The Buffalo Sabres, who are scheduled to play 14 games in the next 25 days before the NHL breaks for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, opened a crucial five-game homestand with a 5-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night.
Buffalo will welcome three straight Eastern Conference opponents (Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens) to the KeyBank Center this week for key matchups in the playoff race before wrapping up the home stretch against the Minnesota Wild.
Sabres winger Josh Doan, who's putting together a breakout campaign with 30 points in 43 games during his first year with the franchise, talked about the growing support from Buffalo sports fans as the team finds high-success on home ice (14-5-2 record).
"It was sick," Doan told reporters after Saturday's win. "... You can feel the energy off every play. We were told coming here that, when you're winning, it's the best place to play, and you're starting to feel that."
Immediately after the extended stay at home, however, the Sabres will embark on a tough five-game road trip that includes stops to face the Canadiens, Carolina Hurricanes, Nashville Predators, New York Islanders and rival Toronto Maple Leafs.
Buffalo then wraps up the pre-Olympic schedule with home games against the Habs, Los Angeles Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins along with a journey to the Sunshine State to battle the Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.
So, of the 14 games before the break, the Blue and Gold will face 11 opponents from the crowded East, which means they can either continue to make serious progress up the standings or start digging themselves a hole ahead of the mad dash to the regular season's finish line.
One thing's for sure: Their chances of ending the organization's 14-year postseason drought will be a lot more clear by the time Tage Thompson (Team USA), Rasmus Dahlin (Sweden) and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Finland) head to Milano Cortina for the Winter Games.
For now, let's check out the latest installment of our Sabres players grade series after Buffalo withstood a late rally from Anaheim over the weekend.
Jack Quinn finally breaks through as the Buffalo Sabres earn a Jan. 10 win over the Anaheim Ducks
Sabres player grades
Player | Grade (1-10) |
|---|---|
Jack Quinn | 8.5 |
Bowen Byram | 8 |
Tage Thompson | 8 |
Owen Power | 7.5 |
Alex Tuch | 7.5 |
Zach Benson | 7.5 |
Josh Norris | 7 |
Peyton Krebs | 7 |
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 7 |
Ryan McLeod | 6.5 |
Josh Doan | 6.5 |
Zach Metsa | 6 |
Jason Zucker | 6 |
Jacob Bryson | 5.5 |
Mattias Samuelsson | 5 |
Rasmus Dahlin | 4.5 |
Jordan Greenway | 3 |
Beck Malenstyn | 2.5 |
Noah Ostlund | 2 |
Buffalo Player of the Game: Jack Quinn
The notoriously streaky Quinn entered Saturday's contest having scored just one goal in his past 19 games, though he added eight assists over that stretch to avoid one of the extremely deep offensive slumps he's endured in the past.
Then he showed why it'd be so difficult for Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff to remove him from the lineup. The 24-year-old winger was aggressive attacking the net and used his lethal shot to light the lamp twice against the Ducks, including once late in the third that became the game-winner.
Quinn could benefit greatly from more consistency, but for now it's important to acknowledge his status as a game-changer when he's in peak form. It was the same story last season, when he struggled for most of the campaign before scoring 15 points over the final 16 games.
Buffalo general manager Jarmo Kekalainen is likely searching the trade market for a top-six scorer who could also boost the power play, which may put Quinn's playing time at risk, but he may be due for one of his patented hot streaks to showcase his value.
It's one of several storylines to follow for the Blue and Gold as the NHL trade deadline approaches in early March.
Sabres quick hits
- The tremendous play of Bowen Byram recently is masking the second uncharacteristic cold spell of the season by superstar Rasmus Dahlin (two points and a minus-five rating in the past eight contests).
- Along with his goal, Josh Norris had three blocked shots in the win.
- Peyton Krebs remained mostly ineffective offensively on the first line, but he did deliver a terrific pass to Thompson for a goal off a turnover forced by Doan.
- Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen allowed three third-period goals for the second straight start. By no means is it entirely his fault, but both instances featured one weak goal allowed.
- Noah Ostlund is starting to look out of place alongside Jordan Greenway and Beck Malenstyn on a struggling fourth line. It'd be better late than never to swap him with Krebs.
- The Sabres (24-15-4), who now own the top wild-card spot in the East, next host the Panthers (23-18-3) on Monday night (7 p.m. ET).