The week wasn’t going in the best possible way but ended on a better note with the Buffalo Sabres breaking a three-game losing streak and then the Buffalo Bills managing to empty an entire clip shooting themselves in the foot before pulling out a win in the Wildcard Round of the NFL Playoffs.
Bills safety Damar Hamlin got out of hospital last week too and visited with his teammates on Saturday and reportedly watched the game on Sunday from home, good to see him doing much better now as the Bills prepare to host the Cincinnati Bengals next weekend.
The Buffalo Sabres momentum took a bit of a hit last week and interestingly, the team does seem to play better in raucous away barns, as if the pressure of playing in front of an expectant home crowd is a bit too much for the young team right now.
This will be another four-game week and Don Granato will be looking to go better than the 1-3-0 his side went last week. The Panthers are level on points with the Sabres having played three games more while the Islanders are a direct rival in the wildcard race in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks and Ducks sit at the bottom of their respective divisions. If Buffalo can garner four wins this week, that would be a serious statement about their playoff aspirations.
Mon Jan 16th – Buffalo Sabres vs Florida Panthers (20-20-4), 1:00pm ET
Tue Jan 17th – Buffalo Sabres at Chicago Blackhawks (11-26-4), 8:30pm ET
Thu Jan 19th – Buffalo Sabres vs New York Islanders (23-18-3), 7:30pm ET
Sat Jan 21st – Buffalo Sabres vs Anaheim Ducks (12-27-4), 12:30pm ET
Use the comments below to discuss goings-on with the Sabres and the rest of the NHL for the week of January 9th.