The Buffalo Sabres built a 4-0 lead and withstood a significant surge from the Nashville Predators to pick up an important 5-3 road victory at Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday night.
Postgame comments from the Preds showed the Sabres, who've now won 16 of their past 20 games, are starting to get taken more seriously around the NHL.
"There's no consolation, but you saw the team we can be when we get going," Predators head coach Andrew Brunette told reporters. "Buffalo is a really good team, and they've been the best team in the league here the last two months. For whatever reason, we thought it'd be easy or we didn't really bring the level that we've brought for a long time, especially at home."
Nashville star Filip Forsberg pointed out how the Sabres' compete level early in the contest simply overwhelmed his team.
"We didn't move, we didn't work, we didn't compete," Forsberg said. "They were faster, stronger, they won puck battles. It was pretty simple. We had a choice to make going into the second. It was either quit or actually start trying. I thought we did a great job of that the rest of the game and dominated and pushed hard until the end. But you go down 4-0 in this league, it's certainly not looking bright for you. I think a huge lesson for us to learn with that start."
It was a key moment for Buffalo, which was playing the second half of a back-to-back situation after suffering two straight losses for the first time since early December.
Being able to avoid losing streaks will be essential for the Blue and Gold during the remainder of the 2025-26 season, and the club's bounce-back ability so far this season has been far more effective than previous years, when losses would typically snowball quickly.
The Sabres still have a lot of work to do if they're going to end the franchise's 14-year playoff drought, but the tea leaves suggest they're here to stay in the Eastern Conference postseason race.
So, let's hop into the newest edition of our Sabres player grades series after Buffalo's young players stepped up in a major way against Nashville.
Konsta Helenius, Noah Ostlund and Zach Benson steal the show in Buffalo Sabres' Jan. 20 win over the Nashville Predators
Sabres player grades
Player | Grade (1-10) |
|---|---|
Konsta Helenius | 9 |
Noah Ostlund | 9 |
Zach Benson | 8.5 |
Peyton Krebs | 8 |
Rasmus Dahlin | 8 |
Mattias Samuelsson | 7.5 |
Owen Power | 7.5 |
Alex Lyon | 6.5 |
Beck Malenstyn | 6 |
Tage Thompson | 6 |
Bowen Byram | 5 |
Josh Doan | 5 |
Jack Quinn | 4.5 |
Alex Tuch | 4.5 |
Jason Zucker | 4 |
Ryan McLeod | 4 |
Jordan Greenway | 3.5 |
Zach Metsa | 2.5 |
Jacob Bryson | 2 |
Buffalo Players of the Game: The new Kid Line
Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff shuffled his lines after Monday's 2-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, and one trio caught the attention of fans: Konsta Helenius, Noah Ostlund and Zach Benson. They immediately delivered.
Helenius, who made his debut against the Canes, recorded his first NHL goal and two primary assists in the first period. Ostlund scored twice in one game for the second time this season (Nov. 17 vs. the Edmonton Oilers). And Benson was his usual relentless self on the forecheck.
Although it's unclear how long the young guns will stay together, there's little doubt Ruff will keep them together in the short term given how explosive they were against Nashville.
"They were the best line, by far," Ruff said. "Skated well, made every play. Every time they were on the ice, they were in the offensive zone. … You look at back-to-back games, some guys have a little more (energy) than others. They had a lot of energy, and they made a lot of great plays."
Given the ridiculously tight nature of the East's playoff race, the Sabres are in a position where they have to ice the best players. That means if Helenius earns his spot and a veteran has to sit, so be it. Every decision must be driven by on-ice results, not longevity or contracts.
Sabres quick hits
- A clear trend has emerged with Peyton Krebs: He's a highly effective bottom-six player who struggles when thrust into a larger scoring role. The Sabres must stop trying to force him into the top six when injuries arise.
- Rasmus Dahlin tallied an assist, five hits, three blocked shots and a plus-two rating as he continues to find a groove again after a brief lull coming out of the NHL's holiday break.
- Alex Lyon was effective in his first game back from injury as Buffalo once again stares down a potentially problematic three-goalie rotation.
- Beck Malenstyn left the game after taking a shot to the leg but the hard-hitting forward did eventually return to the bench.
- Zach Metsa and Jacob Bryson, the Sabres' third defensive pair, both logged less than nine minutes of ice time and were mostly ineffective. It's not sustainable for the Blue and Gold to keep playing their top four defenders so many minutes for 32 more games. Reinforcements are needed.
- Former Buffalo center Ryan O'Reilly, a potential trade candidate ahead of the deadline, recorded two goals and an assist for the Predators.
- Buffalo (27-17-5) returns to action Thursday night (7 p.m. ET) for a critical Atlantic Division clash with the Montreal Canadiens (28-15-7) at the Bell Centre.