The Sabres are off to a surprisingly strong 9-2-2 start, and they’ve done it with great balance and production from all their lines, an improved defense and rock-solid goaltending from Carter Hutton.

Buffalo also got off to a great start last season but faded in January and beyond. The Sabres are vowing not to allow a second-half collapse to occur again.

This is a great test for Buffalo on Friday night in Washington against a Capitals squad that has been potent offensively as the catalyst to a very good 9-2-3 start. The Capitals are the first team this season to score 50 goals as a team, but they have had some struggles defensively, allowing 46 goals in their first 14 games, which is nearly 3.5 goals per game.

The play: Sabres-Capitals Over 6¹/₂ goals. I would expect the offenses to be in gear (Buffalo also might be a live road underdog here, especially with Washington returning home from a long trip that started in the West and ended in the East).