win at a consistent rate, they’ve floundered around with the Eastern Conference wild card spots and have a surprising team right on their tail.
While Pittsburgh is holding down the second wild card spot, they are only two points ahead of the Buffalo Sabres of the Atlantic Division.
Aside from an eight-game losing streak, the Sabres have had a solid season and hold a 26-19-3 record for 55 points, a single win behind the Penguins and their 57.
Led by the emerging superstar Tage Thompson, the Sabres aren’t a perfect team, but are stringing together wins to make a case for themselves.
Thompson is currently riding a six-game point streak and has posted 34 goals and 34 assists through 48 games.
Not only is Thompson emerging as a superstar, but former first overall pick Rasmus Dahlin has seen a huge increase in performance.
In just 47 games played this year, Dahlin has already set his career high in points with 55 (14G-41A).
The Sabres are getting scoring in bunches and the offence is showing no signs of slowing down; their defense and goaltending is still questionable, but they’ve gotten the job done.
If the Penguins aren’t careful, the Sabres could become a much bigger issue than expected at the beginning of the season.
When the Penguins return from their bye week and following the All-Star break, they are going to need to go full throttle to find their way into the postseason.
It’s more than just a battle against Metropolitan Division foes as up and coming teams are improving ahead of their curve.
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