Sabres Eye Playoff Matchup as Season Nears End

The Buffalo Sabres last participated in the Stanley Cup playoffs on April 26, 2011, suffering a 5-2 defeat against the Philadelphia Flyers, which ended their postseason hopes.

On that date, the top song was "S&M" by Rihanna featuring Britney Spears, while the animated film "Rio" topped the box office. Now, anticipation is building for the Sabres' return to playoff hockey, and they are currently in contention for the Atlantic Division title.

Instead of monitoring other teams for playoff hope, Sabres fans can now evaluate potential first-round opponents. The matchup will depend on whether the Sabres secure the top spot in the division, which would pit them against a wild-card team, or if they finish second, leading to a face-off against the third seed.

According to analytics from Stathletes, the five most likely first-round opponents for the Sabres are the Montreal Canadiens (32.64% chance), Ottawa Senators (23.96%), Boston Bruins (22.19%), Detroit Red Wings (10.80%), and New York Islanders (3.40%).

The Sabres have upcoming games against four of these teams, including a match against the Bruins on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. This season, Buffalo has recorded one win, one loss, and one overtime loss against Boston.

Fans may prefer to avoid facing the Bruins, as the Sabres have performed well against the Senators, Red Wings, and Islanders, winning all their games against them this season. Their record against the Canadiens stands at two wins and two losses.

However, given the Sabres' strong performance in recent months, the choice of opponent may be less significant.

As the regular season approaches its conclusion on April 16, each team has approximately 12 games remaining. Fans are encouraged to follow the NHL playoff watch for daily updates on the playoff races and teams vying for position in the 2026 NHL draft lottery.