The KeyBank Center was rocking Monday night as the Buffalo Sabres scored a crucial regulation victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning to keep their hopes of winning the Atlantic Division title alive.
Buffalo has sold out 16 consecutive games, a remarkable achievement after attendance was a serious concern earlier in the season. The team is now 25-10-4 at the KeyBank Center, which is the fourth-best home record in the NHL.
So, with the Sabres prepare to skate in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2011, winger Alex Tuch believes home ice could provide the club with a serious edge.
"I think this building is gonna be one of the hardest buildings in the league to play in," Tuch told reporters.
The 29-year-old Syracuse native, who grew up rooting for the Sabres, scored the opening goal in Monday's key triumph over the Lightning. It was the 30th time he's lit the lamp in 2025-26, and it was a promising sign after he'd tallied just one goal over the previous 10 contests.
Tuch admitted he's been playing at less than 100% recently but he's feeling better ahead of the team's long-awaited postseason return. The playoffs are set to begin in a few weeks.
"It's been a little inconsistent for myself," Tuch said. "I had a little minor injury about a month ago that — it's a bad excuse — but I don't think I was getting back to my game as much as I could have, and I thought tonight was a solid game. I just got to keep skating, that's a big component of my game. If I can continue to do that, I can be a lot more effective than I have been of late."
Of course, the impending unrestricted free agent is also facing the pressure of playing for his next contract, whether it's with Buffalo or another organization. His reported asking price has stood around $10.5 million per season on a long-term deal dating back to last summer.
It's a high number but Tuch, who's scored 304 points in 355 games since arriving back to Western New York in the 2021 blockbuster trade sending Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights, can likely ensure he receives a double-digit AAV with a strong playoff run.
For now, let's check out a fresh installment of our Sabres player grades series with the Atlantic Division race coming down to the final handful of games in the regular season.
A strong effort from top to bottom leads the Buffalo Sabres to a critical April 6 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning
Sabres player grades
Player | Grade (1-10) |
|---|---|
Bowen Byram | 9 |
Ryan McLeod | 8.5 |
Jason Zucker | 8.5 |
Alex Tuch | 8 |
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 8 |
Jack Quinn | 7.5 |
Rasmus Dahlin | 7 |
Josh Norris | 7 |
Owen Power | 6.5 |
Josh Doan | 6.5 |
Zach Benson | 6 |
Beck Malenstyn | 5.5 |
Mattias Samuelsson | 5.5 |
Jordan Greenway | 5 |
Josh Dunne | 5 |
Peyton Krebs | 5 |
Tage Thompson | 4.5 |
Logan Stanley | 4 |
Luke Schenn | 3.5 |
Buffalo Player of the Game: Bowen Byram
Byram has been in an offensive lull lately. He'd tallied just four points in his past 13 appearances before Monday night's two-assist outing. He also hasn't scored a non-empty net goal since Jan. 10 against the Anaheim Ducks, a span of 35 games.
His performance against the Bolts is exactly what the Sabres need from the 24-year-old defenseman, who won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022. He was active in transition, constantly making plays in the offensive zone and excelled in all three phases, skating over two minutes on both the power play and the penalty kill.
Byram is a true difference-maker when playing his best hockey. He's streaky, though. He'll go weeks without making a substantial impact. But there are also stretches, like when he scored 12 points in 10 games from late December through mid-January, where he can take over games.
That's the version of the blueliner Buffalo is hoping for in the postseason.
Sabres quick hits
- Tage Thompson missed the morning skate for what head coach Lindy Ruff called "maintenance." It didn't look like he was playing at full speed on Monday night, however. It's something to track over the final few games of the regular season.
- Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen wasn't tested a ton by Tampa as the Sabres' defensive game improved vastly over the prior two contests. That said, he stepped up when called upon, stopping 23 of 25 shots.
- Ryan McLeod played his best game in awhile with an assist, a plus-three rating and winning eight of his 13 faceoffs.
- Josh Norris ended a nine-game goal drought with a first-period tally.
- Ruff continues to juggle his third defensive pair without finding consistent success. Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn bring a meaningful physical edge, but they're often too slow to keep pace with the club's style of play. Is it finally time to give Michael Kesselring another chance?
- The Sabres (47-23-8) are back in action Wednesday night (7 p.m. ET) when they visit Madison Square Garden to battle the New York Rangers (33-36-9).