BUFFALO – The competitive balance in the NHL has perhaps never been higher, meaning the difference between the top and bottom teams is slim.
There are no gimme games, as coaches will tell you. Still, this week, two teams – the St. Louis Blues and Montreal Canadiens – limped into KeyBank Center reeling and ripe to be exploited.
The Sabres nearly lost both games.
But forget the Sabres needed to late rally and overtime Thursday to beat the Blues 4-3. Forget the Blues entered the night having lost three straight and six of their last eight outings.
In reaching .500 (8-8-1) and winning on a night they struggled at times, the Sabres, who lost 7-5 to Montreal on Monday afternoon, showcased more of their growing maturity.
These days, when things go sideways, they often have an answer. They’re more patient.
“We’re not forcing stuff, we’re waiting for our opportunities,” said Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin, who scored a power-play goal 1:33 into overtime. “You saw what we were doing there at the end. I think it comes from learning the game and being mature.”
At the end, the Sabres erased a 3-2 deficit when winger Alex Tuch converted center Ryan McLeod’s nifty feed from behind the net 12:57 into the third period.
At the 4:56 mark of the period, center Dylan Cozens appeared to tie the contest when he converted a rebound in front of the net seconds after knocking down Oskar Sundqvist in the corner and feeding linemate Jack Quinn the puck.
But the Blues challenged for goalie interference, and officials ruled winger Zach Benson “impaired Jordan Binnington’s ability to play his position in the crease,” according to an NHL statement.
The goal came off the board, and the crowd of 13,943 fans booed in disgust for the rest of the period.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said an official told him Benson “was in the crease originally.”
“I said I respectfully disagree because I thought he was kind of bumped,” he said. “He got bumped in there, trapped in there, but you have to be able to battle through adversity.”
Benson, who tied the game in the first period, said he has “watched a lot of hockey this year, and I’ve seen goalies get pushed in the net and it counts.”
“It’s a hard job, I get it,” he said. “But I’d love to see a little more consistency on those calls.”
Dylan Cozens thought he tied it up. St. Louis challenged for goaltender interference and was successful. #sabrehood #stlblues pic.twitter.com/wNQST9YDu0
— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) November 15, 2024
Still, Cozens’ heavy effort made an impact. Dahlin called it “unreal.” Benson called him a “horse.”
The Sabres, who played without center Tage Thompson (lower body), needed forwards to step up in the absence of their leading scorer. Cozens and McLeod, who scored a first-period goal, helped shoulder the burden.
“I think throughout the second period we didn’t play great hockey and in the third we wanted to get back to our game,” McLeod said. “I think that Cozey made a great play in the corner there. I think that physical play really got the guys going. Even though it didn’t count, I think it fired us up.”
Ruff said Cozens’ hit “set the tone for the rest of the period.”
“That’s the disappointing part,” he said. “You have a big play like that and you set the tone and at the end the goal doesn’t count.”
Dahlin clinched the victory when he one-timed JJ Peterka’s pass in the circle.
Remember, Dahlin, who has registered four goals and 12 points in the last nine games, took a late penalty Monday that led to Montreal’s go-ahead goal.
“I thought his response tonight was awesome,” Ruff said.
In his first start since Nov. 1 and just his sixth appearance this season, Sabres goalie Devon Levi made 24 saves.
The Sabres, meanwhile, pumped 33 shots on Binnington. Ruff emphasized to his team this week they must put more pucks on net. They hadn’t surpassed the 22-shot mark in their last three outings. They mustered just 18 against Montreal.
On Thursday, they registered 16 in the first period.
“I think we could shoot even more, honestly,” Dahlin said. “It’s when we need it, we really put pucks to the net to create chaos.”
Brandon Saad scored twice for the Blues. Pavel Buchnevich recorded their other goal.
