7 games Sabres fans need to mark on their calendar for the 2024-25 season

Now that the Buffalo Sabres 2024-25 season schedule is out, let’s take a look at the most exciting games on the upcoming 82-game schedule. Note that this is nothing more than an opinion piece in which I’ve taken one game from each month’s schedule and labeled it as the most exciting matchup, starting with a game against what was arguably the best team in the NHL in 2023-24.

Many Sabres fans might consider the Oct. 10 game against the Los Angeles Kings to be the most exciting game, since it’s the home opener, or perhaps the two games on Oct. 4 and 5, respectively, since they’re part of the NHL World Series. But the Oct. 12 game against the Florida Panthers is the most important on the list, as it gives the Sabres a chance to take down the defending Stanley Cup champions and make a statement in the process.

This will be a rematch of the January 13, 2023 game that saw the Canucks blank the Sabres 1-0. Should we expect another low-scoring goaltending duel or more offense this time around?

In case you didn’t know, the Arizona Coyotes and the Utah Hockey Club are two separate entities, so they have no connection to each other. Since this will be the first meeting in history between the two clubs, the Sabres will want to start the all-time series with a win.

The Sabres will get their first chance against the Nashville Predators, whose rebuilt roster this offseason could allow them to dominate the Western Conference at this point. Like the game against the Florida Panthers, this one gives the Blue and Gold a chance to make a statement against what should be one of the best teams in the league.

It’s the season finale against the NHL’s 2023-24 Presidents’ Trophy winners, and whether the Sabres are in contention or not won’t matter. Buffalo will either move further into the playoff race or get a chance to play spoiler against one of the NHL’s best teams.

The Sabres and Red Wings have been going at it for two years now, with the Blue and Gold getting the better of Detroit in 2022-23 before the Wings stormed back last season. This season, I’m predicting a hard-fought series culminating in the season series finale on the 12th.

Whether the Sabres are a bad hockey team again or finally realize they can play beyond mid-April for the first time this decade is irrelevant. The Sabres know a convoy of Maple Leafs fans will show up for this game, and they would love nothing more than to send Leafs fans home disappointed, something they have a history of doing despite their poor seasons.