The 7-Eleven Power Rankings: Sabres keep finding ways to win The sizzling Buffalo Sabres, who are on a nine-game winning streak after finishing dead last in 2017-18, move up four spots to No. 1 in TSN's weekly 7-Eleven Power Rankings.

What a difference a year makes for the red-hot Buffalo Sabres.

Last year after their first 24 games of the season, the Sabres were 6-14-4 and the worst-ranked team in TSN's weekly 7-Eleven Power Rankings. Buffalo went on to finish dead last in the overall NHL standings in 2017-18 with just 25 wins and 62 points.

Twenty-four games into the 2018-19 season, the Sabres look like a legitimate playoff contender. They’re 16-6-2 and on a nine-game winning streak – one off their franchise record set in 1983-84 and matched again in 2006-07 – to move up four spots to No. 1 this week in our 7-Eleven Power Rankings, according to consensus rankings formulated by the TSN Power Ranking panel of Ray Ferraro, Jeff O’Neill, Jamie McLennan, Craig Button and Darren Dreger.

The Sabres, ranked No. 24 in our second Power Rankings of the season, could turn out to be this season’s version of the 2017-18 Colorado Avalanche. The Avs finished dead last in 2016-17 and then made the playoffs last year. The Sabres also look like a team that’s on track to reach the postseason (for the first time in eight seasons) after finishing dead last the previous season. They’re getting first-rate goaltending from Carter Hutton (11-6-1, .919 save percentage) and Linus Ullmark (5-0-1, .926 SV%) while the additions of No. 1 draft pick Rasmus Dahlin and former Carolina Hurricane Jeff Skinner (also a former No. 1 pick and Calder Trophy winner) have complemented captain Jack Eichel, who leads the team in scoring with 28 points.

The Nashville Predators remain stuck in the No. 2 spot followed by the Tampa Bay Lightning who stay in the No. 3 position after both teams went 3-1 last week. The Toronto Maple Leafs fall out of top spot to No. 4 after going 2-2 last week while the Colorado Avalanche round out our panel’s top five, moving up seven places following a four-game winning streak.

Canada’s best teams this week include the No. 4 Leafs, the Winnipeg Jets at No. 9, the Calgary Flames at No. 10 following a 3-1 week and the No. 13 Montreal Canadiens, who slip four spots after going 0-2-2 last week as their struggles in overtime continue.

The No. 21 Edmonton Oilers climb five places from a week ago after going 1-1-1 in California under new head coach Ken Hitchcock. Meanwhile, the No. 27 Vancouver Canucks fall seven spots after a 1-3 week despite finally snapping an eight-game losing skid. The Ottawa Senators own the biggest dive of the week, dropping 11 spots to No. 28 from No. 17 after giving up 19 goals in three straight losses.

Making the biggest leap of the week are the Pittsburgh Penguins, who jump 11 spots to No. 19 from second last a week ago after going 2-0-2 thanks in part to Sidney Crosby returning to the lineup with three points in a 5-1 victory over Dallas.

Besides the Canucks and Senators, the other basement dwellers in the NHL this week include the No. 29 Arizona Coyotes, who were ranked No. 12 just three weeks ago but have again run into scoring problems, the disappointing St. Louis Blues at No. 30, and the Los Angeles Kings dead last at No. 31 for a fourth consecutive week.