Sabres eliminated from playoffs while on 5-game win streak
While extending their longest winning streak in two seasons to five games with a 3-0 victory against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night at KeyBank Center, the Sabres were eliminated from playoff contention moments after the victory when the Montreal Canadiens won 4-1 against the Detroit Red Wings.
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Buffalo's 14-year playoff drought is the longest in NHL history.
With a 35-36-6 record and five games left on the schedule, the Sabres can finish with no more than 86 points in the standings. Montreal currently holds the final wild card spot with 87 points.
'We know where we're at,' Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. 'I'm disappointed where we're at and we can't do anything with that, but we can work on our game and we're going to continue to work on our game until it's over.'
James Reimer made 33 saves in his first shutout victory of the year, Tage Thompson scored his 44th goal, Alex Tuch recorded his NHL-best sixth shorthanded tally on his 34th goal, and JJ Peterka also scored in the Sabres' fifth consecutive victory.
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'It's mixed emotions, for sure,' Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin said. 'We started to play good now. It's too late. But also, it's good we can see that we can play good hockey, and we can beat any team in this league.'
The win streak is Buffalo's longest since December 2022, and seven straight wins on home ice are the most the Sabres have had since 1999.
Reimer, reclaimed earlier this season after being waived by the Sabres, has won his past seven starts, the longest streak of his 15 NHL seasons.
Buffalo begins a three-game road trip Thursday in Columbus. After games at Florida and Tampa Bay, before closing the season with home games against Toronto on April 15 and Philadelphia on April 17.
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Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.
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