Dennis Gilbert probably spent plenty of time imagining a moment like this growing up in Buffalo, and on Thursday night he finally got it. The 29-year-old defenseman, back with the Sabres for his second stint after signing in July, scored midway through the third period to kick off Buffalo’s 5-4 comeback win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It was a milestone goal in more ways than one. Gilbert’s tally was just the fourth of his NHL career in 121 games, and it was his first in six appearances against Toronto. More importantly for Buffalo, it cut into a Maple Leafs lead and set the stage for a fast turn in the third period, with Mattias Samuelsson scoring two minutes later to wipe out Toronto’s advantage.
Then Owen Power finished the job in overtime, capping a big night for a Sabres defense group that kept producing even with Rasmus Dahlin still out. The makeshift blue line also featured Olen Zellweger, Louis Crevier and Zach Metsa, and Gilbert made clear he noticed the way the group held together.
"Just being here for the last couple games, Zelle played unbelievable both nights and OP's really coming into a really special player and Sammy's such a horse for us. It's good to see.
Obviously [Dahlin is] our captain, that's our leader on and off the ice, we can't wait to get him back. But it's nice to see guys step up."
Buffalo’s start has been messy at times, and the record shows it: the Sabres are 4-3-1. But they’re still stacking points while not playing anywhere near their best, which matters for a team trying to survive through injuries to Dahlin, Conor Timmins and Matt Grzelcyk. Head coach Lindy Ruff said Dahlin’s return could come as soon as Saturday night against the Montreal Canadiens.
Gilbert has been part of that survival mode since being recalled from the AHL’s Rochester Americans, and he’s made a real case for himself in the small sample. He owns a 69% expected goal share at 5-on-5, along with two points and a plus-three rating.
That kind of steady work from depth pieces matters for Buffalo, especially from players such as Gilbert and Metsa who won’t be needed when the roster is whole again but can hold things together in the meantime.
The biggest star of the night, though, was Jack Quinn. Buffalo’s winger put together what Ruff called "the best game I've seen him play," and it’s hard to argue. Quinn scored twice and added two assists, fueling the Sabres’ offensive push and pushing his early-season totals to eight points, split evenly between four goals and four assists, through eight games.
Quinn’s evolution has been one of the quieter but more important storylines for Buffalo. A year ago, he was still fighting the reputation of being streaky.
Now he’s giving the Sabres a steady scoring threat. On Thursday, he looked even more dangerous than the box score suggests, winning battles along the wall and driving into the slot with a level of aggression that stood out.
With restricted free agency coming at season’s end, every performance like this only strengthens his hand.
There were other strong performances too. Zach Benson and Noah Ostlund kept working, and Power’s night was the kind that can start drawing bigger attention if it keeps up. Buffalo’s defenseman continues to look like a player ready to climb into Norris Trophy conversation.
Not every Sabres note was positive. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had another uneven outing in net, and his .854 save percentage through six games isn’t quieting the chatter around Connor Hellebuyck.
Josh Norris left during overtime and entered concussion protocol, while Jiri Kulich was a late scratch because he wasn’t feeling well. The Sabres said testing came back negative, and the team erred on the side of caution after Kulich missed most of last season with a blood clot.
Still, the night belonged to Buffalo’s comeback, and to a Buffalo-born defenseman who finally got his goal against the Leafs.
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