The Buffalo Sabers passed a tough and demanding test in their quest to make the playoffs, battling through five contests, blowing an early three-goal lead, before staging a late comeback to win 8-7 against the Tampa Bay Lightning in a raucous KeyBank Center on Sunday. The win was the Sabres’ 13th in the last 16 games and propelled Buffalo into sole possession of first place in the Atlantic, and perhaps set the stage for an exciting second-round matchup with the veteran-laden Tampa team.
The Lightning clearly took a page from their division rival Florida Panthers’ playbook by attempting to bypass the Sabres, instigating five fights and specifically targeting Sabers team captain Rasmus Dahlin and defenseman Bowen Byram. Dahlin dropped the gloves with Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh early in the game, then was assaulted by Tampa’s Brandon Hagel, earning the former Sabers rookie a double minor for roughness and a $5,000 fine from the NHL on Monday, while Byram got into a fight with Lightning defenseman Charle-Edouard D’Astous.
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“I’m not a referee, but I mean in a situation like that, usually a guy gets ejected, he doesn’t get four (minutes). He should probably get two for every punch, and that would probably lead to at least 20 minutes,” Sabers head coach Lindy Ruff said after the win.
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Tampa responded with three goals midway through the third and took a 7-5 lead into the third, but goals from Dahlin and Jason Zucker tied the game, and Josh Doan scored the Sabres’ fourth goal on the power play with 4:17 left to give the Sabers the victory.
“I think the group has become very tight, and it showed tonight. They answered every call. They were there every play, and even losing. You’re up 4-1, you lose by a few points, how hard we worked to get back in the game. There was no giving up. The desire to finish this thing the right way. I thought all the guys were on board.” Ruff said: “We’re playing for a playoff spot. That’s what we’re playing for. Both teams are still playing for a playoff spot. That’s really what it was all about. We know how tight this conference is, we know how tight the division is, but knowing we’re chasing a playoff spot.”
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Even though goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen allowed seven goals on 28 shots and the Sabers gave up a significant lead, it’s hard to ignore the momentum Buffalo continues to build on. The win over Tampa puts the Sabers at a .806 winning percentage (28-6-2) since Dec. 9, when they were last in the Eastern Conference. It’s reminiscent of the St. Louis Blues’ magical run in 2019, when the Blues went 30-10-5 in the final 45 games after finishing last in the NHL in the New Year, resulting in a Stanley Cup victory.
At this point, the Sabers are looking to clinch their first playoff berth since 2011, but their victories have their long-starved fans wanting more.
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