Franchise History

Standings by Year

As of:

Final NHL standings as of the last day of the regular season, for any year on record. View by Division, Conference, or League, and track where Buffalo (and every other team) stood across a season with the trend chart below.

2001–02 Final Standings

2001–02 Game Results

Buffalo finished 20th in the league, 5th in the Northeast.

TeamGPWLOTLTPTSPTS%GFGASOWSOLDIFFxPTSSTRK
1p-Detroit Red Wings825117410116.707251187+64105L1
2z-Boston Bruins82432496101.616236201+3595W1
3x-Toronto Maple Leafs824325410100.610249207+4297W4
4y-Colorado Avalanche8245281899.604212169+43100T1
5y-San Jose Sharks8244273899.604248199+49100W1
6x-St. Louis Blues8243274898.598227188+3997W4
7y-Philadelphia Flyers82422731097.591234192+4298L1
8x-New York Islanders8242284896.585239220+1989W3
9x-Chicago Blackhawks82412711396.585216207+985W1
10x-New Jersey Devils8241284995.579205187+1890W6
11x-Phoenix Coyotes8240276995.579228210+1889W2
12x-Los Angeles Kings82402741195.579214190+2492W1
13x-Vancouver Canucks8242303794.573254211+4397W5
14x-Ottawa Senators8239277994.573243208+3595L1
15Edmonton Oilers82382841292.561205182+2392W1
16y-Carolina Hurricanes82352651691.555217217082T1
17Dallas Stars82362851390.549215213+283T1
18x-Montréal Canadiens82363131287.530207209-281L2
19Washington Capitals82363321185.518228240-1278OT1
20Buffalo Sabres82353511182.500213200+1387W1
21New York Rangers8236384480.488227258-3172L2
22Calgary Flames82323531279.482201220-1975L1
23Minnesota Wild82263591273.445195238-4366L2
24Anaheim Ducks8229423869.421175198-2372L2
25Nashville Predators82284101369.421196230-3469L3
26Pittsburgh Penguins8228415869.421198249-5164L2
27Tampa Bay Lightning82274041169.421178219-4165W1
28Florida Panthers82224461060.366180250-7056OT1
29Columbus Blue Jackets8222475857.348164255-9148L1
30Atlanta Thrashers82194751154.329187288-10149T1

x - clinched playoff spot, y - clinched division, z - clinched conference, p - clinched Presidents' Trophy.

xPTS is the points a team’s goals for and against project: the Pythagorean win estimate GF² / (GF² + GA²), scaled to points as win% × 2 × games played. It follows the current pace on any “as of” date. +/-xPTS is real points minus xPTS, after removing each team’s overtime-loss points. That step matters because xPTS splits a flat 2 points per game, while an overtime game pays out 3, so without it almost every team since 1999–00 reads as lucky. What is left is the points a team banked above or below its goal margin: positive means winning more of the close and overtime games than goal difference alone predicts.

Standings Over the Course of the Season

Buffalo in navy. Tap any team to compare.
through 82 GP
1st5th10th15th20th25th30th1020304050607082games playedBUF 20th