Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff called a timeout with just over four minutes left in Tuesday night's game against the Vancouver Canucks. His team had just given up two goals in 39 seconds as a comfortable 4-0 lead had suddenly become a tension-filled 4-3 battle.
Ruff, who's in his 25th year leading an NHL coaching staff, was happy with how the Sabres responded to the message he delivered in that critical moment late in the third period.
"All I said is, 'We've been in this position a lot of times already, and we're going to be in it a lot more times,'" Ruff told reporters. "Just play our game. System is locked in. Be ready for it, we know we're going to have to have some strong wall battles. I thought the execution after that was pretty good — and they were putting some heat on."
Quite simply, the Sabres can't afford to lose those type of games for the remainder of the 2025-26 season due to the ridiculously crowded nature of the Eastern Conference standings.
Buffalo sat in seventh place (the East's first wild-card spot) before Saturday's loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, which ended its 10-game winning streak. By the time it returned to the ice against Vancouver, it had slid all the way to 10th in the conference.
The Blue and Gold, who hit the halfway mark of the campaign with their 41st game played, jumped into ninth by beating the Canucks. They're also within four points of the Montreal Canadiens for third place in the Atlantic Division, so there's two avenues to the playoffs.
While there's a razor-thin margin for error, the Sabres' response to a difficult situation on Tuesday suggests they may be ready for the challenges that lie ahead.
Meanwhile, let's check out the latest edition of our Sabres players grades series as a few members of the roster stepped up in a major way in the 5-3 victory.
Bowen Byram continues recent run of standout play to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a Jan. 6 win over the Vancouver Canucks
Sabres player grades
Player | Grade (1-10) |
|---|---|
Bowen Byram | 8.5 |
Tage Thompson | 8 |
Josh Doan | 8 |
Alex Tuch | 7.5 |
Noah Ostlund | 7.5 |
Owen Power | 7 |
Zach Metsa | 7 |
Mattias Samuelsson | 6.5 |
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | 6 |
Ryan McLeod | 6 |
Jacob Bryson | 6 |
Jordan Greenway | 5.5 |
Beck Malenstyn | 5.5 |
Rasmus Dahlin | 5 |
Zach Benson | 5 |
Jason Zucker | 4.5 |
Josh Norris | 4.5 |
Peyton Krebs | 4 |
Jack Quinn | 2.5 |
Buffalo Player of the Game: Bowen Byram
Remember Byram's first few games with the Sabres after he arrived in a March 2024 trade with the Colorado Avalanche? The defenseman looked like an All-Star as he was constantly joined the rush to create scoring chances for both himself and his teammates.
That high-end offensive impact faded away over time, and it had become virtually nonexistent during the early stages of the current campaign. Then something clicked a few weeks ago, and you could make an argument he's been Buffalo's best blueliner during its recent hot streak.
Byram has recorded nine points (three goals and six assists) over the past seven games, a stretch where the Blue and Gold have 6-1-0 to climb back into the postseason chance.
His long-term fit in Buffalo is still uncertain given the presence of Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power and a resurgent Mattias Samuelsson as fellow left-shot defenders. Trading him as part of a package for a high-scoring forward may ultimately remain the best option.
For now, however, Byram's activation on the rush is causing serious problems for opponents.
Sabres quick hits
- Tage Thompson and Josh Doan continue to play well, but Tuesday night's game was another example of why it's time for Noah Ostlund to replace Peyton Krebs on the first line.
- Alex Tuch and Ryan McLeod are making a strong case as the best penalty-killing forward duo in the league.
- Congratulations to Zach Metsa on his first NHL goal.
- Tough game for grade for Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. The goalie was terrific for the game's first 50 minutes before faltering during the Canucks' comeback bid, including a weak third goal.
- Rasmus Dahlin has been quiet lately.
- Jason Zucker didn't make much of an impact in his first game back from injury.
- Jack Quinn has just one goal in his past 18 games. He was still playing some aggressive, attacking hockey during the team's win streak, but his compete level dipped against Vancouver.
- Next up for the Sabres (22-15-4) is a visit to Madison Square Garden for a clash with the New York Rangers (20-18-6) on Thursday night (7 p.m. ET).