The Buffalo Sabres dropped their third consecutive game and now find themselves on the brink of elimination from the Stanley Cup Playoff race in the NHL. Following a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens, star forward Tage Thompson issued a strong admission, seemingly hinting at captain Rasmus Dahlin’s performance, as he struggled on Bell Centre’s ice.
The Sabres lost in dramatic fashion, battling back from a three-goal deficit only to concede the 4-3 game-winner in overtime. All that effort, only to fall short at the finish line. As Buffalo continues to slide down the NHL standings, patience has ran out.
Thompson couldn’t hide his frustration with himself and his teammates after the defeat to the Canadiens, in a critical Atlantic Division duel. After the game, he sent out a clear message, warning his teammates, Dahlin included, about their showing.
“Special teams, just in general, let us down tonight,” Thompson stated, per NHL.com. “We had plenty of chances on the power play to get back in it, even take a lead, kind of put them on their heels.
“We just kept giving them momentum every time they would kill it. And obviously the PK, they get a couple early there, and it’s tough when they do that, especially in this building. We definitely made it harder than it needed to be on ourselves. With that being said, we clawed our way back, got a point, but we need that other one.”
Dahlin’s self-criticism
The Canadiens scored three goals in the opening period, all of them during special teams’ play. Scoring twice on the man-advantage and once in the penalty kill, the home side took control of momentum from the start, though the Sabres clawed their way back.
Rasmus Dahlin played a key role in the Sabres’ early struggles, committing three penalties in the opening 20 minutes of the game. However, the 24-year-old redeemed himself by scoring the game-tying goal in the final minutes, forcing overtime. After the loss, Dahlin didn’t shy away from accountability, offering an honest assessment of his performance.
“That’s on me, too, some really dumb penalties,” Dahlin said. “It kept them in the game. Every time we were playing 5-on-5 we were in their zone and creating a lot, so it’s a tough one.”
Habs on the rise
Montreal won its fifth straight game, climbing into the Eastern Conference wildcard race. The playoff hunt in the East has been wild all season, with teams engaged in a real-life game of Chutes and Ladders—no lead is safe, and no spot is guaranteed.
In a season full of surprises, the Habs could clinch a postseason berth—something few expected from the team in The City of a Hundred Steeples.