The Sabres lost to the Islanders last night, and the Coyotes defeated San Jose a few hours later. The outcomes of the two games pushed the Coyotes four points ahead of the Sabres, getting the Sabres as close to the 30th spot as they’ve ever been. Sports Club Stats says there’s now a 98% chance the Sabres finish in last, the highest it has been all season.
Since Arizona holds the tiebreaker due to regulation victories, the Sabres would need to pick up five of six remaining to pass the Coyotes if Arizona fails to win another game. For the Sabres to clinch 30th place, they only need one more regulation loss. Monday against Carolina could be the clincher. If they win that game, they could clinch it against the Blue Jackets, and so on.
If the Coyotes earn one more win in their final three games that would also clinch the Sabres bottom position. Another Arizona victory would give them 58 points, the most the Sabres could possibly earn. In that case, even if the Sabres won all three of their remaining games in overtime they’d still have two less regulation wins than the Coyotes. Thus, they would still be in 30th.The Coyotes next play on Thursday against the Calgary Flames. They round out their season with Vancouver on Thursday and Anaheim on Saturday.
It would be a nice moment if the Sabres clinched the final position before the final game, so for once this season we could all come together and cheer Buffalo to victory. It’s been a trying time for everyone, on both sides. It’s almost over.