Sleepwalking Sabres Rebound for the OT Victory

Score: Buffalo Sabres 5-4 OT Detroit Red Wings
Shots: BUF 27-28 DET

Buffalo Sabres Goals: Tuch 7th (unassisted) Doan 5th (Dahlin Byram) Thompson 8th (Doan, Ellis) McLeod 4th (unassisted) Samuelsson 3rd (Thompson, Dahlin)
Detroit Red Wings Goals: Kane 3rd (Chiarot) DeBrincat 7th (Raymond) Larkin 11th (Raymons, Seider) DeBrincat 8th (Raymons, Seider)

Plus 1: O Captain! My Captain!

Buffalo got a huge boost to the lineup with the return of team Captain Rasmus Dahlin. His quick return was surprising to many, and his spirits seemed very high. Best wishes to his fiance, Carolina.

Colten Ellis got the start in this one and he was tested early with a nice save on J.T. Compher right out front. Not long after, Buffalo’s Tage Thompson rang one off the iron on a sweet shot from the circle on the rush. It would have been nice if that had gone in as the Sabres would go without a shot for nearly 9 minutes. Alex Tuch’s wrister ended that with a save by the Red Wings’ John Gibson.

The teams then traded quick goals after a terrible unforced giveaway from behind the net by Conor Timmins. The puck went right to Ben Chiarot who passed it to who else but Patrick Kane for the easy tip in. Buffalo would answer quickly as a shot went to the net, which left Gibson scrambling and sprawling for the rebound just out of reach. Detroit nearly cleared it away but Alex Tuch darted in to swipe it home off the defender’s stick. The goal was unassisted as the Wings had possession for a millisecond.

The rest of the period saw some back and forth play but good defense by each team, not many scoring chances either way. The shots reflected that, with Buffalo having a 5 to 4 edge for the period. (adjusted in the intermission) The Sabres put on a clinic in the final minute, though. Detroit could not clear the puck as Buffalo dug in, passed it around and had a tired Red Wings team on their heels. The chances were either blocked or went wide though. It was a missed opportunity to take the lead on one of the best puck possessions we have seen from this team this year.

Minus 1: Sleepwalking Sabres

Detroit got some good chances early in the 2nd period but Ellis was there to make the stops. The Wings then got a great opportunity in front as Ellis sprawled and made a skate stop on Alex DeBrincat. But with nobody there to take him out, DeBrincat collected the rebound and scored as Ellis was down and out. 2-1 Detroit takes the lead. The teams exchanged penalties and with both sides skating 4 on 4, the Wings cashed in again. Dylan Larkin roofed one on Ellis after some nice passing and loose Sabres’ defense. Buffalo was not very physical in this game and it showed at points.

Josh Dunne later took a holding penalty and Detroit scored in just seconds. The pass across the crease to Kane was tipped in inadvertently by Mattias Samuelsson and the game was officially slipping away. A solid 1st period on the road, still severely shorthanded, was a distant memory. The WIngs dominated the period until Josh Doan gave them a little life. Rasmus Dahlin’s point shot was deflected by Doan’s stick who was in front of the net doing Josh Doan things. Gibson had no chance as Doaner collected his 5th of the year.

Even with that late tally, it was a disasterous period of hockey for Buffalo. No real drive, not enough physicality and too many players going through the motions. I know they are still shorthanded but the effort was not good enough. Detroit on the other hand broke out and scored 3 times, outshooting the Sabres 15 to 8.

Nov 15, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Peyton Krebs (19) skates with the puck defended by Detroit Red Wings defenseman Ben Chiarot (8) in the first period at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Plus 2: Wake Up Bomb

Five minutes into the third, Tage Thompson’s great individual effort pulled the score to 4-3. He skated through center ice and over the blueline, stick handled and WENT TO THE NET. His size and reach enabled him to cut across the goal and tuck it home for his 8th of the year. The goal was TNT’s best of the season in my opinion. Doan and the goaltender Ellis picked up the assists. The Sabres then got the next power play and were all over the Wings but could not get the equalizer. A disbelieving Peyton Krebs then got a minor tripping penalty while defending and the Sabres had to kill another penalty. Not only did they, but Ryan McLeod scored shorthanded on a breakaway. It was a huge swing in the game as Detroit was getting chances. It was Ryan’s 4th of the year and evened the game at 4-4.

Late in the game, Buffalo had to kill a too many men on the ice penalty. A shake your head moment that they thankfully killed off. To the dreaded overtime we go where the Sabres have four losses already. Not this time.

After the teams exchanged a few possessions, Tage Thompson entered the Detroit zone and let a shot rip that was blocked. He then used his size to knock down the Wings’ defender who slid into the boards. Tage gathered the puck and instead of shooting in close where Gibson was in position, he spun and backhanded a pass out to Mattias Samuelsson who slammed it home for the win. It was a collective sigh of relief for the team and the fanbase, a HUGE comeback win. They finally stopped the bleeding and did so with a Herculean effort in the third period and OT. Josh Doan’s late marker in the 2nd period was key.

In all honestly, Buffalo was fortunate to come out of this with 2 points. But the team dug deep to pull it out. They played an even first, a low effort second and a pretty strong third, not a formula for consistency in this league. They were down and out at 4-1 but they scraped and clawed their way back into it and got a much needed win. This was Thompson’s best game of the year, he was a force on the ice the whole game and willed them to victory. He finished with a goal and an assist but he was getting chances all game and his physicality and smarts in the OT won it for them.

Final Thoughts:

FINALLY! We almost forgot what a win feels like. (Spoiler, it feels good) Even after a rollercoaster game that some poor souls probably gave up on. Standouts for Buffalo in this game were TNT as I mentioned and Josh Doan with a goal and assist as well. Rasmus Dahlin made an impact with two helpers and his uplifting presence for the team.

FInal shots for the game were 28 to 27 in favor of Detroit. Ellis let in 4 goals but he made some big stops too. The Sabres D was seriously lacking in the middle frame. But Ellis stood tall in the third period and made a few other difficult stops.

Buffalo’s next game is at home against McJesus and the Oilers on Mon, Nov 17th at 7pm eastern time.