Buffalo Sabres Week in Review (Oct. 1-3)
The Buffalo Sabres split their opening two games of the 2026-27 season, falling 6-3 to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday before returning home and rallying for a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.
After allowing three unanswered goals in the season-opening loss to Columbus, Buffalo found itself in another early hole against Chicago, trailing 2-0 midway through the first period. This time, the Sabres were able to battle back, with Jack Quinn, Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin tying the game before Jiri Kulich completed the comeback with the go-ahead goal midway through the third.
Saturday also marked Buffalo’s home opener, with the Sabres unveiling their 2025-26 Atlantic Division championship banner at KeyBank Center before puck drop. The win kicked off a five-game homestand that will keep Buffalo at home through Oct. 13.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen got the start in both games, making 17 saves against Columbus before stopping 12 of 15 against Chicago. While he came away with his first win of the season on Saturday, Luukkonen has looked shaky at times through the opening two games, allowing eight goals on 37 shots.
The power play has also yet to find its footing – a trend the Sabres struggled during last season. Buffalo went 0-for-5 with the man advantage against Columbus, including an extended 5-on-3 opportunity, before finishing 0-for-3 against Chicago. That leaves the Sabres 0-for-8 on the power play through their first two games of the season.
One early bright spot has been Jack Quinn. The 25-year-old has found the back of the net in each of Buffalo’s first two games, scoring against Columbus before helping spark Saturday’s comeback with a first-period goal against Chicago.
The Sabres will now continue their five-game homestand with three games this week, beginning tonight against the Minnesota Wild. Buffalo will then welcome the Dallas Stars on Thursday before wrapping up the week against the Utah Mammoth on Saturday.
Upcoming Games:
Oct. 6 vs. Minnesota Wild
Oct. 8 vs. Dallas Stars
Oct. 10 vs. Utah Mammoth
Here is a more detailed breakdown of the two games:
Buffalo Sabres vs. Columbus Blue Jackets – Oct. 1st, 2026
Final: 6 (CBJ) – 3 (BUF)
The Buffalo Sabres opened their season on the wrong side of a 6-3 scoreline, falling to the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on Thursday night.
Buffalo opened the scoring midway through the first period, as Mattias Samuelsson fired a shot from the high slot that deflected off a Columbus defender and in during 4-on-4 play to give the Sabres an early 1-0 lead.
The Blue Jackets would respond with three unanswered goals before the intermission. Cole Sillinger tied the game just over five minutes later, before newly acquired Matthew Knies gave Columbus its first lead of the night on the power play, one-timing a shot from the slot. Adam Fantilli added another less than a minute later, tipping home a shot to send the Blue Jackets into the intermission up 3-1.
The Sabres pulled back within one early in the second period, with Jack Quinn beating Jet Greaves from the left circle to make it 3-2. Knies answered with his second of the night at 7:45, redirecting home a shot shortly after Columbus killed off an extended 5-on-3 opportunity for Buffalo.
Once again, Buffalo responded. Konsta Helenius fired home a one-timer from low in the left circle at 13:14, cutting the deficit to 4-3 and sending the Sabres into the third period down by one.
Buffalo remained within striking distance for much of the final frame, with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen denying Knies on a breakaway midway through the period to prevent the newly acquired Blue Jacket from completing the hat trick.
Columbus eventually pulled away late. Sean Monahan restored the two-goal advantage on the power play with 5:39 remaining before Mathieu Olivier found the empty net to seal the 6-3 final.
Luukkonen finished with 17 saves in the loss.
Three Stars:
#1. Matthew Knies (CBJ) – 2G, 1A
#2. Zach Wrenski (CBJ) – 2A
#3. Charlie Coyle (CBJ) – 3A
Buffalo Sabres vs. Chicago Blackhawks – Oct. 3rd, 2026
Final: 4 (BUF) – 3 (CHI)
The Buffalo Sabres picked up their first win of the season on Saturday, rallying from a pair of two-goal deficits to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 at KeyBank Center.
Chicago jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, opening the scoring just under eight minutes into the first period when Ryan Donato finished off a centering feed from Alex Vlasic. Tyler Bertuzzi doubled the advantage less than four minutes later, finishing off a tic-tac-toe passing play into an open net.
But, the Sabres would begin to work their way back before the intermission. Jack Quinn cut the deficit in half at 16:24, snapping a wrist shot from above the slot into the top corner for his second goal in as many games to start the season.
Buffalo carried that momentum into the second period, with Tage Thompson tying the game at 5:41. After winning the faceoff back to the point, Thompson headed to the net and redirected Louis Crevier’s shot past Spencer Knight to make it 2-2.
The Blackhawks regained the lead late in the frame. Fresh out of the penalty box, Oliver Moore joined a 2-on-1 rush and fired a wrist shot from the right circle that rolled through Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s pads, sending Chicago into the second intermission with a 3-2 advantage.
Once again, Buffalo would respond.
Rasmus Dahlin pulled the Sabres even at 6:10 of the third period, taking a pass from Peyton Krebs off the rush before beating Knight stick side from the right hashmarks.
Just over seven minutes later, Jiri Kulich completed the comeback. Playing in just his second game back after a blood clot limited him to just 12 games last season, Kulich called for the puck from Owen Power low in the left circle before snapping it short side past Knight during 4-on-4 play for his first goal since Oct. 24, 2025, giving Buffalo its first lead of the night and sending the sold-out crowd into a frenzy.
The Sabres held on from there, securing the 4-3 victory and their first win of the season.
Luukkonen made 12 saves in the win, improving to 7-0-0 in his career against the Blackhawks, while Thompson finished with a goal and an assist.
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