The Buffalo Sabres found a way to claw back into Tuesday night’s game in Montreal, but it still ended in frustration. After falling behind 3-1, Buffalo rallied with two goals in the third period to force overtime, only to come up short in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Canadiens.
It was a tough setup from the start. The Sabres were coming off a 5-3 win over the Florida Panthers, but they had to handle a road back-to-back against the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last season, and they had to do it without captain Rasmus Dahlin. Buffalo knew a day earlier that Dahlin would not travel after getting hurt against Florida, and the impact showed again: since the 2024-25 season, the Sabres are now 1-10-4 without him after this loss.
They were also shorthanded on the blue line in another way. Matt Grzelcyk was placed on injured reserve, and Dennis Gilbert was recalled and made his season debut.
Buffalo did get the opening goal in the first period, but Montreal answered with three straight and took control with a 3-1 lead heading into the third. The Sabres refused to go quietly, though, and tied it with two goals just over a minute apart before the game moved to overtime. Neither side scored in the extra session, and the shootout tilted heavily in Montreal’s favor, with the Canadiens converting all three of their attempts while Buffalo managed only one.
Olen Zellweger gave the Sabres a much-needed spark in Dahlin’s absence. Playing alongside Mattias Samuelsson, he scored Buffalo’s first goal of the night, which was his first as a Sabre.
He stayed active after that, drawing a penalty in the second period and setting up a good chance by pushing the puck into the crease. Then he came through again in the third period with the tying goal, his second of the season.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen also gave Buffalo exactly what it needed. After replacing Colten Ellis midway through Monday’s game against Florida and stopping 13 of 14 shots, he came back Tuesday and delivered his best outing of the season.
Early on, he flashed the glove on an odd-man rush to keep the Sabres steady. Then, with about three seconds left in regulation, he stopped Phillip Danault right in front of the net to preserve the tie and force overtime.
Luukkonen gave up three goals, but none of them looked soft, and he finished with 35 saves on 38 shots.
For all the ways Buffalo battled back, the second period again hurt them. Montreal scored twice in that frame, and the Sabres couldn’t even tilt the shot battle in their favor this time.
They had just two shots in the period, while the Canadiens put 11 on net. That’s been a recurring issue early this season, and it left Buffalo chasing again in the third.
The power play also came up empty. After scoring three times on the man advantage over the previous two games, the Sabres went 0-for-5 against Montreal and produced only four power-play shots.
Dahlin’s absence mattered there, but it wasn’t the whole story. Buffalo simply didn’t generate enough, and one power-play goal might have been the difference between one point and two.
The Sabres are off Wednesday before continuing the trip Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. They’ll be back in Montreal on Saturday night.
In Other News...
Sabres Open Road Trip With A Dahlin Problem Ruff Must Solve
Buffalos road trip opens with a lineup wrinkle that lands squarely on the blue line. Rasmus Dahlin is day-to-day, and the Sabres are heading out without their top defenseman as the trip begins, leaving Lindy Ruff with an early personnel decision to sort through before the games start to stack up.
For a team already trying to settle into the rhythm of life away from home, Dahlins absence changes the look and feel of the defense group right away. Ruff has to manage the opening leg without one of his most important players traveling with the team, and the next update on Dahlin will shape how Buffalo handles the rest of the trip. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres Injury Uncertainty Is Starting To Put Real Pressure On Buffalo
The Sabres early-season juggling act got a little more complicated this week, with head coach Lindy Ruff offering no significant update on Rasmus Dahlin after the defensemans upper-body injury. Buffalo has already had to lean on lineup changes throughout its 3-3-1 start, and the absence of one of its most important blue-line pieces only adds to the uncertainty around a team still trying to settle in.
The injury list is not easing up, either. Goalie Alex Lyon has hit a slight setback and will be off the ice for a few days, while Tyson Kozak has been sent back to Buffalo for further evaluation, leaving the Sabres to keep adjusting on the fly as the schedule moves on. For a club that has been trying to build some rhythm, the constant shuffling is starting to feel like more than just a short-term inconvenience. [Read more 🡒]
Devon Levi's Fast Start Is Making Buffalo's Goalie Problem Worse
Devon Levis move out of Buffalo already looks like the kind of change of scenery that can reset a young goalies career. After struggling with the Sabres, the former Buffalo prospect has opened his run with Edmonton on a strong note, giving the Oilers some early stability while reminding everyone why his long-term upside was so intriguing in the first place.
For the Sabres, it only sharpens the pressure on a position that has lingered as a problem. Buffalo has kept searching for answers in net, and the ongoing trade chatter around Connor Hellebuyck underscores how unsettled the situation still feels as the team tries to find a more reliable solution. [Read more 🡒]