BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — When the Buffalo Sabres went to the Olympic break, they held the top spot in the wild-card standings in the Eastern Conference.
The team had been playing good hockey. But the big question for this team was how they would come out of the break with three straight road games. The answer? Three straight wins, including a 6-2 blowout win over Tampa Bay on Saturday, and this group believes that sent a message to the rest of the NHL that the boys from Buffalo are legit.
"We look around the league, and other teams will now respect us more, so it's going to get tougher. This last stretch is going to be huge for all the teams that are in the race," said Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin. It won't get easier, that's for sure."
"I think our guys have taken over, and that isn't coming from me all the time now. And so I might have set the solve, but they're solving it on a daily basis by being good pros," head coach Lindy Ruff said about his team's self-directed attitude towards improvement.
Now we gear up for what’s next; six of their next seven games are at home, beginning with the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday.
They’ll also honor Tage Thompson for his gold medal in the Winter Olympics beforehand. Which means former Sabres forward and now member of the Golden Knights, Jack Eichel, will be recognized before the game as well. Thompson is hoping Buffalo fans give him the recognition he deserves.
WATCH: Thompson, Eichel and Team USA to be recognized ahead of Sabres, Golden Knights matchup
"He put everything he had into this city, and he put everything he had into that USA team," Thomspon said. "And, he wore the crest proudly. So I would hope that it would be, you know, a really good reaction for him, and Noah (Hanifin)."
Puck drop between Buffalo and Vegas on Tuesday night is set for 7 p.m.
