The Buffalo Sabres’ bigger picture nightmare is far from over, but considering how things have been going, any hint of sunshine is a welcome sight.
Tuesday provided a small burst of positivity as the Sabres ended a franchise-record 12-game losing streak by topping the New Jersey Devils 2-1 in a shootout.
That’s nothing to sneeze at statistically speaking, by the way, as the Devils fell to an 8-2 in the skills competition this season. If Buffalo fans want more glass half-full bits, here are a few other things:
- They’re no longer last overall in the East as they have games in hand and more wins than the Carolina Hurricanes, who are also stuck at 45 points.
- Ryan Miller had a nice night, stopping 27 out of 28 shots and only allowed a single shootout tally.
- After finishing January with a road game against Montreal, the Sabres could have a very favorable February. They play at home against the Ranger to start the month and the follow that with a trip to Long Island against the Islanders on Feb. 4. After that, they’ll sandwich one road game between two four-game homestands.
Will those stretches be enough for Buffalo to get back into the playoff picture? That’s as much up to them as it is the rest of the league, but 10 points can dissolve quicker than you think. (As you may recall, the Sabres weren’t exactly a shoo-in for the playoffs last season, either.)