DONE DEAL: Lindy Ruff has been signen for a big contract worth $987.8 million dor…seemore…

It’s time for a brand new series! For the next week, I will give you one win from each month of the Buffalo Sabres 2023/2024 season and tell you why it was my favorite win from that month. Up first, the month of October. The best win from October 2023 was against the Colorado Avalanche.

Buffalo had a Sunday matinee against one of the best teams in the NHL. Following a tough loss against the New Jersey Devils two nights before, it didn’t get any easier for the Sabres, as they were welcoming an elite team in the Avalanche.

The last thing I expected was a shutout from Buffalo. Well, that’s exactly what happened. It was all Sabres as they beat Colorado 4-0 in what would be the first NHL shutout for Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Not only did he play phenomenal in the victory, but he got some scoring help thanks to JJ Peterka, Casey Mittelstadt, Tyson Jost and Rasmus Dahlin

In what turned out to be a brilliant year for Luukkonen, this was his first of five shutouts this season. Buffalo was extremely erratic this season, and this game was a positive. Aside from Luukkonen, it was amazing to watch Buffalo play well and win against one of the NHL’s finest teams, particularly by keeping them out.

Colorado defeated Buffalo later in the season, but the way they played generally was impressive, which is why this game was my best victory in October 2023. If Mittelstadt joins the Avalanche next season, it will be his first game back in Buffalo since being moved.

The Sabres were 4-5-0 entering into November following the Colorado victory

Okay, this post was intended to be about five players, but you can’t discuss Isak Rosen and Jiri Kulich individually. One reason is because I kept changing my mind about where I wanted to put them until I realized, “Oh well, the Sabres have enough NHL-caliber prospects that it wouldn’t hurt to put them both at No. 4.”

Let us start with Kulich, who finished his second full season with the Rochester Americans, collecting 27 goals and 45 points in 57 games. While he had one fewer point this season, his points per game went from 0.741 in 2022-23 to 0.789 this season, and his improved defensive performance most certainly helped create more opportunities for himself or his teammates.