NHL

Buffalo Sabres Playoff Drought Ends; Chase for NHL Stanley Cup Begins April 18

The Buffalo Sabres qualify for NHL’s Stanley Cup tournament for the first time in 15 seasons.
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Buffalo Sabres Playoff Drought Ends; Chase for NHL Stanley Cup Begins April 18
Alex Tuch (89) and Ryan McLeod (71) celebrate with teammate Alex Lyon (34) of the Buffalo Sabres after winning an NHL game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, on March 14, 2026. Joe Hrycych/Getty Images
Donald Laible
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There is a long-awaited hockey celebration taking place in Western New York.

A generation of Sabres fans have never seen their favorite NHL team qualify for the postseason, until now. Buffalo had help on Saturday as the Sabres officially had their name added to what will be a 16-team field in the chase for sport’s most coveted trophy. At Madison Square Garden, the hometown eighth-place Metropolitan Division New York Rangers’ 4–1 win over Atlantic Division’s sixth-place Detroit Red Wings was the link that qualified the Sabres for postseason play for the first time since the spring of 2011.

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Donald Laible
Donald Laible
Author
Don has covered pro baseball for several decades, beginning in the minor leagues as a radio broadcaster in the NY Mets organization. His Ice Chips & Diamond Dust blog ran from 2012-2020 at uticaod.com. His baseball passion surrounds anything concerning the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and writing features on the players and staff of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Don currently resides in southwest Florida.