Buffalo Sabres Week in Review (Nov. 10 – Nov. 16)

Breanna McNeill
Nov 17
5 min read

Photo Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

After opening the week with back-to-back losses, the Buffalo Sabres closed things out with a dramatic comeback victory in Detroit on Saturday, securing a much-needed two points.

Still searching for their first road win of the season, the Sabres began the week in Utah for a rematch with the Mammoth. Despite carrying a 2–0 lead into the third, Buffalo unravelled in the latter half of the game, surrendering five unanswered goals. The following night in Colorado, the Sabres held their own against one of the league’s hottest teams, but another third-period collapse ultimately led to their fifth straight loss.

Captain Rasmus Dahlin returned from Sweden in time for Saturday’s matchup in Detroit, and the Sabres flipped the script entirely. Down 4–1 in the second period, Buffalo erupted in the third to force overtime, where they sealed both their first road win and first overtime win of the season.

Notable Player Performances:

Tage Thompson – 3GP, 2G, 2A
Alex Tuch – 3GP, 1G, 1A
Rasmus Dahlin – 1GP, 2A
Josh Doan – 3GP, 1G, 2A
Bowen Byram – 3GP, 1G, 2A
Ryan McLeod – 3GP, 1 SHG
Isak Rosen – 3GP, 2G, 1A
- First career multi-goal game
Mattias Samuelsson – 3GP, 1G
- Scored the overtime winner against Detroit, marking his third goal of the season

The Sabres will play four games this week, all at the KeyBank Center: Monday against the Edmonton Oilers (9–7–4), Wednesday against the Calgary Flames (5–12–3), Friday against the Chicago Blackhawks (9–5–4) and then Sunday against the Carolina Hurricanes (12–5–1).

Here is a more detailed breakdown of the three games:

Buffalo Sabres vs. Utah Mammoth – Nov. 12th, 2025

Final: 5 (UTA) – 2 (BUF)

The Sabres dropped their second straight meeting with Utah, falling 5–2 after giving up five unanswered goals.

Isak Rosen scored both Buffalo goals – his first career multigoal performance – while goaltender Colten Ellis stood tall with 32 saves despite limited support; Buffalo registered only 19 shots on goal, with none coming from the Thompson–Tuch–McLeod line.

Rosen opened the scoring early in the first by redirecting a Jack Quinn shot, then doubled the lead early in the second off a drop pass from Noah Ostlund.

Utah responded midway through the second when Nick DeSimone hammered home his first of the season. To start the third, the Mammoth shuffled their lines, moving JJ Peterka alongside Lawson Crouse and Jack McBain – a change that paid off quickly.

Peterka tied the game 52 seconds into the period, Crouse gave Utah the lead shortly after, and Nick Schmaltz extended it to 4–2. Keller added an empty-netter to complete Utah’s comeback.

Three Stars:

#1. JJ Peterka (UTA) – 1G, 1A

#2. Lawson Crouse (UTA) – 1G

#3. Nick DeSimone (UTA) – 1G

Buffalo Sabres vs. Colorado Avalanche – Nov. 13th, 2025

Final: 6 (COL) – 3 (BUF)

The Buffalo Sabres dropped their fifth straight game, falling 6–3 to the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night.

Martin Nečas opened the scoring less than a minute in off a stretch pass from Cale Makar, and Artturi Lehkonen made it 2–0 soon after, prompting Alex Lyon’s exit after allowing two goals on three shots. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 27 in relief, while Mackenzie Blackwood made 18 saves for Colorado.

Bowen Byram got Buffalo on the board later in the period after knocking the puck in after Blackwood mishandled Alex Tuch’s initial shot. But Brock Nelson restored Colorado’s two-goal lead not long after, chipping Ross Colton’s touch pass over Luukkonen’s blocker from in tight.

Jordan Greenway cut it to 3–2 for the fifth goal of the period, one-timing a bouncing feed from Owen Power. Colorado nearly extended its lead late in the period when Gabriel Landeskog appeared to score in the final minute, but the call was overturned for goaltender interference.

Tage Thompson tied the game 3–3 on the power play in the second, wiring home a setup from Rosen. But Gavin Brindley restored the Avalanche lead moments later on a shot that deflected off Owen Power. Nečas added another late in the third, and Gabriel Landeskog sealed the win with an empty-netter.

Three Stars:

#1. Martin Nečas (COL) – 2G, 2A

#2. Gavin Brindley (COL) – 1G, 1A

#3. Artturi Lehkonen (COL) – 1G

Buffalo Sabres vs. Detroit Red Wings – Nov. 15th, 2025

Final/OT: 6 (BUF) – 5 (DET)

Mattias Samuelsson scored 1:05 into overtime as the Buffalo Sabres rallied from a three-goal deficit to defeat the Detroit Red Wings 6–5 on Saturday, snapping their five-game losing streak.

Captain Rasmus Dahlin added two assists in his return after missing three games while in Sweden supporting his fiancée during her recovery from a heart transplant.

Patrick Kane opened the scoring at the midway point of the first, tipping in Ben Chiarot’s pass at the crease. Alex Tuch tied it 29 seconds later, poking the puck past John Gibson after stripping Moritz Seider on a rebound attempt.

Alex DeBrincat then restored the lead early in the second with his own rebound, then Dylan Larkin made it 3–1 quickly, finishing a give-and-go with Lucas Raymond during 4-on-4 play. DeBrincat struck again on the power play for his second of the period and a 4–1 Detroit advantage.

Josh Doan sparked the comeback in the first few minutes of the second, tipping Dahlin’s point shot over Gibson’s shoulder. Tage Thompson made it 4–3 with a highlight-reel, individual effort, carrying the puck end-to-end, cutting past DeBrincat and Simon Edvinsson, and slipping it five-hole on Gibson.

Ryan McLeod then pulled Buffalo even 4–4, stealing the puck from Seider and scoring short-handed on a breakaway.

In overtime, Samuelsson buried a pass from Thompson, who created the turnover by knocking DeBrincat off a loose puck, beating John Gibson from the high slot to complete Buffalo’s comeback and helped seal Ellis’s second victory in three NHL starts – both coming against Detroit. He made 24 saves and recorded his first NHL point with an assist in the third period.

The Sabres trailed 4–1 in the second period and hadn’t erased a three-goal deficit to win since storming back from four down against Chicago on March 28, 2022.

Three Stars:

#1. Tage Thompson (BUF) – 1G, 1A

#2. Lucas Raymond (DET) – 3A

#3. Josh Doan (BUF) – 1G, 1A