Buffalo Sabres Week in Review (Oct. 12-18)
The Buffalo Sabres went unbeaten in regulation over four games against Atlantic Division opponents this week, posting a 2-0-2 record with wins over the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs while earning a point in two matchups against the Montreal Canadiens.
If there was one theme throughout the week, it was Buffalo’s ability to battle back. The Sabres trailed at some point in all four games and faced deficits of two or more goals in three of them, but still managed to come away with six of a possible eight points. Buffalo has already established itself as one of the NHL’s top third-period comeback teams, and this week was another example of a group that rarely looks out of a game.
As encouraging as that resilience has been, the Sabres also can’t continue relying on it every night. When Buffalo is playing its best hockey, everything seems to click – the pace picks up, the offence starts generating chances and the team looks difficult to slow down. The problem has been getting to that level before the third period. The next step will be finding that same cohesion earlier in games and learning how to play with a lead rather than constantly having to chase one.
One player who helped keep Buffalo within striking distance throughout the week was Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. After a difficult start to the season, the Sabres netminder has settled in and played some of his best hockey over the past four games. He entered in relief of Colten Ellis against Florida and stopped 13 of the 14 shots he faced before head coach Lindy Ruff went right back to him the following night in Montreal. He then made 26 saves in the overtime win over Toronto and another 30 in Saturday’s return to Montreal.
The trust Ruff has shown in Luukkonen is worth noting, especially with Buffalo playing four games in six nights. His numbers may not jump off the page, but he gave the Sabres a chance to stay in games throughout the week and came up with several timely saves while the team worked its way back from early deficits.
Where Buffalo still needs to find answers is on special teams. The power play sits at just 9.1% through nine games, ranking 32nd in the NHL, while the penalty kill has operated at 64.5%, ranking 30th. The Sabres have managed to overcome those struggles during their recent stretch, but both units will need to become more reliable if Buffalo wants to avoid making games more difficult than they need to be.
There were also plenty of encouraging signs from Jack Quinn and Owen Power, two players who could be in line for breakout seasons. Quinn has been one of Buffalo’s most noticeable forwards early on and was at the centre of Thursday’s comeback against Toronto, recording two goals and two assists while completing a Gordie Howe hat trick. He enters the new week with seven points (3-4–7) over his last four games and has started to show he could help replace some of the offence lost with Alex Tuch’s departure in the offseason.
Power, meanwhile, has taken on an even bigger role with Rasmus Dahlin sidelined. The former first-overall pick has logged 240:43 of total ice time this season, averaging 26:45 per game – the third-highest mark in the NHL. With Buffalo leaning heavily on him on the blue line, Power has delivered in some of the biggest moments. Both of his goals this season have been overtime winners, including Thursday’s goal in Toronto to complete the Sabres’ comeback from a 4-2 deficit.
After four games in six nights, Buffalo will get a much lighter schedule this week with only two games on tap. The Sabres return home to face the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday before heading to Washington to face Tuch and the Capitals on Saturday.
Upcoming Games:
Oct. 21 – Philadelphia Flyers
Oct. 24 – Washington Capitals
Here is a more detailed breakdown of the four games:
Buffalo Sabres vs. Florida Panthers – Oct. 12th, 2026
Final: 5 (BUF) – 3 (FLA)
The Buffalo Sabres returned to the win column on Canadian Thanksgiving Monday, defeating the Florida Panthers 5-3 at KeyBank Center.
Josh Doan opened the scoring with his first goal of the season at 5:58 of the first period before Florida’s Anton Lundell evened the score just over five minutes later. Rasmus Dahlin restored Buffalo’s lead on the power play at 15:55, sending the Sabres into the first intermission ahead 2-1.
Florida tied the game early in the second on a power-play goal from former Sabre Sam Reinhart. Ryan McLeod answered for Buffalo at 11:25, scoring his first of the season to make it 3-2, but Reinhart struck again just over two minutes later to send the teams into the third tied at three.
Noah Ostlund broke the deadlock at 7:15 of the third, finishing a feed from Zach Benson for a power-play goal to give Buffalo a 4-3 lead. Tage Thompson added some insurance at 13:20, scoring his first of the night to secure the 5-3 victory.
Thompson finished with a goal and an assist, while Peyton Krebs, Jack Quinn and Owen Power each recorded two assists. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped all 13 shots he faced after replacing Colten Ellis in the second period.
The Sabres were without captain Rasmus Dahlin for the remainder of the game after he exited with an upper-body injury during the second period. He did not travel with the team for their three-game road trip and is currently listed as day-to-day.
Three Stars:
#1. Noah Ostlund (BUF) – 1G
#2. Ryan McLeod (BUF) – 1G
#3. Jack Quinn (BUF) – 2A
Buffalo Sabres vs. Montreal Canadiens – Oct. 13th, 2026
Final: 4 (MTL) - 3 (BUF) – SO
The Buffalo Sabres earned a point in the opening game of their three-game road trip, falling 4-3 in a shootout to the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre.
Olen Zellweger opened the scoring just 2:16 into the game, recording his first goal as a Sabre to give Buffalo an early 1-0 lead. Montreal responded on a 5-on-3 power play later in the period, as Lane Hutson tied the game at one.
The Canadiens took control in the second, with Cole Caufield giving Montreal its first lead just 1:19 into the frame before Josh Anderson extended the advantage to 3-1 with 50 seconds remaining.
Buffalo responded quickly in the third, scoring twice in a span of 61 seconds to erase the two-goal deficit. Josh Norris cut the lead to one at 4:24 before Zellweger scored his second of the night at 5:25, recording the first multi-goal game of his NHL career to tie the game at three.
Neither side found the back of the net through the remainder of regulation or overtime, sending the game to a shootout. Tage Thompson scored on Buffalo’s first attempt, but Montreal converted on all three of its opportunities, with Zachary Bolduc scoring the deciding goal to secure the 4-3 Canadiens victory.
Zellweger led the Sabres with two goals, while Mattias Samuelsson and Beck Malenstyn each recorded two assists. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen turned aside 35 shots as Buffalo moved to 3-3-1 on the season.
Three Stars:
#1. Lane Hutson (MTL) – 1G, 1A
#2. Alexandre Texier (MTL) – Shootout Goal
#3. Olen Zellweger (BUF) – 2G
Buffalo Sabres vs. Toronto Maple Leafs – Oct. 15th, 2026
Final: 5 (BUF) - 4 (TOR) – OT
The Buffalo Sabres erased a two-goal third-period deficit to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-4 in overtime at Scotiabank Arena, improving to 4-3-1 on the season.
Toronto opened the scoring just 2:24 into the game on a goal from Auston Matthews, but Jack Quinn responded just over a minute later to tie the game at one. Kirill Marchenko restored the Maple Leafs’ lead on the power play at 13:10, sending Toronto into the first intermission ahead 2-1.
Quinn scored his second of the night at 2:41 of the second period, finishing a feed from Noah Ostlund to even the score at two. Marchenko responded with two more goals in the frame to complete the hat trick and give Toronto a 4-2 advantage heading into the third.
The Sabres began their comeback at 10:05 of the third when Dennis Gilbert, playing in his first game of the season after being called up amid Dahlin’s injury, fired a shot from the blue line that found its way through traffic to cut the deficit to one. Just over two minutes later, Mattias Samuelsson finished a feed from Tage Thompson to tie the game at four and force overtime.
Owen Power completed the comeback at 3:14 of the extra frame, taking a pass from Quinn and firing home the overtime winner to secure Buffalo’s second victory in three nights.
Quinn led the Sabres with four points (2-2–4), while Samuelsson recorded a goal and an assist. Ostlund and Zach Benson each added two assists, while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen turned aside 26 shots in the victory.
Three Stars:
#1. Kirill Marchenko (TOR) – 3G
#2. Jack Quinn (BUF) – 2G, 2A
#3. Owen Power (BUF) – Overtime Winner
Buffalo Sabres vs. Montreal Canadiens – Oct. 17th, 2026
Final: 4 (MTL) - 3 (BUF) – OT
The Buffalo Sabres earned a point for the fourth consecutive game on Saturday, overcoming another two-goal deficit before falling 4-3 in extra time for the second time in less than a week to the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre.
Josh Norris opened the scoring at 8:21 of the first period, putting home his own rebound to give Buffalo an early 1-0 lead. Montreal responded with a pair of goals before the end of the frame, as Zachary Bolduc scored on the power play before Cole Caufield gave the Canadiens a 2-1 advantage.
Alexandre Texier extended Montreal’s lead to 3-1 at 7:39 of the second period, but Jack Quinn responded just over two minutes later with Buffalo’s first shorthanded goal of the season to bring the Sabres back within one.
Buffalo completed the comeback midway through the third when Tage Thompson finished a backdoor feed from Josh Doan at 10:12 to tie the game at three and force overtime.
Caufield ended the game just 54 seconds into the extra frame, capitalizing on a rebound off the end boards that sent him in alone before scoring his second of the night to secure the 4-3 Montreal victory.
Norris, Quinn and Thompson each found the back of the net for Buffalo, while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen turned aside 30 shots in his fourth appearance of the week. The Sabres moved to 4-3-2 on the season and earned a point in both of their matchups against Montreal during the week after overcoming two-goal deficits in each contest.
Three Stars:
#1. Cole Caufield (MTL) – 2G
#2. Alexandre Carrier (MTL) – 2A
#3. Zachary Bolduc (MTL) – 1G
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