The Buffalo Sabres enter the stretch run of the 2025-26 NHL season as the Atlantic Division leaders, and they're just two points behind the Carolina Hurricanes for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
Those two facts would have been impossible to believe in early December, when the Sabres owned last place in the East at 11-14-4. Instead of letting another year slip away, however, they exponentially improved their compete level, started holding each other accountable and emerged as a potential Stanley Cup contender with an eye-popping 31-6-2 record over their last 39 games.