BUFFALO – Sabres defenseman Dennis Gilbert offered little insight into how his fight just three seconds into Tuesday’s 3-2 win materialized.
There’s a code, you know.
“Off the cuff,” the local kid said of his scrap with Columbus Blue Jackets winger Mathieu Olivier, one of the NHL’s emerging heavyweights, immediately after the puck dropped.
Did Gilbert know when he saw Olivier’s name in the starting lineup they would be dropping their gloves?
“Just had a feeling,” he said.
Did they eye each other up?
“Yeah, I don’t really remember,” he said.
Uh, OK, Dennis.
In the aftermath of Sunday afternoon’s 4-3 win, the Sabres sorely needed to showcase some muscle. Fair or not, failing to make New Jersey Devils pest Stefan Noesen pay for his illegal hit to winger Tage Thompson’s head made them look weak.
Instead of practicing Monday, the Sabres held a team meeting that dealt with “everything,” winger Alex Tuch said. They felt ready to move on from their inaction.
Still, the hockey world was watching the Sabres. Perhaps they wanted Gilbert to send an early message. Maybe they wanted something to unfold organically.
When Sabres coach Lindy Ruff saw his counterpart, Dean Evason, was putting out Olivier to start the game, he countered with Gilbert.
“Dennis started tonight because when I looked at their lineup sheet when it came in, they started their toughest line,” Ruff said. “I didn’t know what they had in mind. Maybe they watched the film and said, ‘Let’s go after them right off the bat.’ …
“That had nothing to do with yesterday. That just had to do with who they started.”
That Gilbert handily lost the fight hardly matters.
“It was a message that he wanted to send, that what happened last game is not gonna happen again,” said Tuch, who scored two goals. “Doesn’t even matter. He’s a team-first guy, he’ll do anything for the guys and everyone in here knows it. To be able to do that, I mean, that’s tough. It’s not easy. And a lot of respect.”
Gilbert vs Olivier dropped the gloves to start the game #Sabrehood #CBJ pic.twitter.com/4sW8QLjo06
— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) February 5, 2025
Gilbert earned more respect 12:17 into the second period, when his nifty slap pass from the point to Tuch in the slot created the go-ahead goal before the crowd of 14,198 fans in KeyBank Center.
“A phenomenal pass,” Tuch said following the Sabres’ fourth consecutive win, their longest streak since a five-game run from Jan. 19 to 26, 2023.
Despite skating just 8 minutes, 41 seconds – the lowest total of any player who did not leave the game injured – Gilbert, who dressed as the seventh defenseman, had a significant impact.
“There’s been a lot of discussions going around the league, especially about us, and to have a guy like Dennis Gilbert, hometown kid who loves putting on that jersey every single night, going toe-to-toe at center ice with one of the toughest guys … (it) just shows how much heart I think we have in this room,” Tuch said. “And I think he’s a big reason why we won that game tonight.
“He’s a hell of a teammate and a hell of a person.”
The Sabres have quietly built some momentum. After regularly melting down late in games, they’ve gutted out three consecutive one-goal victories.
“I think that when you have ‘trauma’ of blowing leads and losing games, it affects you, and that’s OK. It’s human,” Gilbert said. “But our group’s been really good about being way more vocal in those situations and encouraging each other and finding small victories like something as simple as blocking a shot and chipping the puck out. …
“It’s making it more easy now and kind of more natural.”
The Sabres grinded out their seventh home triumph in the last nine games with a depleted lineup.
They played without No. 1 goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who’s day to day with an undisclosed injury, according to Ruff. Then in the second period, winger Beck Malenstyn left with back spasms – “He couldn’t move,” Ruff said – leaving them with just 10 forwards.
Veteran backup James Reimer held down the fort, making 27 saves and earning just his second win this season and first since Nov. 23.
Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram opened the scoring 10:07 into the game before Kent Johnson’s nifty spin-o-rama in the left circle tied the contest 1:47 into the second period.
After Tuch restored the lead, he tipped captain Rasmus Dahlin’s shot in 18:56 into the second period.
Ivan Provorov narrowed it to one goal again 12:38 into the third period.