Mon, Apr 7th, 7pm ET – Buffalo Sabres (46-23-8) vs Tampa Bay Lightning (48-22-6)
Wed, Apr 8th, 7pm ET – Buffalo Sabres at New York Rangers (33-36-9)
Thu, Apr 9th, 7pm ET – Buffalo Sabres vs Columbus Blue Jackets (38-27-12)

The Amerks started the week off dreadfully with two regulation losses, but were able to turn things around with an overtime win.

Mon, Apr 6th, 7pm ET – Rochester Americans (29-27-5-4) at Cleveland Monsters (35-25-6-2)
Wed, Apr 8th, 7pm ET – Rochester Americans at Syracuse Crunch (39-21-3-4)
Fri, Apr 10th 7:05pm ET – Rochester Americans at Springfield Thunderbirds (29-29-6-2)
Sat, Apr 11th 7:05pm ET – Rochester Americans at Providence Bruins (51-14-2-0)

Boxscore

Score: Buffalo Sabres 4-2 Tampa Bay Lightning
Shots: BUF 29-25 TBL

Buffalo Sabres Goals: Tuch 30 (Byram, McLeod); Norris 11 (Doan, Benson); Zucker 23 (Byram, Dahlin); Quinn 19 ENG
Tampa Bay Lightning Goals: Kucherov 43 PPG (Guentzel, Raddysh); Guentzel 37 (Point, Raddysh)zz

Quick Thoughts

Reports of their Demise

Let’s start off by clearly stating that rumours of the Buffalo Sabres’ death have been greatly exaggerated. Yes the Sabres have been flat in the last few games but within the first few minutes after puck drop tonight showed that not only were they ready to take on this kind of opponent, they were more than prepared to play playoff hockey.

True Grit

Speaking of playoff hockey, how about that overall performance by the Sabres tonight? They were physical, strong on and off the puck, getting the timely saves and scoring the even timelier goals to keep the visitors on the back-foot. The Sabres went 3-0-1 against the Bolts and showed that they are ready to play them in a seven-game series.

They took the lead thrice, and though they let the Bolts come back twice, they kept them off the scoreboard that vital – and final – third time.

D-Fence

Buffalo’s secret recipe this season has been playing strong defense, and hitting their opponents with attacking, freewheeling hockey (aka river hockey). They beat Tampa tonight by shutting them down for long periods, frustrating the ultra-talented Floridians. Check out the stats in this next stanza.

A Winning Formula

All season long the Sabres have won by winning the first or the second period, and then playing solid defense in the final stanza, and they did it again tonight. Check out the numbers – scoring chances for & against 17-3, 12-10, 2-10 from first to third period; expected goals for & against 1.37-0.54, 1.32-0.88, 0.52-0.87; Corsi for & against 23-10, 20-17, 10-25.

UPL tames Big Cat

Two periods in, Andrei Vasilevskiy was outdueling Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen with a solid showing, foiling Alex Tuch and Zach Benson multiple times among other Sabres. However, UPL was not to be outdone on his home ice given his current form. The Finn was ice-cold in the final period, and despite the Lightning having 83.33% of the scoring chances in the third stanza, he didn’t concede again to lead the Sabres to a 4-2 win. UPL finished with another positive Goals Saved Above Expected with a plus 0.48 margin this time.

Power Play Still Blanking

The Sabres power play was atrocious over the weekend and wasn’t much better tonight, going 0/4. Opponents like the Lightning will continue to take liberties against the Sabres stars unless we start punishing them for the penalties they take, much like when the two sides last met.

At The Horn

The Buffalo Sabres have to be feeling pretty good about how they have played against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and it’s a potential trailer for the upcoming postseason. The Bolts started the day two points ahead of the Sabres with a game in hand, but now they just have that one game less played with the two teams level on points.

From when the Hockey Stat Cards became available earlier this season, this is by far the most ‘positive’ performance the Sabres have had with only Tage Thompson and Luke Schenn in the minus territory, and that too marginally.

Buffalo has certainly bounced back from their recent hiccups with tonight’s showing. They’ll be looking to close out the remainder of the season in a positive fashion, starting with Wednesday against the Rangers at MSG.

Puck Drop: 7:00 PM | KeyBank Center | Buffalo, New York

TV: NHL Network, MSG-B

Radio: WGR 550

Know Your Opponent

Tampa Bay Lightning

Record: 48-22-6 | 102 PTS

Division Ranking: 1^st in Atlantic Division

Last Game: 3-1 Win vs Boston Bruins

PP: 14^th (21.7%) | Sabres Rank: 15^th (20.8%)

PK: 4^th (82.3%) | Sabres Rank: 5^th (82.1%)

What to Watch

1. Welcome to the Thunderdome

The last time these two teams faced off they put on a show. Tampa Bay tried to bully the Sabres and re-establish their Atlantic division dominance. Buffalo nearly lost their way after all the post-whistle nonsense but recovered to secure a regulation win. Stanley watched from the press box due to post-trade immigration delays and sounded like he was taking notes for this game when he joined the broadcast booth. Sequels rarely live up to the original but there is likely going to be some fireworks in Buffalo. Sabres fans have yet to celebrate with their team after they officially ended the 14-year playoff drought on Saturday, and the Beer Sabre will return for the night. The Sabres should feed off the energy of the crowd to give them a boost.

2. Fight for Home Ice

In most years, achieving 100 points with 5 games left would usually secure home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. However, the Atlantic is exceptionally strong this year. As it stands, 3 of the top 6 teams in the league are Tampa Bay, Montreal, and Buffalo. Montreal’s recent hot streak has given them the edge on Buffalo for the 2^nd seed with Tampa Bay leading the division by two points. The regulation loss by Montreal last night to the Islanders was huge. Buffalo can use any advantage they can get heading into the playoffs and now control their own destiny by being holding the tiebreaker against the Canadians even though their tied in points. The division crown would be nice but home ice advantage in the first round is crucial. They must get back on track against the Lightning or else they will likely open the first round in the unfriendly confines of Bell Centre or Benchmark International Arena. They need to focus on cleaning up their defensive zone. The turnovers have been killers in recent games and Tampa Bay’s offense is lethal when given opportunities.

3. 3^rd Pair Scare

Lindy Ruff said the team needs to be stronger in front of the net. To that end, it looks as though he’s opted to roll out a third pair of Stanley and Schenn. While they do provide additional muscle to the lineup, they are a poor matchup against a highly skilled team like Tampa Bay. With last change, look for Ruff to shelter that pair as much as possible and lean on the top 4 against the Lightning. With margin for error limited, Sabres fans hope the decision to prioritize physicality over skill is the right call.

Projected Lineups

Buffalo Sabres

Forwards

Krebs – Thompson* – Tuch

Benson – Norris – Doan

Zucker – McLeod – Quinn

Greenway – Dunne – Malenstyn

* “Just maintenance” for Tage Thompson, Lindy Ruff said. He expects him to play tonight.

Defense

Samuelsson – Dahlin

Byram – Power

Stanley – Schenn

Starter: Luukkonen

Tampa Bay Lightning

Forwards

Guentzel – Point – Kucherov

Bjorkstrand – Cirelli – Goncalves

Girgensons – Gourde – Holmberg

Perry – Paul – Chaffee

Defense

Moser – Raddysh

McDonagh – Cernak

D’Astous – Lilleberg

Starter: Vasilevskiy

Brandon Hagel (undisclosed injury) won’t play tonight, Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.

Honorable Mentions

Ukko Pekka Luukkonen

UPL is starting to create some separation now as the 1A goaltender even as Alex Lyon has had some struggles in his last few starts. The Finn won one and lost one this week, going .900 save percentage with a 2.53 GAA, and was 1.16 goals saved above expected in those two starts.

With the Sabres suddenly struggling to close out the regular season, they will need UPL to continue to be at the top of his game as Lyon works out of his slump.

Player of the Week

This week’s award goes to the Sabrehood – the entire Buffalo Sabres organization, from each and every one of the fans, to the support staff, the playing and coaching squad, the administration and all the way to the Pegula family who own the franchise. That includes some prominent names who are not with the club like former General Manager Kevyn Adams who built this roster, and some who are not with us like the legendary Rick Jeanneret (RIP).

When Buffalo were officially confirmed in the postseason on Saturday afternoon, it marked 5,457 days after their Game 7 defeat at the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on April 26, 2011.

Since then they have plumbed the depths of the league with multiple high picks in the Entry Drafts, and have also come agonizingly close to making the playoffs, but this time we are well and truly back.

Some of the gloss seems to have been taken off this qualification with the recent loss of form, but that’s no reason to throw out the baby with the bathwater. Buffalo has slumped previously this season and found ways to work through it, and we can keep the faith that they will sort things out with five games left to play and then the subsequent playoff series.

Score: Buffalo Sabres 2-6 Washington Capitals
Shots: BUF 39-28 WASH

Buffalo Sabres Goals: Dahlin 18th (Norris, Tuch) Malenstyn 7th (Greenway, Dahlin)
Washington Capitals: Chychrun 25th (Ovechkin, Dubois) Strome 18th (Protas, Ovechkin) McMichael 11th (Chychrun, Dubois) Protas 24th (unassisted) Leonard 17th (Hutson, Sourdif) Wilson 29th SHG (McMichael)

Playoff Bound!

THAT is the good news. The Buffalo Sabres clinched a playoff berth before they even took the ice in Washington. The Rangers defeating the Red Wings in regulation sealed the deal for our boys. It was a little anticlimactic for the Sabres, as I’m sure they wanted to win to get in. But this team has worked hard and amazed us most of the season and deserve to be in the spot they are. The 14 years of agony and despair are over. The New York Jets of the NFL now own the Claim of Shame, moving to 15 years of no playoffs all by their lonesome. Buffalo, most assuredly, will not be joining them this April. The Sabres punched their ticket to the post season with team effort and a new found fortitude.

Now the bad news, the very bad news.

Minus 1: Sleepwalking Sabres

It’s hard to understand how the better team that just clinched a playoff spot could come out so FLAT. I won’t make you relive it besides to tell you that the Sabres fell behind 3-0 quickly with only 2 saves on 5 shots for starter Alex Lyon. (Chychrun, Strome and McMichael scored for the Caps) Sloppy defense was mostly to blame but Lyon has now underpermormed in three straight. Lindy Ruff called a timeout after two goals against, then pulled Lyon after giving up the third. Colten Ellis replaced him in net.

Buffalo woke up and answered after the change in goal. Rasmus Dahlin scored his 18th of the season with some slick moves in front to beat the Caps’ Logan Thompson. Josh Norris made a nice pass along the wall after pulling up quickly and dishing the puck to the Sabres’ captain. It was a much needed goal after things were spiraling out of control to start. About 6 minutes later, Buffalo got right back into the game as 4th line guru Beck Malenstyn cashed in on a loose puck in front for his 7th of the season. Rasmus Dahlin did a nice job keeping the puck at the blue line then shot it towards the goal. The puck jumbled around with Jordan Greenway in front before Beck found it and fired it home. Buffalo thankfully made it a one goal game when it looked like they were going to get blown out of the building.

The Caps led 3-2 after one period as the shell-shocked Sabres crawled their way back into it. Buffalo outshot Washington 13-11 with Ellis making 6 saves. Tampa Bay beat the Bruins to move two points up on the Sabres at this point and I’m sure the team found that out during the intermission.

Minus 2: Powerless Play

Buffalo came out with some jump, especially from the 4th line. But they did break down again as the Caps had a breakaway on Ellis, who came up with the stop. The Sabres then took a penalty, first call of the game for either team. Zack Benson went for interference. Buffalo did a nice job killing it off until Washington took a penalty of their own. Ryan Leonard tripped up Mattias Samuelsson to even it up. After an odd man rush for the Sabres, the Caps came right back with a 2 on 1 and scored as Aliaksei Protas never passed, just fired the puck past Ellis. It was a deflating goal to give up 4 on 4 as the Caps moved ahead 4-2. The Sabres did nothing with their abbreviated power play.

Buffalo got another man advantage chance after a tripping call with 9 minutes left in the period. During the power play, Jason Zucker skated off gingerly after being hurt but returned after another call on Washington. The Sabres had a 5 on 3 for 36 seconds but couldn’t score right until the end of the 2nd call. They didn’t even generate many chances, as the Caps cleared it repeatedly. Once again the power play came up empty for this team when they really needed it.

Buffalo took a very late penalty with Samuelsson getting called for hooking. The Sabres would need to kill the near full penalty to start the 3rd. After two periods of play, the Caps had a 4-2 lead with Buffalo’s power play failing to get them back within one goal.

Minus 3: Uninspired and Near Unacceptable Play

Buffalo killed the penalty to start the period, giving them a chance to stay in the game. Not long after, Zach Benson’s hard work drew a call on Washington and the dreaded Sabres’ power play had another chance. Once again, they didn’t fail to disappoint. Buffalo moved it around with no good looks and the Capitals cleared it several times, forcing the Blue and Gold to regroup often.

Washington put the game out of reach when Ryan Leonard snapped one home for a 5-2 Caps lead. The Sabres lethargic play continued after that, until the final horn. No sense of urgency from the team, the usual suspects not scoring, sloppy and uninspired defense. The final insult was the shorthanded goal Buffalo gave up to Tom Wilson midway through the period. Just a shameful performance from the Sabres’ power play. They went 0 for 5 with a shortie scored against them. Buffalo had 39 shots on goal in this game, but they were mostly perimeter shots without traffic in front. Logan Thompson had a pretty good outing but Buffalo’s inept forwards stayed cold once again.

Where to start with this game? Buffalo loses 6-2 to another desperate team that wanted it more than they did. I’m not sure if the Sabres think they are “saving themselves” for the playoffs or what. But their performances have not been up to the standards we have seen since before Christmas. The backchecking isn’t there, the defense has been substandard and the goaltending (mostly Lyon) has been shaky. Buffalo should be striving for more, the division title was/is right there, but now it is slipping away. Everything will need to be perfect from here on out for the Sabres to take the top spot. With the way they are playing, that does not seem likely.

I will spare you the highlights, because there wasn’t many for Buffalo. Instead, watch this classic video, as baby panda scares the sh*t out of mama panda.

Final Thoughts:

I know we are not supposed to panic, but the finger is hovering over the button. Buffalo is now 2-3-2 in their last 7 games and higher aspirations of being best in the Eastern Conference are all but gone. Carolina won again with a game in hand on Buffalo. Tampa won, they are 2 up on us with a game in hand. And Montreal is a freight train right now, near unstoppable as they now tie the Sabres in points, again with a game in hand. Unless momentum shifts radically and soon, the Sabres look to tumble down to third in the division and forth in the conference. It’s great to breach that playoff barrier at long last, but they are sure taking the luster off the accomplishment at this moment. Oh, and the magic that is Zach Metsa? He has had back to back minus games, with this one the worst of his NHL career, finishing a -3.

What will Buffalo do with Alex Lyon now? After a phenomenal season, he is suddenly in a deep funk at the worst time of year. Will Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen get almost every start now? Will Ellis get a game or two? Or will Lindy Ruff go back to Lyon at some point before the playoffs start? Buffalo’s playoff positioning may depend on what happens.

Next up for Buffalo is the big return matchup with Tampa Bay back home at Keybank Center on Monday, April 6th at 7:00pm. The Lightning and Sabres going at it again will essentially be a playoff game, as they battle for the division title. It is a must win for Buffalo at this point, especially with Montreal in the mix now. Expect fireworks and more craziness, if the Sabres decide to show up.

Buffalo Sabres (46-22-8) vs Washington Capitals (38-29-9)

Puck Drop: 7 pm ET | Capital One Arena, Washington DC

TV: MSG-B, ESPN+

Radio: WGR 550, Sirius XM (app)

Know Your Opponent

Washington Capitals

Record: 38-29-9 | 85 PTS

Last Game: 7-3 loss against New Jersey Devils; 6-2-2 in last ten games

Division Ranking: 6th, Metropolitan

PP: 24th, 18.0% (41/228) [Sabres: 15th, 21.2% (48/226)]

PK: 14th, 79.7% (188/236) [Sabres: 5th, 81.9% (172/210)]

What to Watch

1. Don’t panic!

With the Sabres now this close to finally breaking a record fourteen-year postseason drought, it does look like they’re holding their sticks that bit tighter. Against Ottawa they never really got into the game and weren’t able to go around the Sens clogging up the neutral zone. Everyone’s going to be trying their own way to stop Sabres’ “river hockey”, but Buffalo just needs to play their own game. Oh yeah, stop overpassing and get some shots on net too.

With the Red Wings losing to the Rangers earlier today, the playoffs are now confirmed!!

2. Ruff knows the problem

Lindy Ruff put the Sabres through something close to a bag skate on Friday after their unimpressive performance Thursday night. He’ll get them right and ready for Saturday.

“I thought we were slow. I don’t want to make excuses, but maybe the pressure of being there, just a little bit of that, caught up to the guys. Today was about just getting up to pace, playing fast, playing our game. I thought the energy was great. I thought the pace was great. I thought we skated better today than we did last night.”

3. Cold spells need breaking too

There’s a couple of Sabres forwards that have gone cold and Lindy shook up the lines on Friday to spark a few players. In their last ten games. Tuch went 2-2-4, McLeod has 0-2-2, Doan 2-1-3, Zucker 2-1-3, Norris 1-3-4 among others. The Sabres are going to need to find their sco ing touch again to close out the season strong.

Projected Lineups

Buffalo Sabres

Forwards

Peyton Krebs – Tage Thompson – Josh Doan
Jason Zucker – Josh Norris – Alex Tuch
Zach Benson – Ryan McLeod – Jack Quinn
Jordan Greenway – Tyson Kozak – Beck Malenstyn

Defense

Mattias Samuelsson – Rasmus Dahlin
Bowen Byram – Owen Power
Logan Stanley – Zach Metsa

Goaltenders

Alex Lyon (projected starter), Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Washington Capitals

Forwards

Alex Ovechkin – Dylan Strome – Connor McMichael
Hendrix Lapierre – Pierre-Luc Dubois – Tom Wilson
Anthony Beauvillier – Justin Sourdif – Ryan Leonard
Brandon Duhaime – David Kampf – Ivan Miroshnichenko

Defense

Martin Fehervary – Rasmus Sandin
Jakob Chychrun – Trevor van Riemsdyk
Cole Hutson – Matt Roy

Goaltenders

Logan Thompson (projected starter), Charlie Lindgren

Shots: BUF 22 | OTT 24

Buffalo Sabres Goals:

1. Samuelsson (Byram, Krebs)

Ottawa Senators Goals:

1. Cozens (Tkachuk, Greig)
2. Eller (Zub, Foegele)
3. Greig (Spence) (EN)
4. Pinto (Unassisted) (EN)

Final Thoughts

There were hopes of officially ending the playoff drought tonight. However, things did not go the Sabres way. They did not have their best game and didn’t generate nearly enough offense. Ottawa was successful in creating a low-event environment and capitalized on a couple tips in front. Metsa’s steak of not surrendering a 5-on-5 goal against after 5 months on the game winner by Eller. The Sabres 6 game win streak against the Senators was also snapped. Luukkonen had a good game as he solidifies his hold on the starter’s net. The best part of the night has to be Stanley crushing Tkachuk in a first period fight. The worst part of the night is that the Lightning and Canadians both won in regulation to gain ground. Tampa Bay is tied with Buffalo in points but has a game in hand. The surging Canadians are only 2 points back with a game in thanks to their current 7 game win streak. Standings are tight and the Sabres need every point they can get. There’s a chance they clinch a playoff spot before they take the ice against Washington on Saturday, but they need to keep winning regardless to earn home ice advantage.

Buffalo Sabres (46-21-8) at Ottawa Senators (38-26-10)

Puck Drop: 7:00 PM | Canadian Tire Center | Ottawa, Ont.

TV: MSG-B, ESPN+

Radio: WGR 550

Know Your Opponent

Ottawa Senators

Record: 38-26-10 | 86 PTS

Division Ranking: 5th in the Atlantic Division

Last Game: Lost 6-3 vs Florida

PP: 11^th (22.4%) | Sabres 15^th (21.4%)

PK: 30^th (74.5%) | Sabres 5^th (81.7%)

What to Watch

1. First Chance to End the Misery

The Sabres have another opportunity to sweep yet another team this season if they defeat the Senators tonight. They beat Ottawa 8-4 way back in October then edged them in overtime right before Christmas by a 3-2 score. Bowen Byram had the OT winner for Buffalo in that one. The Sabres have actually rattled off six straight wins over the Sens, sweeping all four games from them in 2024-25.

Buffalo has a good chance at the Atlantic Division title right now and even the best record in the Eastern Conference. The Sabres must continue to win as much as possible to achieve one or both of those goals. They still have Tampa Bay breathing down their necks, Montreal is making a huge surge and even Boston is forging a late push as well. Meanwhile, Carolina is tied with Buffalo in points at 100 each but the ‘Canes have a game in hand. Lindy Ruff’s group will need to lay it all on the line in these last two weeks to set themselves up as best as possible.

But first things first. With a win tonight against Ottawa, the Buffalo Sabres 14 year playoff drought will officially COME TO AN END! The burden we all carry around with us every day will finally be lifted. Did you ever think you would see the day again? The Blue and Gold would clinch a post season berth for the first time since the 2010-11 season. Some of us have gone through 6 or 7 cars since then or seen their child grow up from a newborn to a teenager. The RELIEF that it is finally ending will feel so good for the city, the fans and the organization, yet there is a bigger picture here to consider. Buffalo is not just sneaking into the post season after all these years. This amazing Sabres team will have a real chance to go deep in the playoffs, dare I say all the way. No matter when they clinch, that has to be the shift in focus, gunning for the damn Stanley Cup.

2. Injury Updates

As everyone saw, Sam Carrick sustained a left arm injury in a fight with Anders Lee and didn’t finish the game on Tuesday. He could be in line to miss an extended stretch of time, depending on further testing and evaluation of his injury. Carrick had five goals and six points in 13 games with the Sabres with a couple of fights. He quickly became a fixture in Lindy Ruff’s lineup and a fan favorite too with his determined play. Thankfully, the Sabres have plenty of players ready to take his place. Tyson Kozak, Josh Dunne and Tanner Pearson are all capable and bring similar attributes, to a varying degree. (solid defense, grit, physicality, work ethic) But it’s doubtful any of those three will be chipping in with timely goals like Carrick has been doing.

UPDATE: As of this morning, Sam Carrick was not on the ice for practice in Ottawa. Neither was Noah Ostlund. Josh Dunne took Carrick’s place, centering Jordan Greenway and Beck Malenstyn. Looks like Ruff is going with a heavier 4th line to start. It is good to see Dunne back, who always works his tail off. Meanwhile, Ostlund’s “day to day” prognosis has passed the full week mark. Remember, he was listed as “possible” to play three games ago.

After practice, Ruff said Carrick is week-to-week and he’s not ruling him out to come back at some point. (post season)

For Ottawa, they are hurting on defense. They have a total of four defenders out of the lineup, including Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot.

3. Nice game Norris

Lost in the mayhem of Josh Norris getting his face rearranged on what looked like a clear penalty was the nice offensive game he had. The hit from behind, the no penalty and the fight between Anders Lee and Sam Carrick is what people will remember. The non call with the poor officiating ultimately led to Carrick getting injured while falling to the ice. But some good came out of the game for Josh and the team, (besides the win) him getting back on the scoreboard. Twice.

While the points have been hard to come by lately for Norris, (especially the goals) he had two primary assists that led the way for Buffalo against New York. First, he fed Jack Quinn along the blueline for his slick goal after that battle along the wall to keep the puck in on the power play. Then he made a casual looking pass to Tage Thompson, (again with the man advantage) recognizing TNT had just enough space between four defenders to rip a shot off. Both dishes were good, smart plays and very needed points for Norris who was scoreless in four straight games before that. Even with the two apples against the Islanders, that is only four points for Josh in his last ten games. (1 goal, 3 assists) He has fallen off his near point per game pace from earlier in the season, now with 27 points in 37 games. (10 goals, 17 assists) At least his defensive game has remained strong, as he is +4 in his last ten games. He also continues to backcheck well and works hard on the boards while providing hustle and good coverage.

Hopefully Norris starts finding the back of the net more often and gets in a groove before the playoffs start. It sure would be helpful if he got one or two today against his old team in Ottawa.

Note: It looks like we will see Luukkonen against Ullmark in net.

Projected Lineups

Buffalo Sabres

Forwards

Krebs – Thompson – Tuch
Zucker – McLeod – Quinn
Benson – Norris – Doan
Greenway – Dunne – Malenstyn

Defense

Samuelsson – Dahlin
Power – Byram
Stanley – Metsa

Goalies: Luukkonen, Lyon, Ellis

Ottawa Senators

Forwards

Batherson – Stutzle – Giroux
Tkachuk – Cozens – Greig
Cousins – Pinto – Amadio
Foegele – Eller – Zetterlund

Defense

Kleven – Zub
Matinpalo – Thomson
Spence – Yakemchuk

Goalies: Ullmark, Reimer

Boxscore

Score: Buffalo Sabres 4-3 New York Islanders
Shots: BUF 33-28 NYI

Buffalo Sabres Goals: Quinn 18 PPG (Norris); Thompson 38 PPG (Norris, Quinn); Krebs 11 (Tuch, Thompson); Byram 11 EN (Samuelsson)
New York Islanders Goals: Ritchie 12 PPG (Schenn, Horvat); Lee 18 (Horvat, Schaefer); Schenn 17 (Barzal, Horvat)

Quick Thoughts

A Better Start

After a few games where the Sabres found themselves playing catch-up, this was a good start to the game for two pretty quick teams. Buffalo’s aggression meant the Isles had a couple of odd-man rushes but were unable to create shooting opportunities from them. The Sabres’ passing wasn’t as crisp as we’ve seen in recent weeks, but they were quick to cover and prevent any damage.

Byram hadn’t scored since early January, but presented with a couple of shooting chances early he missed the target. Then midway through the period a pass found him alone on Sorokin with his back to goal, but he turned and chose to pass instead.

Good to see Greenway back – good passing, strong on the forecheck and standing up players at the blue line.

The second line of Quinn – McLeod – Zucker had a couple of good looks, not least when a Dahlin stretch pass was almost corraled by McLeod who had skated away from the Isles. Quinn’s promotion to the top power play unit might have been met with skepticism, but his stick-handling skill and wicked shot were on full display when he made Pelech pay for high-sticking Doan.

Malenstyn then snuck in behind the defense and Greenway found him with a deft flick, but his backhander was well-saved by Sorokin to keep Beck from adding another story to his legend. Benson also had a shot that went off Sorokin’s mask and the crossbar.

Sabres had the 12-5 shots edge, and 10-4 on scoring chances to banish the ghosts of their recent slow starts in the last night of their four-game homestand.

Sorokin Wins The Second

Another high-sticking penalty, this time on Byram, led to nearly two minutes of possession for the Sabres, filled with good feet and puck movement, but just the one shot. That then led to more sustained possession for the Sabres but Lee then pounced on an errant pass to break away. Power slashed the Isle and was penalized, with the referee deeming it a penalty shot. UPL is yet to be beaten in the shootout, and brought his wizardry to regulation time making an excellent glove save to maintain the Sabres lead.

Side note: Don Stevens, the soon-to-retire voice of the Amerks, was in house tonight as he was being honored by the organization and even stepped into the booth to call UPL’s penalty shot save.

Quinn drove to the net and was stood up, and as the puck lay in the blue paint Zucker followed up but got stuffed by Sorokin’s pad, with the Isles’ starter not showing any of the yips he had last night when yielding half a dozen goals to the Pens.

Seconds after a lazy clearance from Dahlin almost gifted the Islanders a peach of a chance, Benson did a great job holding on to the puck on a rush and waiting for the second wave to follow up. The puck came to Dahlin who had a scoring chance from the slot but was unable to beat Sorokin.

With a shade over two minutes left in the period, Samuelsson took a delay of game penalty to give the visitors a chance to level the game, and they took it with both hands. Just sixteen seconds in a neat passing sequence ended up with Schenn finding Ritchie in the blue paint with UPL overcommitted and not a single blue sweater within six feet of him.

Lee then crunched Norris with a big hit to the boards that had him bleeding from the mouth as his face bounced off the stanchion, and as the Isles players whooped and yelped only Dahlin stepped up to the Isle. After a minute or two down, the center got up and left the ice, and despite the refs consulting with each other, no penalty was called.

Buffalo certainly seemed woken up after that, nailing a couple of big hits that created a couple of chances as well, but the period ended with the game tied and the Sabres ahead on shots 19-15.

A Big Third

It was a relief to see Norris back on the bench with a bloody lower lip and none the worse for wear. Thompson went dancing between Soucy and Schaefer, with the former then high-sticking Tage to give up a power play. Norris would then have his revenge, setting up Thompson to fire home from the slot on the ensuing man advantage and the Sabres were back in the lead early in the third. Thompson being more mobile and moving around in the middle instead of his lower left position has definitely made the power play more dangerous.

Metsa then stepped up into the offensive zone and almost found Tage’s stick in the blue paint, but Sorokin was out quick. Power used his gangly reach to stop the Isles breaking out, and Benson then had a couple of prime shooting attempts but the visitors were able to fend him off.

Quinn then danced through a couple of players to get a backhand on Sorokin, and as the Isles started pushing up the game got more stretched. Mayfield smacked Norris’ head off the boards and the Sabres forward had had enough of the targeting, throwing a crosscheck at the Isles’ goon and with both players in the box, the refs earned the crowd’s boos after giving Norris the additional minor.

With KBC fired up, the Sabres maintained discipline on the penalty kill and were able to see out the two minutes with just under half the period left to play. Playing with a lead allowed Doan and Benson to go into full attack-dog mode on the forecheck as the Islanders struggled to get out past their own blue line at times.

Youngster Schaefer continued to get to the Sabres blue line with ease which created chances for others even when he was eventually closed down. He ended up playing an astounding 29:40 in this game and picked up one assist. Power then had the misfortune of seeing a speculative Lee shot bounce off his toe and in behind a surprised UPL for the game’s first 5-v-5 goal, 2-2.

Seconds later Benson couldn’t make enough contact on a 3-on-2 break as the clock ticked into the last five minutes of the game, with both sides looking like they could steal the points.

Enter Alex Tuch. The Syracuse native drove to the net, went around and with a wraparound pass found Krebs who hammered home high over Sorokin’s shoulder, with a shade over three minutes to play. The Isles then pulled their goalie with over two and a half to go, and as they buzzed around a calm UPL, a big Sammy hit allowed Byram to loft a nearly two-hundred-footer into the net to make it 4-2.

The Islanders pulled Sorokin again and buzzed the Sabres goal to try put some gloss on this defeat, scoring with exactly one second still on the clock, but that didn’t stop Tuch and Power giving Lee a warm farewell with some kind words after the final horn, 4-3 the final score. The Sabres outshot the Isles 33-28, and beat them 31-20 on scoring chances as well.

At The Horn

Against a desperate opponent, the Buffalo Sabres were tested on both ends of the ice and found ways to win. UPL finished yet another game with a positive goals saved above expected to outduel Sorokin. Byram ended his long scoring drought with the gamewinner while Krebs once again proved how valuable a piece he can be for these Sabres. Let’s not forget Quinn who is finding his scoring touch late in the season and finally a shout out to Norris. Often chided for his injury record, he proved he belongs out there tonight, taking his lumps and having the last laugh with two points as well. Have a good flight back home Anders Lee.

The Sabres became the eleventh NHL franchise to record 2,000 wins with tonight’s victory, and also hit the 100 point milestone. Canadiens beat the Lightning to leave the latter at 98 while Montreal is now at 96 and threatening to catch Tampa Bay. The Bruins aren’t giving up yet, winning again and they sit at 94 points. Unfortunately Carolina also won so they lead the Eastern Conference having played a game less than Buffalo.

Puck Drop: 7:00 PM | KeyBank Center | Buffalo, New York

TV: MSG-B

Radio: WGR 550

Know Your Opponent

New York Islanders

Record: 42-28-5 | 89 PTS

Division Ranking: 3^rd in Metropolitan Division

Last Game: 8-3 Loss vs Penguins

PP: 30^th (16.7%) | Sabres Rank: 16^th (20.9%)

PK: 6^th (81.6%) | Sabres Rank: 1^st (85.4%)

What to Watch

1. Season Sweep?

Buffalo enters this game with a chance to sweep the Islanders in the season series. They won their first matchup in a shootout and crushed them 5-0 in their rematch. The Sabres have the home ice and rest advantage as they have been off since their shootout win on Saturday and the Islanders were routed by the Penguins last night. It’s tough to beat a team three times in one season though. Buffalo will have their work cut out for them against a team fighting to retain their playoff spot.

2. Calder Lock

There are few certainties in life, but one of them is that Matthew Schaefer is going to win the Calder Trophy. Last year’s #1 overall pick is one point behind forwards Beckett Sennecke and Ivan Demidov for the rookie points lead. He leads all rookies in average time on ice (24:29), power play goals (8), power play points (18), and shots (199). He is the engine behind his team and must be the focal point in any defensive strategy. One way to do this is to play a clean game and keep him off the power play. However, his skating makes him dangerous on every shift. Forecheckers like Benson and Doan will be key to forcing him to expend his energy in the defensive zone instead of generating momentum on the back end for offensive rushes.

3. Long Awaited Return?

Bufalo could have a couple players return to the lineup against the Islanders. The projected lineup is subject to change, but Lindy Ruff stated that Greenway and Metsa are options for tonight per Heather Engel. Metsa would return after spending the weekend in Rochester. This would be his 4^th game in 5 days after playing 3 in 3 with Rochester. Greenway has been out since January due to a lower body injury that has been plaguing him all year. The return of a relatively healthy Greenway could add an additional physical presence on the 4^th line. I pity the defenseman that has to retrieve a puck with either Greenway or Malenstyn breathing down your neck. If he’s mostly healthy, Greenway is an intriguing depth option for Buffalo.

Projected Lineups

Buffalo Sabres

Forwards

Krebs – Thompson – Tuch
Zucker – McLeod – Quinn
Benson – Norris – Doan
Greenway* – Carrick – Malenstyn

Defense

Samuelsson – Dahlin
Power – Byram
Stanley – Metsa*

Starter: Luukkonen

*Lindy Ruff said that Jordan Greenway and Zach Metsa are each “Definitely an option” tonight – per Heather Engel

New York Islanders

Forwards

Lee – Horvat – Heineman
Ritchie – Schenn – Barzal
Palat – Pageau – Holmstrom
Maclean – Cizikas – Gatcomb

Defense

Schaefer – Pulock
Pelech – Soucy
Mayfield – Boqvist

Starter: Rittich