For Buffalo Sabres forward Alex Tuch, simply making the NHL playoffs isn’t enough.
After scoring his fourth career hat trick Thursday night in a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings, Tuch said his team is aiming much higher.
“We’re coming in with a lot of confidence. Everybody’s coming in trying to prove themselves and we’re trying to prove as a team that we’re legit. We’re not just going to go for the playoffs. We’re going to go for the [Stanley] Cup,” he said. “That’s our goal — to get better each and every day. That’s it. That’s the end goal, honestly.”
The Sabres hold the longest playoff drought in NHL history at 14 seasons. Ending that streak isn’t this team’s priority, though — they want the ultimate prize, Tuch says.
“We’re not in here just to squeak in, we’re in here to try to keep winning,” he said. “We’re chasing a couple of really good teams in Detroit and Tampa right now, and we know each game’s going to be playoff-like hockey and it was a huge two points tonight to get. And now we have Montreal chasing us, so they’re going to come to play on Saturday and we’ve got to bring our A game. We’re going to be ready to win.”
Tuch, 29, is second on the team in scoring this year with 46 points. The Syracuse native has become one of the league’s top penalty killers and has scored the third-most shorthanded goals in the league over the last two seasons with eight. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
History continues to be made for the Sabres this season. They just had the winningest 25-game stretch in team history, going 20-4-1, and goaltender Alex Lyon set a franchise record Thursday by winning his 10th game in a row.
They sit third in the ultra-competitive Atlantic Division with 67 points and are currently on a five-game win streak.
The Sabres play four more games before the Feb. 6 break for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, three of which are against division opponents.