Over three weeks separate the city of Buffalo from its last loss.
We might as well start calling the city BuffaWo, because there haven't been any Ls in recent weeks.
The month of November has been a euphoric one for sports fans in Western New York. Their beloved Bills currently find themselves on a two-game winning streak, their last loss coming on Nov. 4. A recent boost in offensive production has helped the team put together their first win streak of the 2018 campaign.
Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres appear to be well on their way to breaking their seven-year postseason drought. A historic 10-game winning streak has allowed the Sabres to shoot to the top of the NHL standings. The Sabres, who were considered a fringe-playoff team by most analysts before the season commenced, appear to be serious contenders for the first time in over one decade.
Players on the Bills' roster have taken notice of the Sabres' streak, and even they are starting to buy in.
"The Sabres are doing a fantastic job," defensive end Jerry Hughes said. "You know, [Tuesday], the game went into overtime. They still pulled out with the win, which was great. It's great for our city and the fans.
"I was there with Kyle [Williams], the fans loved it. We loved the chant, you know, counting all the way up to 10. That was great."
The sold-out crowd was electric on Tuesday night as the Sabres upset the heavily-favored Sharks in overtime. Among the crowd was Bills quarterback Josh Allen, a California-kid who has fallen in love with hockey since arriving in Buffalo.
"I went to the Sabres game [Tuesday]," Allen said. "Big accomplishment for them, 10 games in a row now. They're playing some exciting hockey right now. I grew up in California, where it's super hot, so we didn't have that growing up."
Perhaps no Bill has embraced the Sabres more than sophomore cornerback Tre'Davious White, who claims to run a goaltending academy in his home state of Louisiana. Though White takes credit for the Sabres' recent success, you're not going to catch him at a game anytime soon.
"It's been fun, man," White said. "[The goaltending academy] was just a joke that started a month and a half ago, and everybody just took it and ran with it. I just picked up with it, and now Tre White works his magic with his academy, and we pulled off 10 in a row.
"I came into this thing knowing that, if the Sabres lose a game, it's going to be all my fault . . . I'm just going to try to stay away from going to the games, because the game that I did go to, they lost. I'm just going to stay away and watch it from afar."
It's often said that Buffalo fans are some of the most passionate in all of sports, and the Sabres' recent success has proven this notion. The team's winning streak has brought a different atmosphere to the entire city, something that the Bills' roster is all too aware of.
"It's just great morale for the city, you see it around all the local businesses," Hughes said. "We want 10. Now it's going up - we want 11. It's just great morale for the city, just to see everyone happy and smiling. Sabres are kicking butt."
"[Tuesday], I [watched] through regulation and after that I had some things to do," Bills head coach Sean McDermott said. "The energy around our city because of what Phil [Housley] and Jason [Botterill] have done over there and their players and that organization and team and what we're doing with these young players, I think there's great excitement around our city right now for sports in Buffalo."
