Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – A couple of improbable things happened as the Sabres beat the Boston Bruins on Saturday 4-1 to run their winning streak up to eight games. First, they dominated a game and beat a team without their captain and best player Rasmus Dahlin.

Mattias Samuelsson had a goal and two assists and continues to be Buffalo’s best defenseman from start to finish. On the goal that tied the game 1-1 early in the second period, Samuelsson made a big hit along the wall to not only kill the play, but he immediately grabbed the puck and started up ice. He made a perfect pass to Jack Quinn who sent in Ryan McLeod for the goal.

Just 1:33 later, Samuelsson got the puck to Tage Thompson who put the puck at the net. Many fans love to hate Peyton Krebs, but they aren’t watching hard enough because Krebs was right where he always is, in the crease and he tipped the puck in to make it 2-1.

Just 4:42 after that goal, Samuelsson saw an opening and jumped into the left circle from the point and Quinn found him scoring his career high sixth goal of the season. He’s also set career high in assists with 12 and points with 18. Samuelsson played 24:56 with six hits and two blocked shots. Bo Byram and Owen Power were also excellent as Byram led the team with 27:52 of ice-time and Power skated 25:29.

The first period was a pretty even affair, but Buffalo really took over in the second out shooting the Bruins 13-2.

Boston had a 11-8 shots advantage in the third, but it was pretty much still all Sabres.

This streak started Dec. 9 in Edmonton. Buffalo beat the Oilers in overtime, 4-3. In these eight games, let’s start with the goaltending. Alex Lyon is 6-0-0 with a 2.25 goals against and .922 save percentage. Luukkonen is 2-0-0 with a 1.00 goals against and .959 save percentage.

In these eight wins Thompson has five goals and six assists for 11 points, in seven games Dahlin has two goals and six assists for eight points, McLeod has two goals and five assists for seven points, and Samuelsson and Quinn both have a goal and five assists for six points.

Taking a look at the standings, Buffalo is tied for Wild Card No. 2 with the Florida Panthers, both have a .568 point percentage, but the Sabres are in ninth because the Panthers have the tie breaker. As far as the Atlantic Division goes, the Detroit Red Wings are in third with a points percentage of .603.

Buffalo doesn’t play again until Monday in St. Louis where Dahlin is supposed to rejoin the team. Many teams around Buffalo are playing Sunday as the Montreal Canadiens visit the Tampa Bay Lightning, the New York Islanders are at the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Red Wings host the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Pittsburgh Penguins are in Chicago against the Blackhawks and the Philadelphia Flyers are out west in Seattle against the Kraken.

The Sabres should have revenge on their mind as the Blues who are 28th in the NHL walked into Buffalo on Nov. 6 and left with a 3-0 win.