Right now, Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin is on an offensive tear, having scored five goals and 14 points in the last 10 games.
In Saturday’s 5-2 road loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, the slick defenseman scored Buffalo’s first goal, a power-play tally that extended his goal streak to four games and his point streak to six contests.
Both streaks are the second-longest of the Swede’s eight-year career.
After a slow start this season as he recovered from a back injury, Dahlin’s offensive exploits have at times lifted the Sabres. He scored the power-play winner in Thursday’s 4-3 overtime victory against the St. Louis Blues.
Still, the Sabres own an 8-9-1 record this season and are just 5-5-0 during Dahlin’s run.
While he often performs dynamically with the puck, he hasn’t consistently been a difference-maker all over the ice.
On Saturday, he was on the ice for both of Philadelphia’s first-period goals as the Sabres fell in an early hole. He also took two minor penalties later in the game. In Monday afternoon’s 7-5 loss to Montreal, his late elbowing penalty led to the Canadiens’ go-ahead power-play goal.
That shouldn’t diminish the special level Dahlin is playing at offensively. Consider the gaudy numbers below.
– He has compiled five goals and 16 points in 18 outings this season.
– He has registered five goals and nine points during his six-game streak.
– His point total is the third-highest among NHL defensemen entering tonight’s games.
– Dahlin, whose 59 points tied for the team lead with winger Alex Tuch last season, is tied for third this season with winger JJ Peterka.
– At his current pace, Dahlin would produce 23 goals and 73 points over a full season.
He scored a career-high 20 goals last season, becoming the first Sabres defenseman to crack the 20-goal mark since Phil Housley in 1989-90.
He recorded a career-high 73 points in 2022-23, becoming the first Sabres defenseman to reach the 70-point mark since Housley in 1989-90.
Dahlin and Housley are the only defensemen in franchise history to score at least 20 goals or 70 points in a season.
– Dahlin 11 assists rank second on the Sabres behind Tuch’s 12. At his current pace, Dahlin would record 50 this season. He registered a career-high 58 assists in 2022-23.
Only three defensemen in franchise history – Dahlin, Housley and John Van Boxmeer – have reached the 50-assist mark in a season.