Sabres face Sharks seeking to tie Buffalo record with 10th straight win

BUFFALO -- Rasmus Dahlin was informed that he was 6 years old when the Buffalo Sabres previously won nine consecutive games, in 2006.

So what's it feel like to be part of a Sabres team that has duplicated that feat?
"For me, it's awesome to be part of it," the rookie defenseman said on Monday. "But for me, I like to win and have won, so I'm pretty much used to it."
The Sabres have the opportunity to match the longest winning streak in their history when they go for 10 in a row against the San Jose Sharks at KeyBank Center on Tuesday (7 p.m ET: SNE, SNO, SNP, MSG-B, NBCSCA, NHL.TV).

Buffalo had 10-game winning streaks in 1983-84 and 2006-07.
The Sabres' success (16-6-2) is a far cry from the struggles of 2017-18 when the Sabres finish 31st in the NHL with 62 points (25-45-12).
Buffalo's new upbeat attitude is evident the moment you walk into the locker room.
On the far wall side sits Dahlin, 18, the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft who oozes a quiet confidence. For the young Swede, Buffalo's struggles in recent years are irrelevant because he wasn't part of them.
"I want to win," he said. "Winning's fun."
Several cubicles away, captain Jack Eichel, 22, couldn't agree more. The Sabres have never reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs in his three previous NHL seasons.

"Just to think of where we came from a year ago, and to be winning games and doing this, obviously it's great," Eichel, the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, said.
A frustrated Eichel took each and every loss to heart last season. There have been so few of them this season, he can't even remember them. He was asked after practice Monday to recall their most recent loss.
"Ah, was it Calgary?" he asked.
Eichel was referring to a 2-1 overtime defeat to the Calgary Flames on Oct 30. He was informed that the Sabres lost two games since then - 4-2 against the Ottawa Senators on Nov. 1, then 3-1 to the New York Rangers on Nov. 4, a defeat that left Buffalo with a 7-6-2 record.
"Yeah, Rangers, in New York," he agreed.
Jason Pominville, 35, is amused by the scene in front of him. The rookie with the winning pedigree. The captain who forgets defeats.

"Rasmus is a big part of the team right now and him and other guys saying we expect to win, that's great," the veteran forward said. "That's a big thing for me. Last year, when things weren't going our way, we'd go into a shell. Now when things go bad, we're trusting our instincts, we're trusting our system, sticking to what has led us to having success."
Pominville was on that Sabres team that started the 2006-07 season with 10 consecutive victories. He can sense the same excitement starting to snowball in Buffalo.
"It's nice for the guys that have been here for a while to finally see what this city is about when you finally win and see the reaction of the fans," Pominville said. "The atmosphere in the city is great.
"It's early but it hasn't been easy. And there's still work to be done. Still, winning 10 games in a row, that's hard whether you're the best team or not. And we're just one game shy of that right now."
The Sabres did not win their 16th game until Feb. 10 last season. They reached that mark with a 3-2 shootout win against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.
"I try not to think about last year," coach Phil Housley said with a modest smirk.
Many of the players the Sabres acquired during the offseason are paying instant dividends.
Forward Jeff Skinner, acquired in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes, has 18 goals, tied for second in the NHL with Alex Ovechkin, one behind Patrik Laine and David Pastrnak. Goalie Carter Hutton, signed as a free agent, is third in wins with 11. Dahlin's 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) are tied for third among NHL rookies.
"It's awesome to see how we are getting better and better," Dahlin said. "And it's great to see how the city is behind us."
For a rabid fanbase that has not seen its team reach the playoffs since 2010-11, there finally seems to be reason for excitement.