Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The 2025-2026 Buffalo Sabres season is underway and after five games played, it’s certainly been a fascinating start to the year.
Over the course of the season, we’ll be looking back after every five games, inspired by Sabres 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.
Let's get into it, shall we?
Game 1: Sabres shut out in the season opener by the Rangers
A nightmare come true for the Sabres organization and fans alike. A flat and uninspired start by Buffalo seemed to carry throughout.
The team struggled to connect on passes in any of the three zones, unable to break the puck out or transition up the ice. Similar issues presented themselves on the power play, a point of concern for many fans after finishing with the 24th-ranked unit last season.
Alex Lyon impressed in his Sabres debut in net despite the loss. He played a strong game, giving his team every opportunity to win.
Josh Doan was also among the few bright spots in the season opener, as he showed great drive and flashes of offensive talent.
In addition to the Sabres being without winger Zach Benson and defenseman Owen Power for their first game, center Josh Norris left the third period with an upper-body injury that will reportedly keep him out, at least, eight weeks. This adds to an already concerning injury history for the Sabres' highest paid forward.
Norris was a massive part of the Sabres' plans coming into the season, and a strong preseason centering Tage Thompson’s line showed promise. The team will need contributions up and down the lineup to replace Norris’ expected production and impact.
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Game 2: Sabres struggle in their first road game in Boston
The struggles continued for the Sabres in their first road game of the season.
Another brutal first period saw the Sabres in a 1-0 hole that could have been much deeper if not for Lyon in net, who stopped 28-o-30 shots faced in the losing effort.
Sabres winger Jason Zucker managed to finally score for Buffalo, but the lone goal came off a shot that went in off a Bruins defenseman.
Ruff made his feelings clear following the loss: "I thought our compete was terrible. Worst competing, skating, moving feet that I’ve seen."
Buffalo dropped its first two games in a season where a strong start felt crucial, both for the team itself and the fanbase’s faith in the group.
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Game 3: Sabres outclassed by the Avalanche
A third-straight loss, in which the team showed few signs of life and was booed off the ice by an understandably frustrated crowd.
Tage Thompson found his first goal of the year on a long range wrist shot that found its way by Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood.
The rest of Wedgewood’s afternoon was a breeze, though, as the Sabres seemed disconnected and sloppy once again. The power play had opportunities to come alive and get the team back into the game, but floundered again.
Losing Norris, an 0-of-11 start on the power play, and poor play everywhere except the crease left the team in a concerning position just three games into the year. The locker room felt tense, national buzz was growing.
The Sabres needed a win as bad as a team could this early in a season.
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Game 4: Sabres explode for their first win of the season
The Sabres started poorly again, as they were outshot 8-3 in the first period against the Ottawa Senators.
However, thanks to the first goal of the year on the power play, they came out of the period tied at 1-1. A Jack Quinn shot missed high over the net, but bounced off the glass, off Ottawa goaltender Leevi Merilainen’s back, and in.
The Senators pulled ahead on the power play early in the second period, but the Sabres came charging back with four-straight goals. The onslaught was sparked by a Ryan McLeod shorthanded goal on a giveaway by Merilainen, while Alex Tuch followed it up by burying a rebound chance created by Doan’s tenacity on the puck.
Zucker added a pair of goals on the power play before the period expired, and suddenly, KeyBank Center was alive.
A quiet tension killed the energy in the building as the Sabres gave up two early goals in the third period, but a timeout taken by Ruff helped the group respond in quick succession.
McLeod ended up potting his second goal the shift after to stop the bleeding, while Quinn also added another to give Buffalo some breathing room, and Jiri Kulich added an empty-netter, causing fans to erupt.
Benson made his season debut and recorded four assists.
It felt like the building had been longing for something to cheer for, and the Sabres provided just that.
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Game 5: Sabres shut out the two-time defending champions
The Sabres followed up their eight-goal explosion with another stellar performance, this time topping the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers and keeping them off the scoreboard.
Though dealing with a handful of impactful injuries, Florida is as strong and experienced of a team that exists in the NHL.
Buffalo’s special teams were the story of this one, though, as the penalty kill went a stunning 7-for-7, while the power play was successful on 50% of its opportunities (2-for-4).
Doan scored both power play markers for Buffalo, both off of deflections in front, giving him his first two goals in a Sabres uniform.
Sabres defenseman Owen Power added a back-door tap in to finish off a pretty passing play by Tuch and Peyton Krebs to extend the Sabres' lead to 3-0 in the middle of the second period.
From that point, Buffalo never looked back, playing an effective third period in which they limited the Panthers opportunities through the middle of the ice.
It also helped Lyon earn his first shutout of the season with 32 saves.
It was a strong, mature performance by the Sabres to keep them headed in the right direction.
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Highlight players
Lyon provided the team strong, reliable play between the pipes amidst an injury to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. The 32-year-old veteran posted a .929 save percentage and a 2.43 goals-against average over the first five games of the season.
In a year where goaltending was a massive question mark for this team, Lyon has provided some much-needed stability.
Doan is quickly becoming a fan favorite with his tenacious play and impressive offensive production, putting up two goals against the Panthers and three assists in the Sabres' win over the Senators.
Benson has also made a massive impact in his two games since returning from injury. He’s collected five assists in his two games, and was one of the Sabres’ most noticeable players.
The 20-year-old winger appears to have added an extra gear of speed to his game, and is being rewarded with a major uptick in production, making two of the only complaints anyone could have about him as a player disappear early this year.
Sabres gain 4-of-10 points available
The Sabres missed their coach’s goal of stashing six out of every 10 points possible, but they found a way to stop a terrible start from defining this first five-game chunk. The team’s improved play against Ottawa and Florida showed there is a strong brand of hockey this team is more than capable of playing.
The upcoming Sabres schedule will see the team next face the Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs in a home-and-home weekend, and the Columbus Blue Jackets in their next five games.
The question is whether or not they can find this game consistently through the next five games, four of which against Atlantic Division opponents.
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