NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Zach Benson collected the puck a few feet in front of the Predators’ net, stickhandled for a moment, then snapped a shot under Justus Annunen’s right arm.
For the second time Saturday night, the Sabres erased a two-goal deficit. Benson pointed at Rasmus Dahlin to acknowledge the captain for his pass that made the play possible.
The excitement lasted only a few moments, though. The tying goal with 6:58 left in the third period was wiped off the scoreboard by a coach’s challenge. Peyton Krebs was offside when the Sabres entered the offensive zone, according to the video review. And, though there were a few opportunities for them to tie it again, the Nashville Predators added an empty-net goal to send Buffalo to a 6-4 loss in Bridgestone Arena.
“I thought our group was resilient no matter what was going on,” said Sabres winger Alex Tuch, who had a goal and two assists for his second consecutive three-point game. “I don’t think we wavered in our attack mentality, but we weren’t good enough defensively to win that game.”
The Sabres did enough offensively to achieve what could have been their first five-game win streak since January 2023.
Dahlin and Bowen Byram scored 3:04 apart to erase a 2-0 deficit. JJ Peterka hit the post on a shot early in the second period that would have given Buffalo its first lead of the game. Byram nearly finished an exceptional passing play a few moments earlier. Tuch’s 19th goal of the season was a shot off the far post and in. Dylan Cozens snapped the Sabres’ 0-for-7 power-play slump with a shot over Annunen’s right shoulder with 7:30 left in regulation, slashing the deficit to 5-4. They had 29 shots on goal and 77 shot attempts.
Despite their challenges on the power play, the Sabres are among the highest-scoring teams in the NHL. They’re tied for ninth in 5-on-5 goals, and their 73 goals in 19 games since their 13-game winless streak ended is tied for the third-best mark in the league. They turn the puck over too often, though. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff warned his players before the game Saturday. The Predators had lost six straight – including an embarrassing 6-2 defeat in Chicago one night earlier – but they’ll make you pay if you’re too careless.
“Our puck play killed us,” he said after the game.
Tuch’s mistake near his offensive blue line gave Nashville a 2-on-1 that ended with Tommy Novak giving them a 1-0 lead. Tage Thompson made a similar mistake on the Predators’ second goal. Filip Forsberg scored on the power play to put them ahead 3-2, less than three minutes after Peterka hit the post. Another turnover led to Brady Skjei’s second goal of the game that made it 4-2.
The Sabres allowed three or fewer goals in six of their previous seven games, in part because they weren’t turning the puck over as often. They weren’t misfiring passes like they did against Nashville, which had several odd-man rushes but only 22 shots against Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. After a strong of encouraging performances, Luukkonen had a disappointing showing Saturday night. He didn't give Buffalo the clutch saves that Nashville received from Annunen.
“I thought we were the better team for most of the game, to be honest with you, but they scored when we gave them chances,” said Byram. “That’s the bottom line. Gave them too many chances and they have guys who have been scoring in this league for a long time.”
Inexperienced players weren’t the only ones making mistakes, either. The mood in the Sabres’ dressing room was somber afterward. Everyone understood the importance of this game. It was their last one for 13 days because of the NHL’s break for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.
Buffalo is 22-27-5 overall and last in the Eastern Conference, six points behind the closest team in the standings. Two of its Atlantic Division foes, Ottawa and Detroit, are in playoff spots.
The Sabres are 11-8-1 since snapping the monthlong skid that ruined their season. Their play has improved since that ruinous stretch, but it hasn’t been enough. They'll need an unprecedented run to even have a chance at a wild-card spot. Of the 56 standing points remaining on the schedule, Buffalo will need 42 to match its output from two seasons ago when it narrowly missed the playoffs.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” said Ruff. “You’ve got to get some work done during the break and you’ve got to be ready to win a game when we start up again.”
Here are other takeaways from the game:
1. Woes
Peterka, Thompson and Jiri Kulich may not be together when the Sabres return from break.
The trio had one of their worst games since they became a line last month, combining for a minus-11 rating and only five shots on goal. The Predators had seven scoring chances against the group, according to Natural Stat Trick. Thompson missed only one game because of the concussion, but it was his worst game in weeks.
2. Stepping up
Byram was one of the best players on the ice Saturday night.
He scored the Sabres’ first goal with a one-timer from the right circle, contributed to Dahlin’s goal by helping Sam Lafferty win a puck battle in the corner and earned the primary assist when Tuch scored on a shot from the left circle. Byram finished with 23:20 of ice time, and he almost scored a second goal with a one-timer from the right circle late in the second period. Byram has more even-strength points (35) than Casey Mittelstadt (31) since the blockbuster trade last March.
3. Fighting through
Dahlin hasn’t been healthy most of the season.
Ruff acknowledged Saturday morning that he hasn’t even seen his captain’s best through 54 games because of the various ailments that have hindered his top defenseman. Dahlin refuses to miss more time, though. He pledged in December that he wouldn’t sit another game this season. And, though Dahlin hasn’t played at an elite level as often as expected, he’s still making a significant impact in games with his playmaking, breakouts and defending. He snapped a 24-game goal drought with his shot from the left circle that tied it 2-2. He would have earned a three-point game if Benson’s goal stood.
“It might have been Dahl’s best game, along with Bo, too,” said Ruff. “I thought Dahls was dominant every shift.”
4. Wise play
Benson’s on-ice intelligence was on display before Dahlin tied it 2-2 in the first period.
Benson, a second-year winger, quickly recognized that Byram vacated his spot near the blue line to help Lafferty try to win a battle for the puck in the right corner. Benson skated to the right point to cover for his defenseman, then he received a pass and set up Dahlin, who had ample time to snap the puck past Annunen.
Benson hasn’t received as much ice time in some games recently, but he’ll earn more opportunities with a performance like Saturday's.
5. More chances
Ruff is looking for ways to get Cozens more involved offensively.
The latest attempt happened Saturday when Cozens was at right wing more often because he was on a line with Krebs, whose 18:56 of ice time was his second-highest total of the season. Ruff took away some of Cozens’ defensive responsibilities to try to free him up to do more with the puck. The Sabres had a 7-1 edge in scoring chances at 5-on-5 when Cozens was on the ice, according to Natural Stat Trick, but his only shot on goal was the power-play marker.
6. On fire
Tuch has been the Sabres' most consistent forward this season.
He has 19 goals, 43 points and a plus-15 rating in 54 games. He has 15 points over his last 14 games. His performance should have made him a candidate to play for Team USA at 4 Nations.
7. Next
Dahlin (Sweden), Luukkonen (Finland) and Henri Jokiharju (Finland) will represent their respective home countries at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, which begins Wednesday in Montreal. The Sabres’ first game following the break is at home against the New York Rangers on Feb. 22.
