Casual hockey observers outside Western New York probably aren't familiar with Noah Ostlund, but Buffalo Sabres fans are keenly aware how important the 22-year-old Swedish forward was to the team's success throughout the 2025-26 season.
Ostlund returned with a bang on Thursday night, tallying an assist on Bowen Byram's game-tying goal in the second period and adding an empty-net goal as the Sabres won Game 3 at TD Garden to grab an important 2-1 lead in the opening-round playoff series.
What makes the 2022 first-round pick special was on full display all night. His combination of speed, intensity on the forecheck and hockey IQ allows him to make a noticeable shift-to-shift impact, which was true all year despite posting a modest 27 points in 60 appearances.
His empty-netter was the result of outworking three Bruins for a loose puck in the offensive zone and sneaking the puck past a sliding David Pastrnak.
"Jumping right in, he hasn't played a game in a couple weeks, first-ever playoff hockey game in his rookie year," Sabres winger Alex Tuch told reporters. "… That's special. I mean, the hockey IQ's off the charts. But honestly, the compete, he went in there every single shift, made a difference every single shift, and he was phenomenal tonight."
Ostlund's return came at a perfect time for Buffalo with center Josh Norris suffering an injury that forced him to miss Game 3. Head coach Lindy Ruff listed Norris as day-to-day but didn't sound overly confident it would be a short-term absence.
"I was a little bit nervous, but it was fun," Ostlund said. "And we got the win, too."
Even if Norris eventually comes back, in this series or a future one, there's no doubt the 5-foot-11 Swede will retain his spot in the Sabres lineup. He's too valuable to watch from the press box.
The offensive spark provided by Ostlund combined with the stability yielded by goalie Alex Lyon, who replaced a struggling Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, turned the tide for Buffalo in Game 3, and put the club back in an advantageous position after a forgettable Game 2 loss.
So, let's examine the newest edition of our Sabres playoff player grades series as the Blue and Gold moved within two wins of the second round.
Alex Lyon steps up when the Buffalo Sabres needed him most in Game 3 win vs. Boston Bruins
Sabres player grades
Player | Grade (1-10) |
|---|---|
Alex Lyon | 9.5 |
Noah Ostlund | 9 |
Bowen Byram | 9 |
Alex Tuch | 8.5 |
Jack Quinn | 8 |
Owen Power | 8 |
Josh Doan | 7.5 |
Peyton Krebs | 7.5 |
Zach Benson | 7 |
Rasmus Dahlin | 6.5 |
Ryan McLeod | 6.5 |
Tage Thompson | 6 |
Mattias Samuelsson | 6 |
Jason Zucker | 6 |
Beck Malenstyn | 5.5 |
Jordan Greenway | 5.5 |
Tyson Kozak | 5 |
Conor Timmins | 5 |
Logan Stanley | 3.5 |
Buffalo Player of the Game: Alex Lyon
Ruff took a calculated risk by putting Lyon between the pipes in Game 3. The journeyman netminder was only recently cleared to return from injury and his final three outings before the absence resulted in an unsightly .772 save percentage.
The 33-year-old Yale product was up to the challenge on Thursday night. He turned away 24 of Boston's 25 shots (.960 SV%) and, while the only goal he gave up is one he'd want back on a long-range wrister from Tanner Jeannot, he more than made up for it with a series of close-range stops.
"We came in with a great mindset and you could feel it in the room that we were going to send it for 60 minutes, and that’s all you can do. We did a really good job of that and we were engaged right from the start," Lyon said. "I felt confident. That’s what you’re searching for, and the team gave me confidence. We played desperately, so it was good."
He was the Sabres' most dependable goaltending option for most of the season, and he deserves a lot of credit for standing tall early in the campaign while UPL was sidelined and the rest of the roster was still trying to find its footing amid an 11-14-4 start.
Now, with Luukkonen scuffling, Ruff will probably use the hot-hand approach, which means Lyon will almost certainly occupy the crease in Game 4.
Sabres quick hits
- Bowen Byram has long wanted to prove he's a No. 1 defenseman. Well, with Rasmus Dahlin uncharacteristically quiet through the series' first three games, the former Colorado Avalanche standout has emerged as the Sabres' most impactful blueliner vs. Boston.
- Speaking of Dahlin, he's taken at least one penalty in every game in the series and also got called for an infraction leading to a penalty shot on Thursday night. He must do a better job staying out of the box, which has been a longstanding problem for the All-Star defender.
- Alex Tuch and Ryan McLeod both skated around four minutes of penalty-killing time in Game 3 to lead the charge in keeping the Bruins off the board on all four of their power plays. They've been terrific in that forward role all season.
- Tyson Kozak replaced Josh Dunne on the fourth line and won four of his six faceoffs. That's a promising sign as Buffalo searches for a Sam Carrick replacement.
- The Sabres will attempt to build a 3-1 series lead Sunday afternoon (2 p.m. ET) when Game 4 takes place at TD Garden.
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