Sabres Need Deep Run to Prove They're Legit

The Buffalo Sabres sit atop the Atlantic with a cushion that has front offices buzzing, but everyone in the league knows a first-round exit would expose the cracks in this young core. GM Kevyn Adams built this roster to contend now, yet the ghosts of past playoff failures linger in those KeyBank Center halls. A deep run validates the hype and silences the doubters who whisper that Buffalo's surge is just another false dawn in a franchise starved for success.