This season will always be remembered as the one that saw the Buffalo Sabres end their playoff drought at 14 seasons. However, they actually would end a longer drought and did so Monday night when they won the Atlantic Division, which is their first division title in 15 seasons.
The scenario to clinch the Atlantic Division was pretty straightforward and it started with the Sabres having to get two points. On Monday, they were facing a struggling Chicago Blackhawks team that was second-to-last in points in the Western Conference.
However, the Blackhawks didn't make it easy as they scored the first goal of the game, but the Sabres scored two straight. The game remained a one-goal game until Alex Tuch gave them a 3-1 lead in the third, but the Sabres didn't stop there with two more goals in the third period to win 5-1.
Even with the win, though, they needed some help and got that in the form of the Red Wings pushing the Lightning to overtime. That was the outcome the Sabres needed as they secured the regulation win tiebreaker against the Lightning.
Buffalo Sabres look rusty to start off after a few days off
The Buffalo Sabres were playing their first game since Thursday, when they won 5-0 over the Columbus Blue Jackets. An extended break like that can be good for players as they get some time to rest, but it also looked like the Sabres struggled to get into the flow early in this game and were rusty.
They would find themselves down 1-0 early with the Blackhawks scoring a short-handed goal while the Sabres had only two shots on goal until the closing minutes of the opening period. However, they were able to turn things around and looked much better at the end of the first period with Josh Norris delivering the tying goal.
The Sabres only have one regular-season game left on Wednesday, and with the division locked up, it wouldn't be surprising to see them rest some players. This is something they will need to manage and avoid for the playoffs, as some players could only play one game over eight days.
Josh Norris heating up at just the right time
In March, Josh Norris was struggling to make an impact and play at the level he did prior to his second injury of the season in January. He would have a stretch where he had only two points over an 11-game stretch from March 8th through March 28th.
However, as of late Norris has been playing at the level he did earlier in the season and now has eight points in seven games.
The line of Norris, Josh Doan, and Zach Benson has been very good as of late, and that was the case once again against the Blackhawks as they had six scoring chances and three high danger chances according to Natural Stat Trick.
Tage Thompson reaches 40 goals on the season
Tage Thompson entered this game without a goal in five straight games. If he didn't score, it would be his longest goal drought since the end of November, when he went six straight games without a goal.
However, Thompson made sure that didn't happen with a statement game as he would score twice and reach 40 goals on the season. It is now the second straight season, and third time in four seasons, that Thompson has had 40 or more goals.
The first goal on the night for Thompson would break the tie and give Buffalo a 2-1 lead, and it was a hustle play right from the start. He would put pressure on the Blackhawks with a forecheck, and they were unable to get the puck out. It would bounce off the skates of a Blackhawks player, and Thompson was there in front of the net to score.
On the second goal, it was a beautiful play where Jason Zucker was able to find Rasmus Dahlin, who was able to hold the puck until Thompson was set for the one-timer.
4️⃣0️⃣ pic.twitter.com/r1lLl0DUPR
— x - Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) April 14, 2026
If the Sabres hope to make a deep run in the playoffs, they are going to need Thompson playing at his best. For him to be able to get two against the Blackhawks and reach that milestone, it should help give him some momentum going into the playoffs.
The Buffalo Sabres return for the final game of the regular season on Wednesday night against the Dallas Stars at KeyBank Center. It will be interesting to see how Lindy Ruff and the coaching staff approach this game now with first place, and home ice in the first round, locked up.
Add us as a preferred source on Google