Sabres' record since December 9 is near-impossible to fathom — and more

Sabres' record since December 9 is near-impossible to fathom originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Buffalo Sabres were in last place in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division on December 9. They looked destined for another season of missing the playoffs. It had been 14 in a row, so why not 15?

And then something bizarre happened -- the Sabres started winning, and they've hardly stopped since.

Buffalo is 25-5-2 since Dec. 9, according to The Sabre Report.

The Sabres have outscored opponents by a margin of 120-80 in that time.

And now, they're just two points out of first place in the Atlantic Division.

Yes, it truly makes no sense, but the Sabres went from a team whose only identity was underwhelming for the last decade and a half, to a team that is the best story in hockey.

MORE: Maple Leafs getting help from Flyers to trade veteran center

The latest victory came Tuesday night against the Vegas Golden Knights and former Sabres phenom, Jack Eichel.

Before the game, Eichel got cheers when he joined Tage Thompson and Noah Hanifin on the ice to be recognized for their gold medal with Team USA.

Once the game was underway, Eichel got plenty of boos when he was on the puck.

The Sabres gave their fans plenty to cheer about early, storming out to a 3-0 lead.

Late, they had to hold on for a 3-2 victory, but a win is a win, no matter what it looks like -- especially for the Sabres.

They're used to it now, which is a wild thing to say. But at this point, it'd be quite the surprise if Buffalo missed the playoffs.

From last place in early December to this -- and now everyone just wants to know how far this run can go.

More NHL news:

• Oilers want 2 positions before the NHL trade deadline
• A salary cap rule may make 2 Flames trades difficult
• Canadiens know trade cost for Robert Thomas
• It'll be complicated to trade for Steven Stamkos
• Alex Ovechkin has shared an update on his retirement plans
• Evgeni Malkin gets big news on a possible future

Real Sociedad host Athletic Bilbao this Wednesday at the Reale Arena for a match of the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey.

In their last match, Real Sociedad prevailed 0-1 against Mallorca (La Liga 2025/26). Last time out, Athletic Bilbao drew 1-1 against Rayo Vallecano (La Liga 2025/26).

The last meeting between the two teams ended with Real Sociedad winning 1-0.

Predicted lineups

Real Sociedad: Álex Remiro, Jon Aramburu, Jon Martín, Duje Caleta-Car, Sergio Gómez, Jon Gorrotxategi, Beñat Turrientes, Pablo Marín, Carlos Soler, Gonçalo Guedes, Mikel Oyarzabal

Athletic Bilbao: Álex Padilla, Iñigo Lekue, Dani Vivian, Aymeric Laporte, Adama Boiro, Alejandro Rego, Mikel Jauregizar, Iñaki Williams, Unai Gómez, Robert Navarro, Gorka Guruzeta

Unavailable

Real Sociedad

• Álvaro Odriozola - Cruciate Ligament Tear

Athletic Bilbao

• Yeray Álvarez - Doping Ban
• Benat Prados - Cruciate Ligament Tear
• Nico Williams - Pubalgia

Last starting XIs

Real Sociedad ( vs Mallorca 2026-02-28): Álex Remiro, Jon Aramburu, Duje Caleta-Car, Igor Zubeldía, Sergio Gómez, Jon Gorrotxategi, Beñat Turrientes, Gonçalo Guedes, Carlos Soler, Arsen Zakharyan, Mikel Oyarzabal

Athletic Bilbao ( vs Rayo Vallecano 2026-02-28): Unai Simón, Jesús Areso, Aymeric Laporte, Dani Vivian, Yuri Berchiche, Iñigo de Galarreta, Mikel Jauregizar, Iñaki Williams, Oihan Sancet, Unai Gómez, Gorka Guruzeta

Formula 1 has extended its broadcasting agreement with Kayo Sports, and the decision isn’t going down well with Australian fans.

Foxtel first secured the F1 rights back in 2015, which brought an end to free-to-air coverage. The company later launched its streaming service, Kayo Sports, in 2018.

The initial deal was renewed in 2022 through to the end of 2026. Now, just before this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, both sides have announced that the partnership will be continuing into 2027 and beyond.

Kayo Sports deal extension disappoints Australian F1 fans

The official F1 Media account announced the news on X, but Australian fans didn’t hold back in the comments.

One person said: “Nooooooooo. We wanted Apple TV.”

Apple recently picked up the rights to show F1 in the United States, using F1TV coverage.

Others complained about the price, with one calling Kayo ‘prohibitively expensive’ and another saying the ‘exorbitant’ packages made it ‘impossible’ for younger fans to start watching the sport.

A basic Kayo plan is $29.99 a month, while premium is $45.99. Another person predicted: “Another price hike coming soon.”

Others chimed in with comments like ‘worst possible decision, should go to Apple TV or Stan’ and ‘well that’s ruined my day’. It’s worth noting that the Australian GP will continue to be shown for free by Network 10.

Fans’ claims of Sky Sports bias led Kayo Sports to add F1TV option

Kayo Sports added an F1TV commentary option for the last four races of the 2025 season. Up until then, they had only carried the Sky Sports UK feed, but the change gave viewers a new audio choice for Sunday’s coverage.

The move came after some fans accused David Croft and Martin Brundle, the main Sky commentary duo, of showing bias toward British driver Lando Norris over teammate and title rival Oscar Piastri.

Croft has maintained ties with Mark Webber, suggesting there was no real issue from Piastri’s side.

Brundle has been open about his view that Piastri needs to get better on low-grip circuits if he wants to win a title, calling his 2025 campaign “partly painful, partly brilliant.”

Read more:

• Clubs in favour say squads of 28 would reduce injury risk

• Critics fear move would deepen hoarding of top talent

Elite clubs are lobbying Uefa to expand the size of Champions League squads to 28, arguing it would reduce the risk of injuries. The calls have come at the highest level of the European game and prompted fears that it would deepen the hoarding of top talent.

At a meeting of Uefa’s club competitions committee (CCC) last month, clubs argued that the cap of 25 players should be increased. It is not a view shared by all 16 clubs represented on the CCC, with some strongly against expansion.

In the latest Independent Racing newsletter, Jonathan Doidge praised a champion horse for switching from jumps to flat racing. He also warned that the horseracing industry remains fragile amid uncertain times.