Dennis Gilbert probably dreamed about scoring against the Toronto Maple Leafs during his early days at St. Joe's and as a member of the Buffalo Jr. Sabres, and on Thursday night he finally made it reality with a third-period goal to jump-start the Sabres' 5-4 comeback victory.
Gilbert, a 29-year-old Buffalo native, signed on for his second stint with the organization in July. He's been thrust into duty at the NHL level as the club works to overcome injuries to Rasmus Dahlin, Conor Timmins and Matt Grzelcyk.
His goal midway through the third, which was just the fourth in 121 career NHL games and his first in six appearances against the Leafs, was followed by one from Mattias Samuelsson just two minutes later as Buffalo quickly erased Toronto's lead.
Gibby’s first as a Sabre! 🚨
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) October 16, 2026
4-3 Maple Leafs | 9:55#LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/Oqy4WWCwzA
Owen Power scored in overtime to wrap up a banner night for the Sabres defense corps, a unit that continues to thrive despite the absence of Dahlin.
Gilbert praised the makeshift group, which also included Olen Zellweger, Louis Crevier and Zach Metsa on Thursday.
"Just being here for the last couple games, Zelle played unbelievable both nights and OP's really coming into a really special player and Sammy's such a horse for us. It's good to see. Obviously [Dahlin is] our captain, that's our leader on and off the ice, we can't wait to get him back. But it's nice to see guys step up."Sabres defenseman Dennis Gilbert
It hasn't been pretty for Buffalo during the club's 4-3-1 start. In fact, at times it's been downright ugly. But they're finding ways to accumulate some points while playing well below peak form, and that should pay off once the Blue and Gold start playing better for the full 60 minutes.
On an individual level, Gilbert has played well since being recalled from the AHL's Rochester Americans. He's posted a 69% expected goal share at 5-on-5 (via Natural Stat Trick) while tallying two points and a plus-three rating, albeit in a small sample size.
Having players like Gilbert and Metsa, who won't be in the lineup when the roster is at full strength but provide steady minutes when called upon, is valuable for the Sabres.
That said, the team is hopeful Dahlin will be back on the ice soon. Head coach Lindy Ruff said the superstar's return could come as soon as Saturday night against the Montreal Canadiens.
In the meantime, let's check out the newest addition to our Sabres player grades series after taking down the division-rival Leafs.
Buffalo Sabres extend point streak to three games with victory vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Sabres Player Grades
Player | Grade (1-10) |
|---|---|
Jack Quinn | 10 |
Owen Power | 9.5 |
Dennis Gilbert | 9 |
Mattias Samuelsson | 9 |
Noah Ostlund | 8.5 |
Zach Benson | 8.5 |
Tage Thompson | 7.5 |
Olen Zellweger | 6.5 |
Ryan McLeod | 6 |
Louis Crevier | 6 |
Konsta Helenius | 5.5 |
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 5.5 |
Josh Doan | 5 |
Josh Norris | 5 |
Zach Metsa | 5 |
Justin Danforth | 4.5 |
Beck Malenstyn | 4 |
Peyton Krebs | 3 |
Sam Carrick | 2 |
Buffalo Player of the Game: Jack Quinn
It's hard to believe how far Jack Quinn has come over the past year. He's transformed from one of the Sabres' most frustratingly streaky players to its most consistent offensive threat early in the new campaign. He's posted eight points (four goals and four assists) in eight games.
Four of those points came Thursday night as he burned the Leafs for two goals and a pair of helpers. Ruff described it as "the best game I've seen him play," and that's an accurate assessment.
Quinn has been a lot stronger on the puck along the walls, and he's attacking the inner slot with a level of ferocity not seen from him in previous years. He could have another two or three goals.
The 25-year-old winger is scheduled to become a restricted free agent at season's end. The price tag to re-sign him keeps going up with each standout performance.
Sabres Quick Hits
- Another middling performance between the pipes for Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. UPL hasn't done enough to silence the calls for Connor Hellebuyck with an .854 save percentage through six games.
- Owen Power is going to start generating some Norris Trophy buzz if he keeps playing at this level.
- Another terrific, hardworking contest for the duo of Zach Benson and Noah Ostlund.
- Josh Norris entered concussion protocol after leaving the overtime period. Jiri Kulich was a late scratch because he wasn't feeling well, but subsequent tests were negative. The Sabres wanted to proceed with caution after he missed most of last season with a blood clot.
- Sam Carrick is playing hard but the underlying numbers haven't been kind to Buffalo's fourth line.
- The Sabres and Canadiens are set for a 7 p.m. ET faceoff at the Bell Centre on Saturday. The Habs won Tuesday night's meeting, 4-3 in a shootout.
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