At long last, the Buffalo Sabres are returning to the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 15 years. After a highly improbable mid season turnaround, the Sabres will look to continue a winning trajectory which resulted in an Atlantic Division title.
Buffalo begins its playoff journey with a first round matchup against the Boston Bruins.
The Western New York community is engulfed in a Buffalo Sabres fever the area has not seen for many years.
The return of playoff hockey to Buffalo New York has been a long time coming.
Sabres second half surge
The second half of the season saw the Sabres simply win hockey games and bring respectability and excitement back to an organization with a tradition as a good club playing in a strong hockey market.
“It’s been a playoff atmosphere,” said Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff. “Our fans have given us a great taste of that in probably our last fifteen home games. The building’s been sold out, it’s been electric in here.”
The road to playoff success will be a difficult one, as Boston’s solid defensive system will present a formidable challenge for a Sabres team steeped in youth and built on speed.
Regardless of how the final chapter of the 25-26 Buffalo Sabres season is written, what this team has accomplished will be viewed as a success.
The climb from worst to first, finding ways to secure points and win games in different ways, and an Atlantic Division Championship banner raised to the rafters of Key Bank Center will be highlights worth celebrating.
Play to win, don’t just be happy to participate
Playing with house money does not mean the team will be satisfied with what has happened to this point.
The Eastern Conference postseason chase is wide open and each team in the chase has a legitimate opportunity to reach the top spot.
The Sabres have been the best team in the NHL for several months now and would be a tough out in any series that is to come.
The challenges that brought this team together as a unified group, beginning with the dismissal of general manager Kevyn Adams back in December should serve them well for the intensity that is ahead.
While there will be plenty of time to recall the moments that have made the campaign so memorable, the focus is now squarely on what it can still become.
The Bruins have a distinct advantage in playoff experience, knowing what it takes to win in the postseason, but the Sabres will look to build on what has brought them to this point and they are looking to go much further.
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