The Buffalo Sabres are back at it Thursday night, hosting the Montreal Canadiens at KeyBank Center in the second leg of a rare home back-to-back. Fresh off a 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers, the Sabres are looking to keep the momentum rolling as they continue this five-game homestand.
Wednesday’s win was a strange one on the stat sheet. Buffalo lit the lamp five times despite registering just 14 shots on goal.
That kind of efficiency is rare, and it speaks to both opportunistic finishing and some shaky goaltending from the Flyers tandem of Dan Vladar and Samuel Ersson. Rasmus Dahlin led the charge with a two-goal performance, while Mattias Samuelsson, Jack Quinn, and Ryan McLeod each chipped in with one apiece.
But the victory came with a potentially significant cost.
Head coach Lindy Ruff confirmed postgame that center Josh Norris left the game in the second period after taking a cross-check following Dahlin’s second goal. Norris logged just 8:55 of ice time before exiting and did not return.
“(It was a) cross-check that took him out of the game. He'll be evaluated.
I really don't know where we're at with that right now,” Ruff said. “We're hoping it's nothing too serious, but I think that's always what you hope.”
Norris has been a key piece of Buffalo’s resurgence. His return to the lineup in early December helped spark the Sabres’ recent surge, pulling them back into the thick of the playoff hunt. If he’s forced to miss time, it would be a significant blow to a team that’s just started to find its rhythm.
On the blue line, the Sabres are weighing whether to insert defenseman Michael Kesselring into the lineup against Montreal. He was a full participant in practice earlier this week but was held out of Wednesday’s game as part of a plan to avoid using him in back-to-back situations.
“The plan was not to use him in back-to-back. He’s available (Thursday).
We’ll make a decision whether we put him in,” Ruff said. “I look at the two guys that played - I thought (Jacob) Bryson has played well, and (Zach) Metsa really played well for us.
I’ve got some pretty good continuity going, so we’ll look at whether a couple more days wouldn’t hurt. (Kesselring has) really come along these last few days.
So we’ll bring him in the morning, evaluate him, and make a decision.”
In net, Colten Ellis is expected to get the start for Buffalo. He’ll be facing off against Montreal rookie Jacob Fowler, who’s getting the nod for the Canadiens.
With the 2026 NHL Draft set to take place in Buffalo this June, there’s a growing sense of energy around the franchise - but it’s the present that matters most right now. The Sabres are in a playoff race, and every point counts. Whether they can keep pace may hinge on the health of Josh Norris and the continued emergence of their young depth.
Puck drops Thursday night at KeyBank Center.