The payoff of a hot start

Photo courtesy of CNN

Interesting fact I picked up from the Buffalo News today:

This is the second best 10 game start in the long history of the Buffalo Sabres (8-1-1).

The franchise record?

A 10-0 start to 2006-2007 en route to a President’s Trophy and a trip to the Eastern Conference finals.

How’s that for finding some optimism for this season?

Regardless of two losses – both ugly ones to teams Buffalo should have steamrolled – it’s worth noting that they’ve earned 17 of 22 possible points so far.

You could look back to find teams that started hot only to barely scoot into the playoffs – the 2007-2008 Ottawa Senators – or teams that started slow and finished with a bang – last year’s Anaheim Ducks or the 2007-2008 Washington Capitals. In light of these examples, a hot start doesn’t seem to mean too much, so long as the points add up when 82 games are played.

But it makes you wonder what this season holds, doesn’t it?

- C.

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