Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - Over the course of the 2025-26 Buffalo Sabres season, we’ll be looking back after every five games, inspired by head coach Lindy Ruff’s philosophy of gaining six points out of a possible 10 in every five-game stretch. We will recap the previous segment of games, and share some thoughts on what was seen on the ice.
Here's a look back at the last five games for Buffalo:
Game 1: Sabres triumphant over Devils
The Sabres fired their season back up after a long break for the 2026 Winter Olympics with a solid 2-1 road win over the New Jersey Devils.
Tage Thompson carried some momentum from a strong performance in Milan, scoring a goal and an assist, while Ukko Pekka Luukkonen was stellar with 27 saves in net.
Both teams eased themselves into the game through the first period, and were content entering their locker rooms tied at 0-0.
Thompson broke the scoreless tie at 8:10 of the second period with a patient toe drag shot after Peyton Krebs floated a beautiful pass to him on the rush.
Luukkonen and Devils goaltender Jake Allen both made a few quality saves, but it was a relatively low-event game until Thompson stripped USA teammate Jack Hughes in the neutral zone to put him and Krebs in on a rush. Thompson paid Krebs back with a great pass of his own and Krebs picked the corner to take a 2-0 lead with a little under 10 minutes remaining in the game.
Timo Meier broke the Luukkonen shutout bid with just 2:30 remaining, but the Sabres held on and drained the clock to earn their 27th regulation win.
It was as good a performance as you could ask for following a long break. They weren’t perfect, but Buffalo displayed much of what has brought them success so far this season. They won battles along the boards, used their mobile defenseman up and down the ice, and defended effectively.
Mattias Samuelsson was particularly impressive, despite being held off the scoresheet. Every shift Samuelsson played, it felt like the Sabres controlled every second. He killed any plays that came near him with intelligence and physicality, and transported the puck to the forwards efficiently.
Luukkonen was also impressive in his first game back from an injury that held him out from the final few games before the break, and prevented him from participating with Finland at the Olympics.
He was noticeably calmer and more under control in this one, making saves with his feet set and leaving no rebounds. Luukkonen made the easy stops look easy, and made a handful of really high quality stops, any of which would have been acceptable goals against. It was a quietly strong performance, the best kind for a goaltender.
The power play was the one blight on the performance, going 0-for-3 in particularly frustrating fashion. It’s been a point of contention for fans all season, despite ranking towards the middle of the league in scoring percentage. They struggle to enter the zone on the man advantage, and when they do set up, it feels somewhat predictable watching the unit work.
Game 2: Sabres fend off Panthers
The Sabres' road trip next took them South, down to Sunrise to take on the Florida Panthers for a Friday night matchup.
Alex Lyon was called on to make a couple of big saves early that allowed his team to settle into the game.
Alex Tuch finished off a nice play by the second power play unit to score the first goal of the contest and give the Sabres a 1-0 lead after one.
Both teams were committed to defending first, and it took another power play for Florida to tie things up. Matthew Tkachuk made a great play off a faceoff to drive the net and pull Lyon off his post to make it 1-1.
After another long stretch of scoreless play, Beck Malenstyn blasted one in from the top of the zone to put the Sabres up 2-1 at 11:38 of the third period.
Krebs then added an empty-netter that should have sealed the game away comfortably, but the Sabres' bad habit of allowing a late goal jumped out again, as Sam Bennett put a puck on net that went in and made it 3-2, Buffalo.
The Sabres were able to hold on for the final 35 seconds, and bank another two points in the standings.
Lyon was critical in this win, and the Sabres' goaltending overall has been elite since they’ve turned their season around.
Sabres fans have seen for years what poor goaltending can do to a team, and now they are finally seeing the other side. Good goaltending erases massive mistakes - both singularly in a game and in a season as a whole. It can cover up shortcomings and inspire confidence in a group that would otherwise be struggling.
When you combine this with the Sabres stingy defense it makes for a team that frustrates their opponents and wins a whole lot more than they lose.
The line of Malenstyn-Tyson Kozak-Josh Dunne line was also great in this one. Throughout the season, the fourth line has had some really effective stretches, and their impact was felt in Florida.
When a team has a line of forwards like them who can fly up-and-down the ice, play defense when needed, and cycle the puck down low, it allows that unit to eat minutes and create positive situations for players higher in the lineup.
Little edges like this have been a huge difference for this team this season, and they become more important late in the year and in the playoffs.
Game 3: Sabres earn thunderous win over Lightning
If the Sabres' pair of wins against New Jersey and Florida didn’t get your attention, this 6-2 drubbing of the division-leading Tampa Bay Lightning certainly did.
Buffalo wasted no time to start the game, as Rasmus Dahlin opened the scoring just 5:25 into the first period when he danced his way into a gorgeous shot after Owen Power made an incredible transition pass to jump start the rush.
Josh Norris doubled the Sabres' lead less than a minute later with a slick five-hole shot that fooled Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Norris then went back-to-back, tipping in a Bowen Byram point shot a little over two minutes later, making it 3-0 before the game was even 10 minutes old.
Thompson got in on the first period action at 15:06, thanks to a great pass from Krebs, and the Sabres were roaring.
Buffalo carried their momentum right through when Zach Metsa intercepted a stray breakout pass and wired a shot in, ending Vasilevskiy’s night early.
From that point on, the Sabres were content to ease off the gas and defend their five-goal lead.
Dominic James got Tampa Bay on the board late in the second, but Tuch answered with a power play goal a few minutes into the third.
Victor Hedman blasted a slapshot past Luukkonen a few minutes later, but it was much too little, much too late for the Lightning.
It was great to see Norris get on the scoresheet in this one. He’s played well since his return from injury, but was unable to convert on some great chances. He is a real X factor for the Sabres, as they careen towards the playoffs.
Norris is as talented as anyone on the roster, and their record with him in the lineup is impressive, but his health issues are a cause for concern. If he can stay healthy and perform the way he is capable, the Sabres' center depth should be a pillar of confidence moving forward.
I also wanted to note Power’s play, both in this game and as a whole this season.
Power catches more flack than anyone on this Sabres team, and while he is prone to a goofy mistake once a game or so, he is a massive part of the team's success.
The Sabres' top-four defensemen are the backbone of the team, and Power is a massive part of that. He is being used in much more defensive-focused shutdown situations, and while the previously mentioned mistakes do pop up, he has been exceptional in this role.
His ability to eat these hard minutes allow Dahlin and Samuelsson to play with a bit more freedom, and dominate their shifts with more consistency.
Game 4: Sabres find a way against Vegas
The Sabres returned home from their 3-0 road trip to a city rumbling with excitement to welcome them home. After a well-done ceremony honoring Thompson and his USA teammates, Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin, the arena was bursting with cheers of excitement for puck drop.
Jason Zucker gave the fans something to cheer about early when he potted the Sabres' first goal of the game after a gorgeous faceoff set play was executed to perfection. A deflected centering pass left Zucker alone in front, and he slid the puck into a gaping net game.
Lyon was forced into a few great saves to hold the lead, but the Sabres left the first period with their 1-0 lead still intact.
Buffalo scored their second of the game just 46 seconds into the second period when a Power wrist shot from the point deflected off a Vegas defender and past goalie Akira Schmid.
Buffalo kept on rolling thanks to a classic Thompson missile that gave the Sabres a 3-0 lead 5:44 into the middle frame.
Vegas found their counterpunch, though, and scored a pair of goals in quick succession to keep the game interesting. Tomas Hertl struck first off a broken play that resulted in a wrap-around bouncing off Lyon and in. Pavel Dorofeyev also buried a five-hole shot on a breakaway that was the result of a poor decision by Josh Doan on the blue line.
Vegas continued to carry the majority of the play for the remainder of the game, but stingy defending and solid goaltending allowed the Sabres to win their fourth-straight game.
It was certainly not a pretty back half of the game for Buffalo, but they found a way to bear down and keep their winning streak alive. The ability to win without your “A” game is an indicator that this roster is capable of working through challenges, and can adapt to whatever the situation calls for.
A good sign for their playoff sustainability.
Lyon deserves a significant chunk of credit for putting together a great performance, making 27 saves on 29 shots. He made a handful of strong saves early before the Sabres roared out to their big lead, and then held down the fort for the 30 minutes in which the Golden Knights carried play.
The goaltending since the season turned around has been superb, and the Sabres do well to create a good environment for their netminder to succeed in.
The Ostlund-Norris-Doan line also impressed me all night long. The mix of speed, smarts, and determination are a formidable combination, and I would expect that to be a line that only gets better with time.
Game 5: Sabres trample Penguins in Pittsburgh
The Sabres and Penguins traded shorthanded goals in the first period, with Ryan McLeod scoring a nifty breakaway goal on Pittsburgh goalie Arturs Silovs at 12:00.
Bryan Rust responded with an impressive rush goal of his own. It was a bad job by both Norris and Dahlin on the way back that allowed Rust to drive the back post around Luukkonen.
The special teams fest continued in the second period when Norris buried a rebound chance created by a smart shot by Byram and a good screen from Doan.
Tuch got in on the action with, what was technically, the Sabres' second shorthanded goal of the game when he tipped in a Power shot from the blue line.
The Sabres really got hot from there, as Power snuck one through Silovs after a sick seam pass from Norris.
Samuelsson added an empty-netter late after the Sabres cruised through the remainder of the game with ease to extend their winning streak to five games.
The Sabres' ability to play consistently has become really impressive. The coaching staff seems to have gotten a clear message through to these players that’s been supported by their results, and that trust will only grow as they continue to build.
The entire organization seems to be operating as one big unit, and that connectivity comes through on the ice.
Power was particularly impressive in this win over the Penguins, and has been trending up in a big way for some time now. This game showed off the full compliment of skill that made him the first overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. He was impactful in all three zones, exiting his defensive zone with both impressive passing and smooth skating, transitioning the puck quickly in the neutral zone, and walking the line with ease on the offensive side.
Luukkonen was also solid once again, making 27 saves on 28 shots faced. He has gotten better-and-better as the season has progressed, which is an encouraging sign for a goaltender who is still relatively young.
If both these netminders continue stringing together strong games, there will be a hearty debate on how the Sabres should handle the situation in net once the playoffs arrive.
Highlight players
Owen Power scored two goals and two assists in this set for Buffalo, and, despite a few hiccups in his own end, was incredibly steady defensively as well. I’ve regularly written about the disproportionate amount of crap Power takes due to where he was drafted and the way he plays, but the narrative is slowly turning on the towering defender. His intelligence, skating, and skill were all on full display whether it was going back on retrievals in his own end and creating easy breakouts, or patiently walking the blue line and firing an effective shot. He is already a huge part of this Sabres team, but if he can crank up some of his offensive production, he will fully shed the dark cloud that has seemed to follow him since his arrival in Buffalo.
The Alex Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen pairing was strong in all five of these games for Buffalo, combining for a .954 save percentage. They have been consistent for the entirety of their hot stretch. There will always be a game here-or-there where your guy just doesn’t have it, but these two are standing in there and giving their team a chance to win every single night. Goaltending has been a major factor in the struggles for this organization for years now, and we’re seeing what can happen when you’ve got good play back there. Lindy Ruff and the coaching staff have been alternating every other night for these two for some time now, and there’s no reason to buck that trend anytime soon.
Josh Norris is a real X factor for the Sabres. After coming out of the gates playing well, but slightly snake-bitten, Norris ended up with three goals and two assists for five points in the set. His new line with Ostlund and Doan has been effective, creating a ton of chances in the offensive zone and Norris plays a huge role in that. As always, his ability to stay healthy remains the biggest question mark.
Sabres go a perfect 10-for-10 in points
Buffalo came out of the Olympic break shot out of a cannon, quickly dismissing any concern that the break stole their momentum. This stretch of hockey has been as impressive as any for the Sabres this season, with the win over the Lightning acting as a beacon of excitement for fans about the team's playoff potential.
It’s been clear to many who watch the team consistently that they are truly a great team, but coming out of the break like this has put the entire league on notice.
Buffalo has set themselves in an incredible position, with 80 points and in a tie with the Lightning for first place in the Atlantic Division.
Now it’s time to see how they do when the pressure keeps ratcheting up.
The next five-game stretch will see the Sabres remaining at the friendly confines of KeyBank Center, with matchups against the Nashville Predators, Lightning, San Jose Sharks, Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs.
