Sabres Finding Their Edge on the Road - and They're Loving It
EAST MEADOW, N.Y. - Not long ago, the Buffalo Sabres were struggling just to find a win away from home. Now? They're starting to look like a team that thrives on enemy ice.
It’s been a dramatic shift. Back in mid-November, the Sabres hadn’t won a single road game.
Their record sat at a grim 2-9-2, a .231 points percentage that had them near the bottom of the league in road performance. Fast forward to now, and they’ve clawed their way to a .520 road points percentage (12-11-2), good enough for 16th in the NHL.
That’s not just improvement - it’s a team rewriting its identity.
So, what’s changed?
According to forward Josh Doan, it’s all about mindset.
“It’s something as a group we worked on and talked about,” Doan said after a recent win at Madison Square Garden. “I think you have to take a little bit of a villain mentality when you come on the road, and want to silence the crowd and have fun with it.”
That attitude has clearly taken hold. The Sabres aren’t just surviving on the road - they’re embracing the chaos, leaning into the challenge, and finding ways to win in tough environments. And while the players are having fun with it, head coach Lindy Ruff was quick to joke that the coaching staff isn’t exactly riding the same emotional high.
“We have very little fun, I can tell you that,” Ruff said with a smile after Friday’s practice on Long Island. “Maybe a little after the game.”
Clutch Goals, Smart Timeouts, and a Steady Hand
Buffalo’s recent road success hasn’t just come from a change in attitude. They’ve been delivering in the key moments - the kind that define games and seasons.
Take Mattias Samuelsson’s shorthanded goal at Madison Square Garden. Or Alex Tuch’s overtime winner in Edmonton, which came after the Oilers tied it with just one second left in regulation.
Peyton Krebs has been sealing games with late empty-netters in places like New Jersey, St. Louis, Nashville, and Montreal - the kind of insurance goals that don’t just pad stats, but crush comebacks.
Then there’s the game management. Earlier in the season, the Sabres let a lead slip in Utah when the Mammoth scored three quick ones in the third period.
But Thursday night in Montreal, when Nick Suzuki made it a 3-2 game and the Bell Centre crowd started buzzing, Ruff didn’t hesitate. He called timeout - not to draw up a play, but to slow things down and take the energy out of the building.
“I've seen it in this building where they score one, they score another one within 30 seconds,” Ruff said. “So really, part of that was buying time and trying to get the crowd out of it.”
Those are the kinds of in-game decisions that don’t always show up in the box score but make a huge difference.
The Numbers Back It Up
While the intangibles are important, the Sabres’ turnaround has also been fueled by tangible improvements - and the stats tell the story.
In their first 13 road games, Buffalo shot just 9.0 percent and had a team save percentage of .844. In the last 12? That shooting percentage has jumped to 13.2 - well above the league average of 10.9 - and their goaltending has been stellar, posting a .926 save percentage (again, well above the league average of .891).
That’s a massive swing in both scoring efficiency and defensive reliability. And when you put those two things together, you get a team that’s not just competitive on the road - they’re winning.
Next Up: Islanders on Deck
The Sabres are set for another Eastern Conference road test Saturday afternoon against the New York Islanders. They hit the ice for a light skate Friday at Northwell Health Ice Center, looking to stay sharp after arriving on Long Island earlier that morning.
“Really, just try to have a light day, just get the blood flowing,” Ruff said. “Instead of just staying at the hotel with maybe an active release, just get on the ice, shoot a few pucks, and goalies get to feel good, too.”
Lineup Notes and Injury Updates
Rasmus Dahlin didn’t skate Friday after blocking a shot late in Thursday’s win over Montreal, but the expectation is that he’ll be ready to go on Saturday. With both Dahlin and Jacob Bryson (upper-body injury) out of practice, the defensive pairings were in flux. A call-up from Rochester is expected to bolster the blue line.
Forward Zach Benson was back on the ice and a full participant after taking an elbow to the face from Montreal’s Zachary Bolduc. Ruff acknowledged it was a borderline play.
“Incidental or not, I felt it was a little bit of a cheap shot,” Ruff said. “But he’s back smiling and laughing this morning, so he’s doing good.”
In net, Alex Lyon had his own crease during practice - a strong hint he could get the start against the Islanders. Lyon already has a win over New York this season, stopping 32 shots in regulation and overtime and four of five attempts in the shootout back on December 20.
Final Word
The Sabres have found something on the road - a combination of grit, confidence, and timely execution. This isn’t the same team that stumbled through the early part of the season. They’ve learned how to win away from home, and they’re starting to look like a group that relishes the challenge.
Saturday’s game against the Islanders is another chance to prove it.