The National Hockey League’s Eastern Conference is buzzing with contrasting fortunes as the Buffalo Sabres ride a historic wave of success while the New Jersey Devils find themselves mired in crisis. As the calendar flips to mid-January 2026, both teams are making headlines for very different reasons—one for breaking franchise records and rallying passionate home crowds, the other for enduring humiliating defeats and internal turmoil that has fans and analysts alike questioning the future of key personnel.
Buffalo’s recent form has been nothing short of electric. The Sabres, currently holding the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, have notched 13 wins in their last 14 outings—a feat no previous Sabres squad has managed in franchise history. Their latest triumph, a 5-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks at KeyBank Center, kicked off a pivotal five-game homestand with a bang. The building was sold out, the energy palpable from the anthems to the final horn, and the players could feel the city’s pulse matching their own on the ice.
“This is what we’ve been waiting for,” said Sabres forward Josh Doan after the Anaheim game. “We’ve been following along with the standings, and it seems whenever east coast teams play each other, it ends up in an overtime or a shootout. So, it’s hard to gain points and gain a little separation from teams. But it’s an opportunity for us and a big one where we need to obviously take advantage of being at home for them.”
Doan, one of the team’s promising first-year players, captured the mood in Buffalo perfectly. The Sabres have now won six straight at KeyBank Center and boast a 14-5-2 home record, good for a .714 points percentage—second only to Colorado in the entire NHL. The stands have responded in kind; the Anaheim matchup marked the team’s sixth sellout of the season, with the crowd’s enthusiasm feeding directly into the Sabres’ relentless pace.
“You can feel the energy off every play,” Doan added. “We were told coming here that, when you’re winning, it’s the best place to play, and you’re starting to feel that.”
The Sabres’ schedule doesn’t get any easier as they brace for a rapid-fire stretch against three Eastern Conference contenders—Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, and Montreal Canadiens—in just four nights. Monday night’s game against the Panthers, with the puck set to drop at 7 p.m., is particularly crucial. Buffalo sits two points ahead of Florida for the wild card, making this clash a classic four-point swing. Every shift, every save, and every goal has playoff implications, and the Sabres’ faithful know it.
Meanwhile, the mood in New Jersey couldn’t be more different. The Devils’ 2025-26 campaign has spiraled into what some are calling a "complete disaster." The week that began with a humiliating 9-0 drubbing at the hands of the New York Islanders only got worse. Hopes for a "big response" against the Pittsburgh Penguins fizzled as the Devils suffered another defeat, and a subsequent loss to the Winnipeg Jets—who currently sit dead last in the NHL—only deepened the gloom.
The cracks are showing not just on the ice but behind the scenes. Head coach Sheldon Keefe, in only his second year with the club, is now fielding questions about his job security. After the Pittsburgh loss, Keefe addressed the mounting pressure with a mix of candor and resolve. “It’s out of my hands,” Keefe said. “It’s not in my control. ... I know what this team needs, how to get them going, but I’m also aware of the reality of the business and how it works… We’ve got work to do to become a real hockey team. There was a perception that we were a real hockey team before the work was put in. (The team) is going to keep working at it and I’m going to keep working at it. Part of coaching is you have to deal with crisis, challenges. These kinds of things excite me. I believe I can be part of the solution here and I’m going to keep doing my job to find the answers.”
If Keefe’s job isn’t safe, neither is the roster. Star defenseman Dougie Hamilton has been benched, reportedly because he refused to waive his no-move clause—a claim the team denies, but the optics aren’t great. “Dougie is not going to play today, but my message to him yesterday when we spoke before practice is to stay ready,” Keefe explained before the Winnipeg game. “I don’t even know if Kovacevic is going to play back-to-back here, so we might make a change right back again tomorrow.”
The handling of Hamilton’s situation has drawn criticism from former players and the broader hockey community. One unnamed former player told a reporter, “I don’t know that I’d sign with New Jersey if they did something like that,” alluding to the benching of a player with a restrictive contract clause. The ripple effects could be significant, especially since Hamilton shares an agency with several other top NHL talents.
General manager Tom Fitzgerald is also under fire for what many see as poor cap management and a series of questionable personnel moves. Rumors swirl about potential trades, but Hamilton’s value may be diminished by the public nature of his benching and the restrictive no-move clause. The Devils’ front office is facing calls for accountability, with some fans and media questioning whether Fitzgerald should step down—a move rarely seen in the NHL unless prompted by health or ownership disputes.
The on-ice product reflects the off-ice chaos. During the third period against Winnipeg, the Devils were out-shot 8-1 in the first 13 minutes, despite entering the frame tied 3-3. Goaltending has become a sore spot as well. Jacob Markstrom, who was left in net for all nine goals against the Islanders, hasn’t played since that debacle. Jake Allen, typically not a back-to-back starter, was forced into consecutive games, raising questions about Markstrom’s mindset and the team’s direction.
Statistically, the Devils are struggling to convert their opportunities. Despite generating chances, they rank last in goals scored above expected—a telling metric for a team that was once lauded for its analytical approach under Keefe’s predecessor. The chemistry between Keefe’s two-way system and the Devils’ roster simply hasn’t clicked, and the pressure is mounting with every loss.
As the Sabres and Devils continue their divergent journeys, the Eastern Conference landscape remains unpredictable. Buffalo’s fans are dreaming of a deep playoff run, while New Jersey’s faithful are left searching for answers. With the Sabres set to host Florida in a pivotal matchup and the Devils facing tough questions about their future, all eyes are on the next chapter in this dramatic NHL season.
One thing’s for sure: whether you’re in the stands at KeyBank Center or watching the drama unfold in Newark, the heart of hockey beats strong—and the storylines are only getting juicier as the season barrels ahead.
