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 top Predators
The Sabres opened up a 5-game homestand with a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators in a relatively sleepy Saturday afternoon affair. It would have been an easy game to overlook with the Lightning coming to town the next day for a massive divisional game, but the Sabres committed to winning a tight game with solid team defense.
Both squads eased into the first period, with Nashville carrying play for a good stretch. The Predators left the first with a 6-2 lead in shots but the score remained 0-0. Nashville did strike first when Zachary L’Heureaux found a soft spot in the Sabres coverage and rifled a shot over Alex Lyon’s shoulder to make it 1-0.
This spurred the Sabres into finding their legs and they charged back, scoring a pair to steal a 2-1 lead after 2. Lyon was called on to make a handful of impressive saves before Tage Thompson wired a wrist shot past Predators goalie Juuse Saros 12:39 into the second, and Jason Zucker finished off a Jack Quinn shot that leaked through a couple minutes later. Then just :16 seconds into the third, Josh Norris sent a beauty of a seam pass to Josh Doan who swept it into the net and made it 3-1 Sabres. Buffalo sat on their lead and defended well for the majority of the period, until their bad habit popped up again. Jack Quinn took an interference penalty late, and with 3:52 remaining Miles Wood tipped in a point shot to make things tight.
Once again though, the Sabres didn’t let the late mistake snowball. Lyon and his teammates halted the Predators attack and finished the game off to earn the Sabres their 6th win in a row.
This was another great example of the Sabres finding a way to win a game that may not have been their best. Despite some sloppy play to start, and a 1-0 deficit, they put their heads down and found their way to a win.
Lyon was stellar once again, making 23 saves on 25 shots. There was a stretch in the middle of the second where the Predators were pushing hard, and earned a power play where Lyon made a few really difficult saves look remarkably easy. This was a pivotal moment of the game, and Lyon turned the temperature down with ease. His ability to stay cool in big spots has been impressive all year and it could be a good sign for his playoff ability.
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Game 2: Sabres beat Lightning on 'Fight Night'
The Sabres and Lightning clashed in what should go down as the best hockey game of the ‘25/‘26 NHL regular season. The Atlantic Division foes entered the game tied for the division lead with 80 points. In addition to the obvious stakes in the standings, the Sabres 6-2 thumping of the Lightning in recent memory surely inspired even more passion from both squads. It was a true spectacle to behold, featuring 15 goals and a combined 102 penalty minutes, all played out in front of a crowd that’s been waiting for a game of this magnitude for well over a decade. The Sabres escaped with an 8-7 win that vaulted them into a solo division lead and set the entirety of the NHL on notice once again.
It took less than 5:00 minutes into the game for the Lightning to take a run at Thompson. A pair of Tampa players blasted Thompson from behind, setting off the first melee of the game and setting the tone for the rest of the night. Buffalo didn’t convert on that power play, but they did on their next one when Doan roofed one over the Lightning netminder Jonas Johansson. After a handful more scrums and another fight, the arena was on fire and the Sabres left the first with a 1-0 lead and a standing ovation.
The second period followed suit, opening up with another pair of fights off the opening draw. After the chaos settled the Sabres found themselves on the man advantage, and 2:15 into the period Jason Zucker hammered home a one-timer for the Sabres second power play goal of the night and a 2-0 lead.
The Lightning were unwilling to let the violent side of the game go, and Brandon Hagel earned himself a double minor for roughing and a $5,000 fine when he jumped Dahlin from behind in gutless fashion. Buffalo made Tampa pay on the power play once again though as Tuch tipped in a Thompson wrist shot. Corey Perry buried a nice backhand goal to beat Lyon to cut the Sabres lead to 3-1 a few minutes later. Tuch scored an impressive short handed goal on a breakaway soon after that, but the Lightning charged right back. It started with a fanned shot from Nikita Kucherov on the power play that pinged its way in with 7:34 remaining in the second. Zemgus Girgensons got on the board next with a strong wrist shot, followed up by JJ Moser late in the second. Kucherov and Brandon Point both scored to start the third and suddenly Tampa had a 6-4 lead in the final frame.
The Sabres could have easily wilted. Accepted defeat to a group of champions. It still would have been a great story.
But no, they fought. They kept playing, using their speed to stay on top of the Lightning. Sam Carrick buried his first as a Sabre with a well placed shot off the rush to draw the Sabres back to within 1. Then Dahlin sprung Zucker on a breakaway, and he put on a slick move to his backhand and buried the tying goal 14:29 into the third.
Pandemonium.
KeyBank center went berserk, a true magic sports moment.
Then they topped it. Once again on the power play, Dahlin worked the blue line and let a shot fly towards the net. It rang off the post, right to a waiting Doan who deposited the game winning goal with 4:17 to go. The Sabres held on and got the game over the finish line for one of the most impressive wins Sabres fans have ever seen.
It was the type of scene that Buffalo Sabres fans will remember for the rest of their lives. The energy in the building even before puckdrop was at a fever pitch, and the game jammed the throttle down and never let up. It was a volatile symbiotic relationship- the crowd fueling the team to start, the team returning the favor two-fold. Back and forth it went right down to the scrum following the final buzzer. It was an unbelievable display of what inspires fans everywhere. Speed, skill, toughness, and relentless passion.
The Lightning came into Buffalo and tested the Sabres. While the acts on the ice weren’t exactly honorable or by “the code”, Tampa’s decision to challenge the Sabres like they did is a sign that they see what’s coming. They see that the Sabres are serious, and they understand the significance of the game. This is a highly respected, multiple time Stanley Cup winning group that felt they needed to send a message to Buffalo and see how they would respond.
The Sabres stepped up, answered the bell, and came out on top. Quite a statement of their own.
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Game 3: Quinn leads Sabres over Sharks
There was no dip in energy nor excitement for Buffalo in their 6-3 win over the San Jose Sharks that extended their winning streak to 8 games, undefeated since the league's return from the Olympic break.
Jack Quinn shot the Sabres out to an early lead with a strong shot off a savvy pass from Zucker. Tuch made it 2-0 a little over a minute later with a gorgeous tip on a Dahlin shot. The Sabres speed and tenacity was clearly overwhelming the Sharks at this point, but wonderkid Macklin Celebrini cut into the Sabres lead after a bad giveaway in their own end before the end of the first. After letting the Sharks build some momentum with some sloppy play, Beck Malenstyn stole the energy back for Buffalo. He hounded down a loose puck, making use of his deceptive speed and bullish strength to get to the net where he beat the Sharks young goalie Yaroslav Askarov. Zucker added another to make it 4-1 when he cleaned up a rebound left by a heavy Quinn one-timer. Kiefer Sherwood buried a laser over Lyon’s shoulder late in the second, but Quinn opened the third with his second of the game just :42 seconds in, making it 5-2 Sabres. Alexander Wennberg made it interesting, scoring a power play goal with 13:04 remaining. San Jose was unable to generate anything more though, and the Sabres defended well before Quinn added an empty netter to seal the game away at 6-3 and earn his first NHL hat trick.
Quinn deserves some serious props for persevering through an up and down season and coming up with the best performance of his NHL career in this one. Quinn can be a maddening player to watch, but his scoring touch and offensive abilities are undeniable. If he’s able to sort out his defensive shortcomings and build up the offensive production, he could be an x-factor for Buffalo down the stretch.
The Sabres speed was front and center watching this game. As much as they have embraced the physical, gritty side of the game that is absolutely key, their true strength lies in their speed. Even a young talented team like the Sharks looked overwhelmed at times by how quickly the Sabres closed space defensively, and how fast they transitioned the puck offensively. When you add this pure speed with the willingness to play hard and commit to the details, it makes for an extremely strong team.
One of the ways the Sabres have been able to leverage this speed is their use of the high cycle in the offensive zone.
Buffalo is as aggressive with their defenseman as anyone across the league, and a big part of that is this high cycle where they bring a forward up above the top of the circles, and slide a defenseman down on the opposite side. This creates confusion for the opposition, and the ability to outnumber defenders high in the zone. If you can beat the high defender, or find a seam to the streaking player on the backside, you open up a huge list of dangerous offensive options. With the Sabres speed and skill, they are able to take advantage of this strategy regularly, seen on the Tuch and Zucker goals in this game.
What’s most exciting is these factors that bring the Sabres success should only continue to build. The more time you have in a dynamic offensive system like this, the better the unit becomes at executing it. It allows the players to play with more confidence and a higher speed.
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Game 4: Capitals snap Sabres' winning streak
Well, they couldn’t win ALL the games.
The Sabres had their 8-game winning streak snapped by the Washington Capitals with a low event 2-1 loss. Many Sabres fans' focus was set on the new additions, most of which were making their first appearance tonight. The former Jets defenseman Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn made up the third defensive pair, while Sam Carrick and Tanner Pearson joined up with Malenstyn to make up the fourth line.
The Sabres did come out with a good start, and the fresh fourth line made their mark early. Carrick opened the scoring thanks to an all-world backhand pass from Malenstyn, who continues to have a knack for making jaw dropping plays despite his place deep in the lineup. The remainder of the first period was back and forth, forcing both Luukkonen and Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren into a handful of very strong stops. Just 2:14 into the second the new defenseman made their presence known, but not in a positive light. Schenn sent a bad pass across the blue line to Stanley that was intercepted, and Stanley’s lack of footspeed afforded Ryan Leonard a clear 2-on-1 that he blew by Luukkonen to tie the game at 1.
The Capitals did well from here to muddy up the middle of the ice and slow down the Sabres speed that was giving them issues early. They began to frustrate Buffalo over the course of the second period, and even the chances they did generate were halted by Lindgren. Washington stayed patient, and got their opportunity late in the third. After a scrum at the side of the net a low to high pass found Jakob Chychrun uncovered, and he wired it over Luukkonen with just 1:33 remaining. The Sabres were unable to rally with such limited time remaining, and were handed their first loss since the Olympic break.
This was a fun one to watch as a goaltender, both Luukkonen and Lindgren played very well and kept their teams in the game. However I think both goaltenders showed why they may not be built for consistent playoff success despite their high ceilings. To play that position at a high level year in and year out it is far more effective to play a quiet style that allows the game to come to you. Neither Luukkonen or Lindgren fit that mold. They attack the puck aggressively and chase plays outside of their net, which can be great when you’re on your A game, but nobody is on their A game every night. When goaltenders like these two are even just slightly off, their entire game falls apart.
It was not a bad effort from the Sabres. Their recent success and borderline unprecedented hot streak may have made us all forget, but the NHL season is long and it’s a game of bounces. Sometimes even on nights where you play your game and play it how you want to, you'll get beat. Lindgren played a strong game, making 29 saves on 30 shots and coming up with some crucial saves. The Capitals were able to do the one thing that these Sabres feel vulnerable to- slowing them down. They jammed up the middle of the ice, and broke up their signature high cycle effectively.
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Game 5: Sabres edge Maple Leafs in shootout
The Sabres bounced back with a 3-2 shootout win over the floundering Toronto Maple Leafs to wrap up this 5-game set at home.
Buffalo jumped out to a quick start again, which is becoming a bit of a habit for the team. Zach Benson drove behind the net hard, and made an absurd one-handed pass right to Owen Power. Power wired it by Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll and put the Sabres up 1-0 2:01 in. The Sabres carried play for the remainder of the first, but the Stanley-Schenn pair struck again with a brutal giveaway in their own end that Dakota Joshua worked past Lyon to tie the game. Schenn went on to fight Joshua a few minutes later, hoping to make up for his blunder.
Toronto came out quick to start the second, and William Nylander turned a giveaway into a 2-on-1. Nylander slid a patient pass under Dahlin’s stick to Max Domi, who snuck it around Lyon and gave the Leafs a 2-1 lead. Quinn tied the game up at 11:21 thanks to a nasty no-look pass from Noah Ostlund on the power play. Both Lyon and Woll took over from there, going back and forth, save for save, taking the game all the way through a scoreless third period and into 3-on-3 overtime. After a relatively boring overtime period, the game went to a shootout. Lyon stopped 2 of the 3 Leafs attempts, leaving Tuch with a chance to win it after Quinn scored on his attempt. Tuch put on a gorgeous deke that fooled Woll and earned Buffalo a nice bounce back win.
While the win was solid, there is more to dive into from this one. Specifically what the Sabres have gotten themselves into with their new blue liners Stanley and Schenn. It was just their second game together in the blue and gold, but they had played much of the season together in Winnipeg as a pair. Despite this familiarity they have already been plagued with giveaway issues, and have been on the ice for more goals against than Zach Metsa has since October. There are attributes to like about both players, namely their physicality and experience. Those positives will not outweigh the negatives if they remain playing at their current level.
The other factor hurting the towering pair of depth defenseman is the play of the undersized rookie Metsa. He was paired with Dahlin in this game, in for Samuelsson who was taking a game off for maintenance. He was his usual steady quiet self, and even jumped into a few plays when it was appropriate. There is a real debate to be had on whether the smarts and skill of Metsa serve the Sabres better than the physicality of his larger counterparts Schenn and Stanley. Metsa’s results speak for themselves, and Lindy Ruff’s decision on who to use may just depend on the opponent.
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Highlight players
Alex Tuch has kicked his game up another gear, scoring 3 goals, 1 assist, and a shootout winner in his 4 games in this set. He did miss the Capitals game out of an abundance of caution, but returned for the game against the Leafs, scoring the game winner in the shootout. Tuch continues to show up in clutch moments, his goal scoring and penalty killing are a massive piece of the Sabres success.
Rasmus Dahlin continues to get better and better as the season goes on for Buffalo. Dahlin recorded 1 goal and 6 assists in this set, along with a +8 rating. I typically pay very little attention to +/-, but when you’re approaching double digits through just 5 games, it is worthy of note. Dahlin’s leadership and play on the ice is top class, the Sabres and their fans should be excited to see what he does when he reaches the post season. Something tells me he’s the type to bring it up another level.
Jack Quinn went a long way to silencing his many critics through these 5 games. He put up 4 goals and 2 assists, plus a shootout goal for good measure. Quinn’s talent is apparent with a wicked shot and solid offensive instincts, but his work to round out his game is becoming obvious. He even went out and laid a few solid body checks in this set, a real rarity for the young forward. If he is able to find a bit more consistency he could supercharge the Sabres roster with scoring and push this team even further into the playoffs.
Sabres keep rolling with 8-of-10 points gained
The Sabres just keep on rolling, continuing to build and grow as a group while winning more than almost anyone across the entirety of the league. The buzz around the city just continues to grow, and a game like the instant classic against the Lightning only supercharges the fanbase. This group feels like they crossed a threshold after that win, they seem to have proven to the fans and even themselves that they can hang in there no matter the circumstances. That internal belief reinforced by the fans can go a long way. It will be exciting to see how far this group can take it, because the city will be behind them the whole way.
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