Canucks Schedule: What to learn from the Sabres’ 10-game winning streak?

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It’s not the result. It’s the response.

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The Buffalo Sabres have returned to reality with a sobering loss after a rollicking run of 10-straight NHL wins to match a club record. It ended Saturday in a 5-2 setback at Columbus.

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The streak gave the floundering franchise hope that the light at the end of a long tunnel of struggles is a brighter future and not a train to send the club off the rails once again. After all, they dominated the potent Dallas Stars 4-1 to match the streak mark.

It’s a lesson of resistance and resolve for the Vancouver Canucks, who face the Sabres on Tuesday to open a gruelling six-game trip crammed into just 10 days. It’s part of the crazy condensed schedule that has invited fatigue and a plethora of injuries to allow a window for league participation in the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The Canucks’ expansion cousins have set the bar for suddenly making something of a season that had gone south by having crucial elements combine for the 10-consecutive triumphs.

The Sabres received stellar goaltending, stayed in a stronger defensive structure, got Josh Norris and Zach Benson back from injury, and the imposing Tage Thompson went on a points heater to power the run.

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Thompson, who exploded for 14 points (7-7) in the streak, scored in a 3-2 to victory at Rogers Arena on Dec. 11 — the Sabres’ first regulation road win since April — to make it a modest two-game streak after prevailing 4-3 in overtime at Edmonton.

“We got on this roll by making sure we’re doing the right things every game,” said the 2026 U.S. Olympian. “When you’re winning it’s easy to kind of just expect to win, but right now we don’t have that. We’re just one day at a time, one game at a time.”

The Canucks have had the right road mindset all season. They strung together four straight wins following the Quinn Hughes trade and their 12 triumphs rank fifth overall. However, they then lost their next four at home to sit with a league-worst 4-12-3 mark to test the patience of the faithful.

So, what can Canucks head coach Adam Foote do to ensure minds don’t wander?

He knows the development of young defencemen continues to be one of the good-news stories in a bad season.

From rookies Tom Willander, 20, and Zeev Buium, 20, running the power plays, and often looking like seasoned veterans, to Elias Pettersson, 21, playing a heavy game and learning on the fly, there are reasons to believe the future can be better.

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“The youth we have is getting a lot of games,” noted Foote. “You hope they continue to grow and get better. We just have to keep growing and I think the guys are resilient and we have to hang on until we get wins.”

“Willander didn’t play a lot of power play in college, and who knows if he’ll be a No.1 power-play guy, but he’s not afraid of the hard shifts and playing against top players.”

Foote then threw out the obvious in knowing that winning is everything, despite a franchise pivot in how it wants to approach roster construction with more youth.

“You don’t want the playoffs out of reach, it’s still there,” he said of the importance of this trip.

Well, not really. The Canucks are seven points back of the final wild-card spot, need to leapfrog seven teams and get a lot of help. It’s a very long shot, but road wins will generate confidence and fleeting belief.

Here’s what awaits the Canucks this week. I went 2-2-0 last week with predictions:

Canucks at Sabres

When and where: Tuesday, 4 p.m. | KeyBank Center
TV: Sportsnet Pacific. Radio: Sportsnet 650

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What to watch: When winning suddenly seems easy, not losing your way becomes hard. The Sabres are in that rarified air of their season meaning something by being in wild-card playoff contention. They had lost three straight and five of seven to fall to 11-14-4 in early December. Then came the 10-game win streak, outscoring the opposition 36-18, and going 20-for-24 on the penalty kill. What a run.

Who to watch: Tagus Thompson Center

The first-line Sabres pivot has 20 goals and is on pace to hit the 40-goal plateau for the third time in the past four seasons. It’s not just his 6-foot-6 and 220 pound frame that strikes fear into the opposition, it’s how the 2016 first-round pick of the St. Louis Blues continues to find open space to unload a heavy wrist shot. He has five points (2-3) in the last five games.

Prediction: The Canucks are obviously aiming to avenge a 3-2 loss to the Sabres on Dec. 11 at Rogers Arena. They had a 2-1 lead before Thompson and Benson struck in the second half of the middle stanza. Gut feeling is the power play gets on track after 12 shots Saturday and going just 1-for-6. Canucks prevail 3-2.

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Canucks at Red Wings

When and where: Thursday, 4 p.m. | Little Caesars Arena
TV: Sportsnet Pacific. Radio: Sportsnet 650

What to watch: The Wings haven’t been in the post-season since 2016, but are in contention for the Atlantic Division title despite 4-1 loss Saturday to Pittsburgh at home. Detroit is good at home (14-8-1) and the road (10-7-3), plus 10-2-1 when it leads after the first period and 17-2-1 when up after 40 minutes. The Wings are also ranked sixth on the power play.

Who to watch: Winger Alex DeBrincat

Good things do come in smaller packages. The 5-foot-8 DeBrincat has 22 goals, is on pace for 40, and has netted 66 goals the previous two seasons. But he was left off Team USA for the Olympics and it obviously stings. He has a team-high 10 power-play goals, four game-winners and is a go-to guy at even strength.

Prediction: Wings captain Dylan Larkin has 21 goals and always seems to be in the scoring mix against the Canucks. Tough building to win in. Crowd is raucous. Wings seldom lay an egg. Canucks lose 4-2.

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Canucks at Maple Leafs

When and where: Saturday, 4 p.m. | Scotiabank Arena
TV: Hockey Night In Canada, SN Pacific. Radio: Sportsnet 650

What to watch: The Leafs bring the best out of the Canucks in Vancouver, but seldom on the road. Whether it’s the HNIC spotlight, or whatever, they stumble. However, last season the Canucks won 3-0 in Toronto on Jan. 11 with Kevin Lankinen stopping 20 shots. They also prevailed at home by a 2-1 count on Feb. 8.

Who to watch: Centre Auston Matthews

Sometimes, it looks like he coasting. Sometimes, you wonder how he got into prime position and picked a tiny corner. Matthews has passed Mats Sundin for the all-time franchise goal lead (421) in 664 games. Sundin had 420 goals in 981 outings. Matthews has 20 goals this season and 10 points (6-4) in his last five games.

Prediction: The Leafs are vulnerable on home ice and often drive bench boss Craig Berube crazy when they stray from the details. But they’re still 14-5-5 at Scotiabank and have too much talent. Buds win it 5-3.

bkuzma@postmedia.com

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