Jason Zucker turned the puck over with 8:25 remaining in the third period of Monday night's loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Three seconds later Lane Hutson scored to increase the Habs' lead to 3-1, and they held on for a 4-2 triumph in the battle of Atlantic Division rivals.
Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff didn't send Zucker back on the ice for the remainder of the loss, which dropped the team's record to 2-4-0 early in the 2025-26 season. Chad DeDominicis of Expected Buffalo showed the 33-year-old winger's shift chart:
I didn’t realize Zucker got sat down last night until this was pointed out to me
— Chad DeDominicis (@CMDeDominicis) October 21, 2025
I hated a lot of what that line did last night so probably why I didn’t notice https://t.co/4ahVwRCNIu pic.twitter.com/cqJFYIaKCM
Although defenseman Owen Power put Zucker in a tough position with a pass into the corner, the veteran forward was too soft on the puck with two Canadiens barreling toward him.
Ruff didn't address the apparent benching after the game, but he discussed the breakdowns that led to a few of Montreal's goals.
"We didn't defend the rush well on the second goal, and we got caught with a couple tired people on the third," Ruff told reporters. "I liked our answer right after that to come back and score. Had another couple good looks, but in a tight game, we didn't find a way to win."
Jason Zucker has played well for the Buffalo Sabres despite blunder vs. Montreal Canadiens
Zucker scored 53 points (21 goals and 32 assists) in 73 games during his first year in Buffalo last season. He's continued that strong offensive play during the early stages of the current campaign with three goals and one helper across six contests.
Those type of secondary scoring contributions will be vital for the Sabres this season following the offseason trade of top-line winger JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth.
Zucker is one of the few Blue and Gold players who's showcased a consistent willingness to get into the inner slot. Establishing a more regular presence in the most dangerous areas of the ice is a key reason the team's offense has improved over the past three games.
That said, the 15th-year veteran has 776 games of NHL experience and simply can't be making the type of game-altering mistake he did in the third period yesterday. It's no surprise Ruff, who's trying to create more accountability within the squad, took immediate action.
The University of Denver product's underlying numbers are also cause for concern early on.
Zucker ranks 21st out of 23 Buffalo skaters in expected goals for percentage (38.8%) at 5-on-5 ahead of only Beck Malenstyn and Justin Danforth, per Natural Stat Trick. He's even behind enforcer Mason Geertsen (39.2%) in the limited sample size.
So, much like Ruff recently demoted young center Jiri Kulich to the "fifth line" in practice as a wake-up call, benching Zucker for the final eight minutes Monday sends a message.
The discipline probably won't extend beyond that. The winger should be out there Wednesday night when the Sabres battle the Detroit Red Wings, especially with the club's forward group still deadline with a number of injuries.
Ruff is making it clear nobody is above being held accountable for their mistakes, though.