Sabres' 15-Year Itch is GONE!

April 24, 2011. On that day, the Buffalo Sabres hosted the Philadelphia Flyers in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. The Sabres were up three games to two, and led 3-1 in Game Six, but the Flyers bounced back. Game was tied at four after sixty minutes, and the Flyers won in OT to force Game Seven. Game Seven took place in Philly on April 26, 2011, and the Flyers were victorious, 5-2, advancing to the second round. However, Sabres fans figured that it would be a matter of time before they're back in. So they waited.

And waited.

And waited.

As Sabres fans waited, so much happened in the NHL. The Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg that following year and became Jets 2.0. The Colorado Avalanche drafted Gabriel Landeskog, and in 2013, the Avs drafted this punk kid named Nathan MacKinnon. That same year, the divisions were realigned, with the Sabres moving to the eight-team Atlantic Division. In 2015, Connor McDavid was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers, but the same year saw the Sabres draft Jack Eichel. A year later, the Toronto Maple Leafs drafted Auston Matthews. Las Vegas received the Golden Knights in 2017, and in that same year, Buffalo did end a playoff drought, but it was the NFL's Bills. Seattle received the Kraken in 2021, and 2023 saw Eichel dealt to Vegas, where he not only made the playoffs for the first time, he also won the Cup. Salt Lake City received a team in 2024, and a name in 2025.

In all of this, in all of this, there was one constant: no playoffs in Buffalo. Despite the last two or three years seeing promises of improvement, nothing. That changed this year. A winning tear saw them move above the playoff line. Then, they were in the Atlantic's Top 3. The Sabres actually moved into first place in the Atlantic! The question was changed. It was no longer if they would end the drought this year. It was "When?"

The date: April 4, 2026. The 4-1 result in the New York Rangers' favor over the Detroit Red Wings not only placed the Tampa Bay Lightning in to the playoffs, but it also--finally!--placed the Sabres in the Stanley Cup Playoffs!

The Sabres are a team chock full of talented players, led by Tage Thompson with 78 points (38G/40A). However, the player I really want to talk about is Rasmus Dahlin. Dahlin has been mentioned quite a bit when the topic focuses on talented defensemen. While Thompson's been part of the team for quite a bit, Dahlin was actually drafted by the Sabres in 2018 (Thompson was drafted by the Blues in 2016). And even though the hardships have come to that team, Dahlin voiced his commitment to the Sabres by signing an eight-year contract extension worth $88 million. Despite my optimism, I was actually worried. The Sabres hadn't really delivered when it counted, and a kid that good deserved to experience playoff hockey. My fear was that Dahlin would be fed up and want out, but he hasn't protested so far.

As a result, for the first time in his career, Dahlin will play playoff hockey. He's currently second on the team in points with 67 (17G/50A). Alex Tuch, who was part of the Jack Eichel deal, is second on the team in goals with 29. Regarding goaltending, Buffalo has quite the tandem with Alex Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen; both of them sporting a .910 SV%, and with four combined shutouts (Lyon with three, UPL with one).

The Sabres are playoff bound for the first time in 15 years, and they actually have a good chance to finish first in the Atlantic Division. They should get quite a good position in the division, meaning that Game One will be in Buffalo should that happen. Sabres fans, you've waited 15 years for this. Now, just sit back and enjoy the ride!