The Buffalo Sabres entered the season with serious goaltending questions and uncertainty about their scoring depth following the summer trade of JJ Peterka, but they appeared to have one clear advantage over most of the NHL: one of the league's best defense groups.
So, perhaps it's no surprise the Sabres' season turned around when they started leaning more heavily on their defensemen joining the rush to create offense.
It started with a hot streak by Bowen Byram, who scored 12 points in a 10-game span beginning in mid-December, and Buffalo's other blueliners have followed suit. Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power are both playing their best hockey of the season lately, and Mattias Samuelsson has been a revelation.
Michael Kesselring didn't have much chance to join the fun initially as he battled through a series of injuries. But now the 26-year-old defender, who joined the Blue and Gold alongside standout winger Josh Doan in the Peterka deal, is starting to find a groove, too.
"We've got some swag right now, I would call it," Kesselring told reporters after Thursday night's 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings. "... I've never played on a team where the D corps is so involved. It's pretty fun to be a part of, and the forwards are doing a good job reading off us, honestly, and as long as we're responsible with it, it's been really effective."
The 6-foot-5 South Carolina native admitted it's a bit frustrating he's not playing up to the standard he set last season, when he tallied 29 points while playing all 82 games, but he's hopeful that will change as he puts the injury woes in the rearview mirror.
"It's hard when you're not producing," Kesselring said. "You've got to find other ways to impact the game, and hoping something will help me get going here. Thought my legs were good again tonight, so just keep building on that."
The 2018 sixth-round pick finally picked up his first point as a Sabre with an assist in Saturday's win over the New York Islanders, and he still has a lot more to give as Buffalo attempts to hunt down its first playoff berth since 2011.
For now, let's check out the latest edition of our Sabres player grades series as the club picked up its fifth straight victory against the Kings.
Alex Tuch, Alex Lyon land high marks as Buffalo Sabres remain red hot with Jan. 29 win over the LA Kings
Sabres player grades
Player | Grade (1-10) |
|---|---|
Alex Tuch | 10 |
Alex Lyon | 9.5 |
Mattias Samuelsson | 9 |
Zach Benson | 8.5 |
Tage Thompson | 8 |
Jack Quinn | 8 |
Michael Kesselring | 7.5 |
Owen Power | 7.5 |
Bowen Byram | 7 |
Ryan McLeod | 7 |
Rasmus Dahlin | 6.5 |
Konsta Helenius | 6 |
Noah Ostlund | 5 |
Josh Doan | 5 |
Jason Zucker | 4.5 |
Zach Metsa | 4.5 |
Beck Malenstyn | 4 |
Peyton Krebs | 3 |
Tyson Kozak | 2.5 |
Buffalo Player of the Game: Alex Tuch
Tuch scored a hit trick on Thursday night but it was his postgame comments that stole the spotlight as he laid out the Sabres' vision.
"We're trying to prove as a team that we're legit," Tuch said. "We're not just gonna go for the playoffs, we're gonna go for the Cup, and that's our goal: get better each and every day."
That doesn't sound like a player who's thinking about getting traded before the deadline.
I am not here all the time so I won't pretend to know everything the team has been saying.
— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) January 30, 2026
But in my time covering Buffalo sports, I don't know if I've ever heard this type of answer come from the Sabres locker room.
Hell of an answer to a great question from @ByMHarrington. pic.twitter.com/aVZuEKd6Ee
A lot of time has been discussing Buffalo's best option to settle the Tuch dilemma. There are no perfect solutions, but each passing game makes it harder to imagine a scenario where general manager Jarmo Kekalainen trades him away and risks the locker-room chemistry.
Does that bring a scenario into play where the Syracuse native hits free agency at season's end and the organization loses one of its best assets for nothing? Yes, but at this point the Sabres have little choice beyond going all-in and letting the chips fall where they may when the dust settles.
Tuch is up to 46 points (22 goals and 24 assists) in 52 appearances this season.
Sabres quick hits
- Lyon is set to serve as Buffalo's starting goalie, at least until the NHL's break for the 2026 Winter Olympics, while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen recovers from a lower-body injury. The journeyman continued his strong form with 37 saves on 38 Kings shots to pick up his 10th straight win, which establish a new franchise record.
- A three-assist night for Jack Quinn, who's now scored 12 points in the last 11 games.
- The Sabres put together a rare terrific night at the faceoff dot, winning 35 of 56 draws. They rank last in the NHL in faceoff win percentage (44.5%) this season.
- Buffalo's fourth line of Peyton Krebs, Beck Malenstyn and Tyson Kozak continues to bring plenty of energy, but they need to start winning their 5-on-5 minutes a little more frequently.
- The Blue and Gold now own the third-best home record in the NHL at 17-6-3.
- Next up for the Sabres (31-17-5) is another home game as they welcome the Atlantic Division rival Montreal Canadiens (30-17-7) to the KeyBank Center on Saturday night (7 p.m. ET).