Buffalo Sabres are 2025-26 Atlantic Division Champs

If you asked any fans of the Buffalo Sabres back around Thanksgiving if the team would make the playoffs or win the Atlantic Division this season, you would have gotten a very loud no. The Sabres caught on fire in December and never slowed down, claiming their first Atlantic Division title since the 2010-11 season.

Buffalo Sabres Win 2025-26 Atlantic Division Title

The Buffalo Sabres had the fewest points in the Eastern Conference on December 8th before they became one of the best teams in the NHL, winning 39 games since then to claim the Atlantic Division title.

After 81 games, the Sabres have won 50 games and claimed a total of 108 points, which is good enough to claim the Atlantic Division and 2nd place in the Eastern Conference.

The Sabres have a 2-point lead over Tampa Bay and Montreal, but own tie-breakers over both those teams, so there is no way they could overtake the Sabres in the final game of the regular season.

Buffalo Sabres Will Have Home Ice Advantage In NHL Playoffs

With the win last night and claiming of the Atlantic Division, the Sabres have secured home ice advantage in the opening round of the NHL playoffs. The Sabres will either play the Boston Bruins or Ottawa Senators in the opening round.

Right now, the Boston Bruins are in the first wild-card spot, so that is where the Sabres would play. Both Boston and Ottawa have one last game in the regular season. If Ottawa wins and Boston loses in regulation, the Sabres would play Ottawa.

The NHL Playoffs are set to begin this Saturday, April 18th. The NHL will release the official schedule for the playoffs after the regular season wraps up on Wednesday night.