The Buffalo Sabres have clinched a playoff spot for the first time in 14 years, following a New York Rangers’ 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.
It was the second-longest active futility run in North America’s four major sports behind the New York Jets and their 15-season slide.
The Sabres on Thursday put up a poor offensive performance in Ottawa, falling 4-1 to the Senators. Both the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Montreal Canadiens won on Thursday, putting Tampa ahead of the Sabres for the top spot in the Atlantic and Montreal two points back in the East.
The Red Wings’ loss on Saturday, however, secured a playoff berth for Buffalo.
It’s quite the turnaround after the team finished 36-39-7 last season, but was eliminated from playoff contention in April.
This season started out rocky, with a 14-14-4 start, leading the team to fire general manager Kevyn Adams and replace him with Jarmo Kekäläinen.
Following that, the team went on win streaks of 10 and eight games, rocketing them up the standings and getting to this point.
Before they get to the playoffs, though, there’s still a handful of games to go in the regular season, which will help determine seeding.
The Sabres take on the Capitals Saturday at 7 p.m. in Washington, D.C.
The final regular-season game is April 15.