The reigning Stanley Cup champions have continued to dominate the NHL entering the new year with a league best 64 points thanks to a 31-5-2 record. The Sabres boast an NHL best +90 goal differential and have been an absolute nightmare to play at home showcased by their 16-1-1 record at the First Niagara Center. The Sabres rank 3rd in the NHL in Goals For with 162 just 4 fewer than the league leading Vegas Golden Knights. Even with their strong play the Sabres have just 2 players in the Top 20 in points, team depth and strong defense would seem to be the core to the Sabres dominance.

William Nylander and Alex Ovechkin sit at 17th and 18th respectively in NHL scoring and have proven to be the offensive stars that drive the front end of the Sabres attack. Ovechkin, who is in his first season in Buffalo and is sure fitting in well, leads the team with 27 goals and is tied for 9th leage-wide. He sits 9 goals back of the league lead and with a strong second half it would surprise no one to see Ovie right in the mix for a Rocket Richard.

Beyond those two the Sabres have another 5 players all in the Top 100 in points - Joel Eriksson-Ek (12-29-41) - Proving to be an elite two-way center JEE sits atop the Sabres lineup, he leads all special teams units and is a cornerstone of the franchise. He has proven to have strong chemistry with Nylander and has had no issue with his new top linemate in Ovechkin. Jack Eichel (15-24-39) - On most other teams Mr. Eichel would be the elite #1 center but being in Buffalo has afforded him the opportunity to work back from injury with a lessened load. Still performing admirably Jack finds himself leading the second units behind the afformentioned JEE. Who's to say, with a full season under his belt we may see Jack really pushing for a return to the top dog spot on this star studded squad. Travis Konecny (18-21-39) - A trend we'll begin to see now is that much like Eichel, Konecny absolutely has the skills to be a top line option. However, in Buffalo he is supplemental scoring and does a terrific job of it. While playing 2nd line and on the 2nd PP unit Travis is 3rd in goals on the team and is always a threat to score. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (15-23-38) - This in RNH's first season in Buffalo and while it certainly has not been a disappointment, he has fallen short of his own expectations. Most say he is just as talented as the top 2-3 players on the team but he has not yet displayed the offensive acumen expected when brought in. Still, playing on the 2nd line with Eichel and Konecny while also playing the point on the top PP unit there are certainly ample opportunites for RNH to display a greater level of scoring. That being said he remains a top threat and is playing at a ppg pace. Expectations remain high and a strong second half could propel RNH into Buffalo stardom.

Last of the 7 - and certainly not least - Is Cale Makar (10-22-32). The dynamo and true leader of the Buffalo Sabres, is actually having a somewhat down offensive season. We saw Makar lead all defesemen in points last season with 107 on his way to winning the Norris. So far this year he finds himself 3rd behind NYR's Josh Morrissey and MTL's Kris Letang. With 15 points seperating there is quite a hill to climb but certainly no insurmountable feat for a player viewed as easily a Top 5 player in the league. With that Makars defensive game remains elite. He is the only defenseman in the league who is +40 or better and one of only 8 players to hit that mark. He is a major minute eater on the backend and has formed arguably the best pairing with himself and Colton Parayko.

Now most importantly of all is the absolute clinic being put on at the goaltending position by Connor Hellebuyck. I know he would thank some new additions on the defensive end in Alec Martinez, Alex Edler and Jaycob Megna to his beyond stellar numbers but nothing can take away from how remarkable his play has been this season. Hellebuyck leads the league in wins (tied for 1st), He is 1st in SV% with a .951 and is 1st in GAA with a 1.44. Hard to do better than that. If this level of play continues the sky is the limit for this team and we should see some individual awards coming their way as well.