Buffalo Sabres News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Tage Thompson celebrates his goal with teammates Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Three reasons why the Buffalo Sabres are going to break their 12-year playoff drought

By Nicholas Nathanson | Last updated 9/11/23

April 26, 2011. Every Buffalo Sabres fan remembers that date. It was the last time the Sabres played in the playoffs.

Since then, every other team in the NHL has made the playoffs, including the Vegas Golden Knights and the Seattle Kraken, the NHL's two most recent expansion teams. As it currently stands the Sabres' 12-year drought is tied with the New York Jets for the longest active playoff drought in all four of the North American sports leagues. Not only has the team had a winning record just twice in the last twelve seasons but it also boasts a league-worst .382% win percentage since 2011.

But might they finally be turning a corner?

Last season, for the first time since 2012, the Sabres were playing into mid-April with realistic playoff aspirations. Finishing with a 42-33-7 record it took until Game 80 of the regular season for the Sabres to officially be eliminated from the playoffs, missing postseason play by just two points.

Certainly, an elimination is never worth celebrating, but what might it say for a team that has not really been competitive since coach Lindy Ruff was fired in 2013? This could be a proof of concept that the Sabres finally have all the necessary pieces to get over the 12-year hump.

Here's why.

1. Tage Thompson

Whether it was scoring five goals in two periods or scoring three goals in a tribute to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, Tage Thompson proved he was the real deal last year.

Tage Thompson on 1/3/23:

- 3 goals
- 3rd hat trick this season
- 30th goal this season
- Scored 3 minutes into OT

Damar Hamlin's number is 3. Chills ❤️ pic.twitter.com/klSUXqMbTa
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) January 4, 2023

The 25-year-old center totaled 47 goals and 47 assists across 78 games last season, marking a career high in both categories. Thompson also scored 20 power-play goals, 10 more than his former season high.

Thompson's 47 goals are the most in a single season by a Sabres player since Alexander Mogilny's 76 goals in 1993.

2. 3.57 goals per game

The Sabres' 293 goals last season are the most the team has had in a season since 2007, when they had 298.

Left-winger Jeff Skinner had another strong season, while 22-year-old center Dylan Cozens made a gigantic leap finishing with 68 points, 30 above his prior high of 38 in 2021.

Last season, for the first time since 2006-2007, the Sabres roster featured four players who finished with 30+ goals in Thompson, Skinner, Cozens, and Alex Tuch.

3. Devon Levi

This is where things get interesting. While the Sabres scored with ease, they also allowed 3.62 goals per game, the seventh-most in the league.

That's where Devon Levi comes into play. On March 17th, the Sabres signed Levi, a former top goalie in college hockey, to a three-year entry-level contract.

While he only played in seven games last season, he impressed with a 5-2 record.

While the 21-year-old goalie will likely have to battle it out for the starting job, just having him on their roster is a much-needed boost to a team that likely would have made the playoffs with improved net play last year.