THE SCOOP
The Devils return to play in a precarious position. They currently sit in second-to-last place in the Eastern Conference with 58 points. That puts them 11 points behind in the chase for the playoffs, a difficult account to make up in just a 25-game stretch to finish the season. The Devils will have to go on one or two heaters and may possibly need to win 20 games to pull off a postseason berth.
While nothing is impossible, the Devils’ odds are certainly not in their favor.
The team will welcome home their Olympians from the break. Jesper Bratt and Jacob Markstrom for Sweden, Nico Hischier, Timo Meier and Jonas Siegenthaler for Switzerland, Simon Nemec with Slovakia and Jack Hughes, who scored the Golden Goal, for Team USA.
The Sabres are looking to snap a 14-year playoff drought. The club currently holds the first Wild Card position with 70 points but has several teams nipping at its heels. Buffalo’s 10-game winning streak earlier in the year pulled them out of the basement and into a postseason position. The team has been fighting to hold on to that spot.
The Sabres went 6-2-1 heading into the Olympic break, and despite stringing together a lot of wins, they haven’t been able to fully lockdown a postseason position.
Tage Thompson, who gold medaled in Italy, is having another monster season. He has 30 goals and 59 points. He could threaten to break the 40-goal mark for the third time in his career.