The Buffalo Sabres are likely to miss the playoffs for the 11th straight year, but the good news is that the team is playing better than last season, and for sure is more fun to watch than when former head coach Ralph Krueger was behind the bench.

The Sabres have found a true young gun who has been having a breakout season in forward Tage Thompson, defenceman Rasmus Dahlin has been having a bounce back season, and don't look now, but the prospects they have drafted are piling up for what looks to be a bright future.

Defenceman Owen Power and Ryan Johnson look like hits; forwards Jack Quinn, Peyton Krebs and JJ Peterka look great, and they have the best goalie prospect in college hockey, Devon Levi, who has been putting up jaw-dropping numbers at Northeastern. They also have goaltender Erik Portillo, who is the starter at the University of Michigan.

The Sabres officially brought back the royal blue and gold jerseys this season, and fans were thrilled. They look so much better than the navy blue they once wore.

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But Sabres fans in their 20's and 30's also loved the black and red jerseys the team wore from 1996-2006. They were very successful in those jerseys as well, as they made four Eastern Conference Finals and one Stanley Cup Final in the "goat heads," as many in Buffalo call them.

But could they be going back to them as an alternate jersey? Signs on Twitter today point to yes.

According to Viktor Maudr, leader of the Czech and Slovakia Sabres fan club, he's been told the black and red jersey is in the official offer list for NHL fan shops, for next season.

This is far from official, but blew up on Twitter this afternoon.

The talk of bringing back the black and red jerseys as an alternate has been a topic for several years at least. Once upon a time, the talk of royal blue was a long-winded topic, but that finally returned. The NHL's retro alternate jerseys were a huge success, and the Sabres brought back the butter-knives logo with the blue and gold.

The signs are pointing to the black and red being brought back in some capacity. Let's hope this leak is true and it does in fact make a comeback, potentially as an alternate for next season or beyond.

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LOOK: 50 images of winning moments from sports history

Sometimes images are the best way to honor the figures we've lost. When tragedy swiftly reminds us that sports are far from the most consequential thing in life, we can still look back on an athlete's winning moment that felt larger than life, remaining grateful for their sacrifice on the court and bringing joy to millions.

Read on to explore the full collection of 50 images Stacker compiled showcasing various iconic winning moments in sports history. Covering achievements from a multitude of sports, these images represent stunning personal achievements, team championships, and athletic perseverance.

Gallery Credit: Peter Richman

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