Sabres’ Playoff Map: Charting Their First-Round Foe

April 26, 2011, marked the most recent occasion the Buffalo Sabres took part in a Stanley Cup postseason match, suffering a 5-2 defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers, which concluded their pursuit of the championship.

To provide some context, the dominant track on the charts that day was “S&M” by Rihanna, with a contribution from Britney Spears, while the leading cinematic release was the animated movie “Rio.”

Numerous enthusiasts within the hockey community have eagerly anticipated the comeback of playoff hockey to Buffalo, and it seems their hopes will be realized this spring. What’s more, the Sabres are not merely making a comeback; they could even secure victory in the Atlantic Division!

Consequently, Sabres supporters can now begin assessing their probable initial adversaries, rather than monitoring remote game results in pursuit of a postseason spot. The array of potential teams they might encounter will shift based on whether the Sabres secure the top position in the division — thereby being paired with a wild-card team — or if they conclude in second place and play against the third-ranked team (or conversely), that alters the selection of who they could compete against.

According to Stathletes’ analysis, these five teams represent the most likely initial playoff adversaries for the Sabres: Montreal Canadiens (32.64%), Ottawa Senators (23.96%), Boston Bruins (22.19%), Detroit Red Wings (10.80%), New York Islanders (3.40%).

Buffalo is set to compete against four of these five teams in the rest of their calendar, which includes a matchup with the Bruins on Wednesday (7:30 p.m., TNT). In total, the Sabres have achieved a record of one win, one loss, and one tie versus the B’s this season.

Sabres supporters might be wishing for an adversary other than the Bruins, as the team has recorded two wins and no losses this season against the Senators, Red Wings, and Islanders, while posting two victories and two defeats against the Canadiens.

On the other hand, considering their impressive performance over the recent period, it’s conceivable the adversary will be inconsequential for the Sabres!

Each team has approximately a dozen matches left before the regular season wraps up on April 16, and we will assist you in monitoring all developments daily right here on the NHL playoff watch. As we navigate this concluding phase, we’ll offer information on all the playoff races — along with the teams competing for placement in the 2026 NHL draft lottery.

Please note: Postseason probabilities are sourced from Stathletes.

Proceed to:
Present postseason pairings
This day’s agenda
Yesterday evening’s results
Comprehensive league tables
Contest for the top draft selection

Present postseason pairings

Eastern Division

A1 Buffalo Sabres against WC1 Boston Bruins
A2 Tampa Bay Lightning against A3 Montreal Canadiens

M1 Carolina Hurricanes against WC2 Ottawa Senators
M2 Columbus Blue Jackets against M3 Pittsburgh Penguins

Western Division

C1 Colorado Avalanche against WC2 Nashville Predators
C2 Dallas Stars against C3 Minnesota Wild

P1 Anaheim Ducks against WC1 Utah Mammoth
P2 Edmonton Oilers against P3 Vegas Golden Knights

This day’s contests

Please note: All timings are Eastern Time. Matches not broadcast on TNT or NHL Network are accessible for streaming on ESPN+ (regional broadcast limitations are in effect).

Boston Bruins visiting Buffalo Sabres, 7:30 p.m. (TNT)
New York Rangers visiting Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 p.m.

Yesterday evening’s results board

Toronto Maple Leafs bested Boston Bruins 4-2
Montreal Canadiens overcame Carolina Hurricanes 5-2
Ottawa Senators triumphed over Detroit Red Wings 3-2
Florida Panthers secured victory against Seattle Kraken 5-4 (Shootout)
Chicago Blackhawks defeated New York Islanders 4-3
Columbus Blue Jackets prevailed against Philadelphia Flyers 3-2
Colorado Avalanche routed Pittsburgh Penguins 6-2
Tampa Bay Lightning outperformed Minnesota Wild 6-3
St. Louis Blues shut out Washington Capitals 3-0
Nashville Predators dominated San Jose Sharks 6-3
New Jersey Devils surpassed Dallas Stars 6-4
Winnipeg Jets outplayed Vegas Golden Knights 4-1
Calgary Flames won against Los Angeles Kings 3-2 (Shootout)
Edmonton Oilers bested Utah Mammoth 5-2
Anaheim Ducks defeated Vancouver Canucks 5-3

Detailed league positions

Atlantic Conference

Score: 95
Victories in regulation: 37
Postseason placement: A1
Remaining matches: 11
Projected point total: 109.7
Upcoming fixture: against BOS (Wednesday)
Postseason likelihood: 99.9%
Crucial figure: 10
Elimination threshold: N/A

Score: 93
Victories in regulation: 35
Postseason placement: A2
Remaining matches: 12
Projected point total: 108.9
Upcoming fixture: against SEA (Thursday)
Postseason likelihood: 99.9%
Crucial figure: 12
Elimination threshold: N/A

Score: 88
Victories in regulation: 27
Postseason placement: A3
Remaining matches: 12
Projected point total: 103.1
Upcoming fixture: against CBJ (Thursday)
Postseason likelihood: 87.2%
Crucial figure: 17
Elimination threshold: N/A

Score: 86
Victories in regulation: 29
Postseason placement: WC1
Remaining matches: 11
Projected point total: 99.3
Upcoming fixture: visiting BUF (Wednesday)
Postseason likelihood: 69.6%
Crucial figure: 19
Elimination threshold: N/A

Score: 85
Victories in regulation: 32
Postseason placement: WC2
Remaining matches: 11
Projected point total: 98.2
Upcoming fixture: against PIT (Thursday)
Postseason likelihood: 68%
Crucial figure: 20
Elimination threshold: N/A

Score: 84
Victories in regulation: 27
Postseason placement: N/A
Remaining matches: 11
Projected point total: 97.0
Upcoming fixture: visiting BUF (Friday)
Postseason likelihood: 38.2%
Crucial figure: N/A
Elimination threshold: 21

Score: 73
Victories in regulation: 27
Postseason placement: N/A
Remaining matches: 12
Projected point total: 85.5
Upcoming fixture: against MIN (Thursday)
Postseason likelihood: 0.1%
Crucial figure: N/A
Elimination threshold: 12