Could This be the Year the Buffalo Sabres Take that Next Step?

Maybe it’s the reverse retro jerseys talking, but the Buffalo Sabres look good.

The Sabres scored five unanswered goals on Wednesday night to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins, but the impressive nature of this Buffalo team so far this season goes well beyond any one game.

Through ten contests, the Sabres are 7-3, good for second place in the Atlantic Division and fifth place in the league standings. Forward Tage Thompson and defenseman Rasmus Dahlin are leading the charge for Buffalo with 14 points each.

Could this season be the one in which the Sabres step up?

It’s difficult to assess the Sabres’ hot start to the year, because we’ve seen this story before in western New York. The team has started well and drawn excitement, only to regress into its non-competitive form.

Something about this year’s version of the club feels different, though. Watching Buffalo in small samples this year, I see Dahlin not only recording points but skating smoothly, playing with confidence, and commanding the blue line.

Thompson is a presence on the ice and has lived up to his new contract, giving fans a reason to believe he’s part of a brighter future. He’s joined by fellow star forward Alex Tuch, who has ten points of his own this season, including seven goals.

Other notable performers this season for the Sabres include Victor Olofsson (eight goals), Jeff Skinner (eight assists and ten points), and Craig Anderson (1.66 goals against average and .946 save percentage in three games).

The power play has been effective for this team in the early going, scoring about once in every four opportunities. In addition, Buffalo’s +15 goal differential is third in the NHL and trails only the Boston Bruins (+19) and Vegas Golden Knights (+16).

Besides beating the Penguins, the Sabres have taken down the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames, two teams that many believe will contend for the Western Conference crown as this year goes on. Not too shabby for the first month of the season.

I would by no means suggest that the Sabres are ready to make some type of deep run in the postseason, but it feels like maybe, just maybe, this could be the year that their long playoff drought finally comes to an end.