BUFFALO – Early in the second period of the most intense, meaningful and entertaining Sabres game in close to a generation, Brandon Hagel began bullying captain Rasmus Dahlin in front of the Tampa Bay Lightning net.
At that point in Sunday’s thrilling 8-7 come-from-behind win, which moved the Sabres past the Lightning into sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division, the rivals had already fought five times and amassed 92 penalty minutes.
In the first period, Dahlin, 25, had dropped the gloves with Darren Raddysh, the first fight of the Swede’s 569-game NHL career.
Then with the Sabres leading 2-0, Hagel, a star who loves to agitate, grabbed Dahlin and sucker punched him.
As Dahlin tried to get away, Hagel kept throwing, knocking him to the ice. Within seconds, Sabres winger Josh Doan was trying to pry Hagel off the ultra-talented defenseman. Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was right behind him.
Hagel jumps Dahlin and more chaos ensures. #LetsGoBuffalo #Sabrehood #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/hD5UkJsEBM
— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) March 8, 2026
Clearly, the Lightning’s game plan included targeting Dahlin.
“Looked that way, didn’t it?” coach Lindy Ruff acknowledged following the Sabres’ seventh straight win. “I thought he handled it great, and I thought the way everybody handled it was the way you need to handle it.
“If that’s their choice, you deal with it.”
The Sabres dealt with whatever the Lightning threw at them – they erased a late two-goal deficit – before a raucous capacity crowd of 19,070 fans in KeyBank Center.
They responded en mass, receiving contributions up and down the lineup.
“That’s kind of a galvanizing game,” Ruff said. “Everybody involved. I thought everybody showed up. Lots of everything in that game.”
Down the stretch and into the playoffs – that league-record 14-year drought is just about history – Dahlin and his teammates will encounter more crazy antics from opponents.
“It’s a part of it,” Dahlin said of being targeted. “I know it. It was really good to have this experience going into something hopefully bigger and kind of learn from it. I’m out there to play the game of hockey, not do stupid stuff.”
Sabres winger Alex Tuch said Dahlin is “always going to get targeted.”
“He’s going to have to battle through that,” said Tuch, who scored a power-play and short-handed goal. “But we’re going to be right there with him to battle through it with him.”
Curiously, instead of being ejected, Hagel earned four minutes for roughing.
“I’m not a referee, but a situation like that, usually a guy gets kicked out,” Ruff said. “He doesn’t get four. He probably should get two for every punch, and it would probably lead to at least 20 minutes.”
About 20 minutes after the most significant night of his NHL career, Dahlin explained why the Sabres, who own a stunning 28-5-2 record since Dec. 9, needed to experience a game as chaotic as Sunday’s.
During an emotional, back-and-forth affair in which they blew an early three-goal lead and trailed by two goals before Dahlin scored 11:03 into the third period, they never flinched.
“That was the most impressive,” Dahlin said of how the Sabres handled their emotions. “This game was a huge step for us as a team. Every guy in this room were a part of it and stepped up when we had to.
“I’m so proud of the guys, and this is just going to make us even better. We’re brothers in here.
On the bench late in the game, Dahlin said those brothers were screaming, telling themselves, “We have a chance if we just keep playing. One shot.”
At 14:29, Sabres winger Jason Zucker tied the game at 7, beating goalie Jonas Johansson on a breakaway.
Then with old friend Zemgus Girgensons off for slashing, Doan scored his second goal of the night, burying a bounce off the post to put the Sabres up 8-7.
As the final horn sounded on the Sabres’ 20th home victory this season, it was deafening inside rink.
The Sabres haven’t owned sole possession of first place in the division this late in a season since April 10, 2010.
“This is why I play hockey,” Dahlin said. “This is the best part. … Finally we’re here, and we’re doing good things. So I don’t take this for granted at all.
“I’m so fired up. I’m so happy. I’m so happy for Buffalo as a city and all the fans, too. This means the world.”
Notes: Sabres newcomer Sam Carrick scored a critical goal 6:12 into the third period, beating Johansson from the right circle just 26 seconds after Brayden Point put the Lightning up 6-4. Carrick, who was acquired Friday, also fought Scott Sabourin in the first period. … The Sabres scored a season-high four power-play goals. … Sabres center Tage Thompson recorded a career-high four assists to extend his career-long point streak to 11 games. … Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram registered three assists. … Sabres wingers Peyton Krebs and Beck Malenstyn and defenseman Michael Kesselring also fought. The Sabres hadn’t fought five times in one game since March 17, 2004 against the Atlanta Thrashers.
