Buffalo Sabres Week in Review (Oct. 18-26)
The Buffalo Sabres had another frustrating week, picking up just one of a possible four points in losses to the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals. After going four straight games without a regulation loss the week prior, Buffalo has now dropped three consecutive contests and sits at 4-4-3 through its first 11 games of the season.
While the results haven't been what the Sabres were hoping for, one of the few consistent bright spots has been the line of Jack Quinn, Zach Benson and Noah Ostlund. The trio has continued to generate chances and provide much of Buffalo's offensive spark, combining for two goals and three assists over the two-game stretch. With the Sabres scoring just four goals all week, their contributions have become even more important.
Quinn, in particular, has been one of Buffalo's most noticeable forwards this season. The 25-year-old extended his point streak to four games, recording seven points (4-3–7) over that span, and has now collected nine points (4-5–9) in his last six contests. Benson has also been making his mark, extending his season-opening road assist streak to five games to establish a new Sabres franchise record. Unfortunately, that same level of production hasn't been coming from the rest of the lineup.
Tage Thompson has been unusually quiet offensively, managing just three shots on goal across the two games, all of which came in one contest. For a player Buffalo relies on so heavily to generate offence, his lack of involvement has been noticeable. The Sabres have shown what they're capable of when their top players are clicking, but they can't continue relying on the same handful of forwards to carry the offence every night.
The struggles haven't been limited to five-on-five play, either. Special teams remain a concern, with Buffalo's power play operating at just 10.5%, ranking 31st in the NHL, while the penalty kill sits at 69.2%, ranking 27th. These were areas that needed improvement coming into the season, and through 11 games, the Sabres still haven't found consistency with either unit.
Another concerning trend is Buffalo's inability to take control of games early. The Sabres have yet to enter the third period with a lead this season, and while their ability to battle back has been impressive at times, it's becoming increasingly clear that they can't keep relying on late-game comebacks. Saturday's loss to Washington was another example, as Buffalo jumped out to a 2-0 lead before allowing three unanswered goals and eventually falling in overtime.
Between the pipes, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen got the start in both games and put together a decent week despite the results. He made 23 saves against Philadelphia before turning aside 30 shots in Washington. While he hasn't necessarily been the sole reason Buffalo is losing, he has given up at least three goals in each of his starts this season and the Sabres could certainly use a lot more reliability from their starting netminder, especially with the offence struggling to produce.
There may also be some relief for Luukkonen now that the Connor Hellebuyck trade saga has finally come to an end. After months of speculation linking Buffalo to the former Winnipeg Jets goaltender, Hellebuyck was dealt to the New Jersey Devils on Friday. With Luukkonen's name frequently coming up in trade discussions, having that uncertainty behind him could allow the 27-year-old to hopefully settle in and focus on his game.
Despite the frustrating start, Buffalo still finds itself sitting at 4-4-3, and there is plenty of hockey left to be played. It's also worth remembering that the Sabres got off to a similarly inconsistent start last season before turning things around and putting together their best campaign in 14 years. That doesn't mean history will repeat itself, but there's no reason to hit the panic button just yet.
Buffalo will now head west for a three-game California road trip, beginning Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks before taking on the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday and Los Angeles Kings on Saturday. The Sabres have enjoyed success on their Western Conference road trips in the past, and with the team struggling to find its rhythm, perhaps a change of scenery is exactly what they need to get things back on track.
Upcoming Games:
Oct. 27 – San Jose Sharks
Oct. 29 – Anaheim Ducks
Oct. 31 – Los Angeles Kings
Here is a more detailed breakdown of the two games:
Buffalo Sabres vs. Philadelphia Flyers – Oct. 21st, 2026
Final: 3 (PHI) – 1 (BUF)
The Buffalo Sabres saw their four-game point streak come to an end on Wednesday, falling 3-1 to the Philadelphia Flyers at KeyBank Center to move to 4-4-2 on the season.
Philadelphia opened the scoring at 14:49 of the first period when Cole Knuble buried a rebound for his first career NHL goal. Trevor Zegras doubled the Flyers’ lead on the power play with just 43 seconds remaining in the frame, sending Buffalo into the first intermission trailing 2-0.
The Sabres struggled to find the back of the net through much of the second period before Jason Zucker, making his season debut after recovering from offseason sports hernia surgery, scored on the power play with 35 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to one. Jack Quinn continued his point streak, picking up the assist.
Despite entering the third period, where they have scored a team-high 12 goals this season, Buffalo was unable to build on the momentum from Zucker’s late second-period goal. Knuble scored his second of the night just 3:03 into the frame to restore Philadelphia’s two-goal advantage. The Sabres continued to generate chances, but Flyers netminder Dan Vladar was outstanding between the pipes, turning aside 27 shots and shutting down several opportunities to prevent Buffalo from mounting another comeback. Philadelphia held on for the 3-1 victory, handing the Sabres their first regulation loss in five games.
The game also marked the return of captain Rasmus Dahlin, who logged 26:27 after missing the previous three games with an upper-body injury. Defenceman Mattias Samuelsson also reached a milestone, skating in his 300th career NHL game.
Three Stars:
#1. Cole Knuble (PHI) – 2G
#2. Dan Vladar (PHI) – .964 SV%
#3. Jason Zucker (BUF) – 1G
Buffalo Sabres vs. Washington Capitals – Oct. 24th, 2026
Final/OT: 4 (WSH) – 3 (BUF)
The Buffalo Sabres earned a point on Saturday but were unable to snap their three-game losing streak, falling 4-3 in overtime to the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena.
Buffalo got off to a strong start, with Jack Quinn opening the scoring at 6:27 of the first period before Josh Doan doubled the lead just over four minutes later. Former Sabre Alex Tuch responded at 16:10 to cut the deficit to one, with a goal deflecting off of Tage Thompson, sending Buffalo into the first intermission ahead 2-1.
Washington took control in the second period, with Dylan Strome tying the game just 2:59 into the frame before scoring his second of the night at 17:24 to give the Capitals their first lead. The Sabres entered the third trailing 3-2, but Noah Ostlund evened the score just 2:20 into the period when his shot deflected off Washington defenceman Matt Roy and into the net.
Neither side could find the go-ahead goal through the remainder of regulation, sending the game to overtime.
Unfortunately for Buffalo, it was a familiar face who ended up making the difference. Playing against the Sabres for the first time since being traded to Washington in June, Tuch scored his second of the night with 1:18 remaining in overtime to give the Capitals the 4-3 victory – a bittersweet ending for Sabres fans watching their former forward play the hero for his new team.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen turned aside 30 shots in the loss as Buffalo moved to 4-4-3 on the season.
Three Stars:
#1. Alex Tuch (WSH) – 2G
#2. Dylan Strome (WSH) – 2G, 1A
#3. Jordan Kyrou (WSH) – 2A
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