Rasmus Dahlin’s rough night ended up defining Buffalo’s 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday, and Lindy Ruff didn’t hide from it afterward.
The Sabres captain made the costly late pinch in the third period that opened the door for Ottawa’s go-ahead goal. Tim Stutzle chipped the puck past Dahlin, and six seconds later the Senators had the puck in Buffalo’s net.
“The biggest thing that gets us in trouble is some of the high-risk, I think some decisions,” Ruff told reporters. “He made a couple tough decisions tonight that sometimes he can turn those into goals.
Sometimes it turns into something bad. Tonight wasn’t good.”
Dahlin was off his usual pace all night, and the Sabres never really found a way to recover. His skating looked sluggish, and he spent too much of the game chasing the play instead of controlling it.
Still, the loss wasn’t on him alone. Buffalo’s offense again struggled to generate much, and the team’s only goal came when Peyton Krebs accidentally redirected a Tage Thompson shot into the net.
Defensively, the Sabres also got burned by the same issue that has shown up too often: leaving opponents alone near the crease. Ottawa’s first goal came off a faceoff sequence that produced two clean chances from close range, with Shane Pinto finishing the second one past Colten Ellis.
Ellis did what he could to keep Buffalo in it, stopping 28 of 30 shots. Without that performance, the final score could have looked worse.
The result was a frustrating step backward for a team that seemed to be gaining some traction after a three-game West Coast swing. Instead, Buffalo is back to square one in a crowded Atlantic Division.
The Sabres get another chance to respond Friday night when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Sabres Player Grades
Colten Ellis: 8
Peyton Krebs: 6
Zach Benson: 5.5
Mattias Samuelsson: 5.5
Tage Thompson: 5
Owen Power: 5
Sam Carrick: 5
Olen Zellweger: 4.5
Beck Malenstyn: 4.5
Josh Doan: 4.5
Noah Ostlund: 4
Jack Quinn: 4
Tyson Kozak: 3.5
Louis Crevier: 3.5
Josh Norris: 3
Ryan McLeod: 2.5
Jason Zucker: 2.5
Rasmus Dahlin: 2
Zach Metsa: 2
Buffalo Player of the Game: Colten Ellis
Early in the season, Buffalo’s goaltending was supposed to be the thing that steadied everything. Instead, Ellis and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen both struggled, while Alex Lyon was out injured and nearing a return.
That picture has changed a bit lately. Ellis and Luukkonen have both been better, enough to keep Buffalo in games even when the offense hasn’t done its part.
On Wednesday, the former St. Louis Blues prospect gave the Sabres a chance.
He made several close-range stops against Ottawa and helped Buffalo protect its 1-0 lead for as long as possible. The Sabres couldn’t build on it, and the Senators pounced late to take the two points.
Ellis has done enough to earn a more regular look in the crease.
In Other News...
Lindy Ruff Calls Out A Sabres Problem Fans Know Too Well
The Sabres three-game winning streak disappeared in a 2-1 loss to Ottawa, and the postgame mood was familiar for a team still trying to find consistency at home. Lindy Ruff did not sugarcoat what he saw, pointing to a performance that fell short in the areas that usually decide tight games, especially when Buffalo is trying to build momentum in its own building.
Buffalo has spent much of this season struggling to create the kind of chances that can turn a close night in its favor, and the Senators game fit that pattern. The faceoff battle was especially lopsided, and Ruffs frustration underscored a larger issue the Sabres have not shaken yet, one that keeps showing up whenever they need a cleaner, sharper response after a win. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Suddenly Have A Chance At The Scorer They Need Most
Buffalos offensive issues have made it hard to ignore the need for another true finishing threat, and that is why a name like Jason Robertson has suddenly entered the conversation. The Dallas winger has long fit the profile of the kind of scorer the Sabres could use, especially if they decide to be aggressive before the trade deadline and try to add more punch to a lineup that has struggled to generate enough goals.
Robertsons situation in Dallas is what makes the idea interesting, because contract uncertainty has kept his future from feeling settled. For Buffalo, the appeal is obvious: a chance to chase a proven scorer who could change the look of the attack right away, even if nothing official has materialized yet and the path to any deal remains far from clear. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Made Their Hellebuyck Decision With One Bigger Need In Mind
Buffalos interest in Connor Hellebuyck never really got to the point where it could crowd out the rest of the offseason agenda. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen made it clear the price was too steep, and for a team still trying to reshape its roster, paying that kind of premium for a goalie did not make sense when larger needs remain elsewhere.
The Sabres have been comfortable enough with their current goaltending group to keep moving on that front, especially with Alex Lyon nearing a return from injury and the club expecting to get back to its three-goalie rotation. The bigger pressure point is still up front, where Buffalo is continuing to search for a true No. 1 center to help lift an offense that needs more punch. [Read more 🡒]