The Buffalo Sabres will play their first regular season game in just over two months, entering the season with their highest expectations in a decade.
This time last year, no one thought much of the Buffalo Sabres, and many had them ranked in the Bottom 10. The Blue and Gold were coming off of a 75-point season, and they looked at least a year away from contending.
That changed following a 7-11-0 start, when the Sabres went 35-22-7 (77 points) the rest of the way. Sure, Buffalo had its lean moments in early January and through most of March.