Of the innumerable winning streaks in NHL history, it might come as a surprise that only 65 have reached a length of 10 or greater. And, given that they haven’t exactly been synonymous with winning in their recent history, it might come as an even bigger surprise that the Buffalo Sabres are on that list, and more than once.
The Sabres have never had a winning streak of more than 10 consecutive games, but they’ve reached that mark on three separate occasions. Each streak has its own mythos surrounding it and has varying degrees of impact, but such a feat is extremely rare and very impressive nevertheless. Let’s look back at Buffalo’s three 10-game winning streaks and rank them based on both the excitement they generated and what ultimately came of them.
3. November 2018
Though Buffalo’s most recent 10-game winning streak occurred just six years ago, it’s not likely any fan will ever forget it, but entirely for good reasons. Coming off a soul-sucking 2017-18 season that saw them finish last in the NHL for the third time in five seasons, hopes weren’t exactly high for the Sabres in the fall of 2018. But those low expectations were part of what made this streak so enjoyable (at the time).
The new season started decently enough, but nobody envisioned what was coming as the calendar shifted to November. The W’s suddenly started piling up and in the blink of an eye, the Sabres had caught fire. Jeff Skinner‘s overtime winner to beat the San Jose Sharks on Nov. 27 gave them their third double-digit winning streak in franchise history. Skinner himself was the biggest reason for it and was a terror during that stretch, scoring 10 goals and two overtime winners.
The hockey world took notice of the suddenly resurgent squad and the Sabres became the talk of the NHL as the first team to lead the league in points through 25 games after finishing in last place the prior season. The streak reenergized fans after such a wretched campaign and, for a moment, it seemed that hockey in Buffalo was back. However, it wasn’t.
Winning streaks in sports sometimes ultimately mean nothing. The momentum from such can certainly propel a team forward, but sometimes that team fails to capitalize and does nothing with it, and that proved to be exactly the case here. The streak ended with a 5-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Nov. 29 and the Sabres could not have folded more emphatically from there on. After winning 10 straight games, Buffalo pieced together consecutive victories just twice for the remainder of that season.
Fans and the media alike were blinded by the excitement the streak generated and gave the Sabres more credit than they deserved. It was simply a case of a middling team overachieving, and the evidence was there. Only one game was decided by more than a single goal and seven of the games went beyond regulation. That doesn’t really matter because, at the end of the day, a win is a win. But it does go to to show that the Sabres weren’t exactly the dominant team they were thought to be, the bounces were simply going their way.
As one can gather, Buffalo plummeted in the standings afterward and became just the second team ever to miss the postseason despite winning 10 or more games in a row. It ultimately cost head coach Phil Housley his job after he had been considered a Jack Adams candidate earlier in the season. The streak tricked everyone into thinking the Sabres were a better team than they were, and fans will undoubtedly be wary of such should the team go on a similar run in the future.
2. January 1984
Thankfully, Buffalo’s other two 10-game winning streaks proved to be much more beneficial in the long run, and the first came in the franchise’s 14th season. The 1983-84 campaign was already going very well for the Sabres by the time the new year arrived. The team’s offense, led by Gilbert Perreault, Dave Andreychuk, and Housley, lit up opponents and rookie phenom Tom Barrasso had a spectacular first half in goal, sitting at a 13-5-2 record by the end of December.
The Sabres suffered a 3-2 defeat to the New York Rangers on New Year’s Eve, which was not exactly an ideal way to close out the year. However, it proved to be their last loss for over a month, as the team roared into 1984 with a 9-4 thrashing of the Winnipeg Jets and spent the rest of January on cruise control. Unlike the 2018 streak where the Sabres just barely inched by in most games, only three of their eventual 10 straight wins here were one-goal games and three were decided by three or more.
Barrasso starred during the run, recording five victories and allowing just seven goals total. Tandem partner Bob Sauve also played well and accounted for the other five. Perreault led the way with five goals and 14 points in that span, beginning with a five-assist game in the blowout of the Jets. Andreychuk nearly kept pace with six goals and 12 points.
The funny thing about this streak in particular is that it didn’t end with a loss, not even with an overtime loss. The Sabres were denied their 11th in a row on Jan. 25 when they fought the Washington Capitals to a 2-2 tie (remember when those were a thing?). Since ties no longer exist in the NHL (having been eliminated in 2005), it’s very strange to think that the Sabres lost their streak without actually losing. They managed to push the unbeaten streak to 13 after another tie and a victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins before finally falling to the Boston Bruins on Feb. 2. The Sabres didn’t lose a single game in January 1984.
Also unlike 2018, the Sabres capitalized on the boost they received and it propelled them all the way to a fourth-place finish in the NHL. Though they were swept out of the first round by the Quebec Nordiques, it didn’t take away from what was a special season in Buffalo. The team was recognized for its accomplishments after the season when Barrasso became just the third player to win the Calder and Vezina Trophies simultaneously. The 1980s were a strange decade for the Sabres, but their first-ever 10-game streak stands out as one of the better moments of it.
1. October 2006
Buffalo’s torrid 2005-06 season turned the hockey world on its head, but there were likely still a number of detractors that wrote it off as a fluke that couldn’t be replicated. Fans knew better, however, and waited patiently the entire summer of 2006 to see how their squad would respond, and they were not disappointed. Donning new a jersey and a modernized take on their classic blue and gold color scheme, the Sabres went foot to the floor from the outset of the 2006-07 season, taking “getting off to a hot start” to a whole new level.
Determined to put the disappointment of the previous spring behind them, the Sabres embarked on the most impressive run in team history and proved that this time they weren’t messing around. After a shootout victory against the Carolina Hurricanes on opening night, they rallied back from a two-goal deficit against the Montreal Canadiens with under five minutes remaining to win in another shootout. From there, it was off to the races and the end result was a feat achieved by only one other team in NHL history.
Unlike the other two streaks on this list, the Sabres dominated from start to finish. Over the first 10 games of that season, Buffalo outscored the opposition by more than double, 49-23. The results were a sight to behold and by defeating the New York Islanders on Oct. 26, the team tied the 1993-94 Toronto Maple Leafs for the longest winning streak to open a season.
As one could surmise, a number of Sabres excelled during the torrid stretch, but none more than Chris Drury. The definition of a leader by example, the co-captain put opposing goaltenders through the wringer with 10 goals and 14 points, including the first hat-trick of his career. Newly-crowned starter Ryan Miller wasn’t exactly lights out in goal but played well enough to claim eight of the 10 victories.
The Sabres were denied their chance at breaking the record when they fell to the Atlanta Thrashers in a shootout on Oct. 28. Like 1984, the winning streak turned into an unbeaten streak and they pushed it to 12 games after bouncing back against Boston in yet another shootout. The Sabres didn’t suffer their first regulation loss of the season until Nov. 4 when they fell to Toronto, 4-1. In October 2006, Buffalo collected 21 of a possible 22 points and didn’t have a single tally in the loss column.
The red-hot start propelled the Sabres to the top of the NHL and they didn’t relinquish that spot the rest of the way. Riding the momentum all the way to a second consecutive Eastern Conference Final appearance, they captured the franchise’s first Presidents’ Trophy and left opponents in their wake. Though the sequel also fell short of the game’s ultimate prize, the Sabres’ 2006-07 season is a top contender for their best ever. To date, no run of success the team has had has eclipsed that scorching stretch, and that record may stand for a while.
The mid-2000s might have been the most exciting time in Sabres history and the two seasons immediately following the 2004-05 Lockout have become the stuff of legend. Unfortunately, the team’s struggles in recent memory make them seem far longer ago than they actually were. The energy and enthusiasm that was rampant at every game hasn’t been felt since and fans are desperate for something even remotely close to it to return. Until those improved fortunes finally arrive, fans of all ages can look back fondly upon those glory days.
Does Buffalo Have Another Streak in Store?
Wins haven’t exactly been in abundance for the Sabres over the past number of years and it’s been quite some time since the team was legitimately and consistently competitive. That being said, hope springs eternal for the downtrodden franchise, and, with a talented and deep roster currently in place, the possibilities are endless.
Things could be looking up for the Sabres with Lindy Ruff returning behind the bench and this coming season will be one of high intrigue. If the team can get itself clicking again, another long winning streak isn’t out of the question.
