Buffalo Sabres: Division Champs, Playoff Bound

0:00It's April 16th. This is NHL News Today, AI-powered updates on your team. I'm Corey with the story. The Buffalo Sabers just wrapped up the 2025-26 season as Atlantic Division champions ending a 14-year playoff. Drought. This is huge for the franchise, marking their first division title in ages and sending them into the postseason on a high note. Back on December 15th, they were scraping the bottom of the league's standings, which led to firing their general manager. New leadership with Jarmo Kekalainen at the helm and coach Lindy Ruff, pushing a team first approach sparked a massive turnaround with the Sabers, going 39 wins, nine losses, and four overtime losses since then. Fans in Buffalo are buzzing like never before, finally hanging a division banner after years of heartbreak. The city's ready to erupt, especially with veterans meshing perfectly with young stars like Owen Power and Bowen Byram, creating real chemistry in the locker room, key players

1:01like Taj Thompson, who hit 40 goals for the second straight year, and Captain Rasmus Dallin with 55 assists, fueled this. Surge. Making Buffalo one of the hottest teams in the east heading into the playoffs. Now they face the Boston Bruins in the first round, with home ice advantage at Keybank Center for the first time in over a decade. As they rest up in Dallin mentally for the grind ahead, this rivalry series has all the makings of a classic battle.