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There are a lot of folks who believe this is the season that the Buffalo Sabres break their 12-year playoff drought.

Loaded with young talent and banking on rookie Devon Levi to improve their goaltending situation, the Sabres are expected to improve after missing the playoffs by one point in 2022-23.

Bookmakers are a little more skeptical than the general public, as Buffalo’s Over/Under is set at 92.5 points.

Buffalo is a slight home underdog against the New York Rangers on Thursday night.

Like the Sabres, the Rangers will have a lot of pressure on them to improve in 2023-24.

The Blueshirts cruised to the playoffs, but lost in embarrassing fashion to the Devils in Round 1.

That performance cost Gerard Gallant his job and put plenty of players under the microscope for the new campaign. 

For the second straight season, the Rangers won a lot of games and racked up more than 100 points despite pedestrian play-driving numbers at 5-on-5.

The Blueshirts finished the year ranked 17th in shot attempt rate, 22nd in expected goal percentage and 21st in high-danger chance differential at 5-on-5, but they still managed to finish 10th in goal difference at even strength.

The Rangers have proven that they don’t need to tilt the ice to have success thanks to their finishing talent, all-world goaltender and a terrific power play.

Where the Rangers can find themselves in trouble, however, is keeping up with speedy teams.

We saw the Blueshirts struggle to keep up with the Devils in the playoffs, and while Buffalo isn’t on the same level as New Jersey there’s a lot of dynamic skill on this roster and that could prevent the Blueshirts from settling in defensively and put a lot of pressure on Igor Shesterkin to steal the show. 

Although I do think the Sabres are a tad overrated by the general public coming into the season, the same can be said of the Rangers and I would suggest that this line flatters them, especially on the road. 

The bet: Buffalo Sabres +115 (Caesars Sportsbook)