BUFFALO – Early in the second period of the Sabres’ eighth consecutive win, Mattias Samuelsson, once the object of derision from a frustrated fan base, illustrated in a matter of seconds why he has quietly developed into one of the NHL’s top defensemen.
With the Sabres trailing the Boston Bruins 1-0 on Saturday, sniper Morgan Geekie carried the puck behind Buffalo’s net looking to make a play. But Samuelsson drove Geekie into the end boards, forcing him to get rid of it early and turn the puck over.
Sabres winger Jack Quinn dished the puck to Samuelsson, who led the charge up the ice from deep in Boston territory through the neutral zone before passing it back to Quinn.
A few seconds later, center Ryan McLeod scored from the right circle, the first of three goals in a span of 6:15 that Samuelsson had a hand in in the Sabres’ 4-1 win before a noisy capacity crowd of 19,070 fans.
After registering the secondary assist on winger Peyton Krebs’ goal at 6:15, he scored from the top of the left circle at 7:54, his sixth goal and 18th point in his 35th outing this season.
Samuelsson set his previous career highs – four goals and 14 points – in 62 games last year, when he struggled so much he became a healthy scratch as he battled more injuries.
“I think confidence plays a big part in it, and just trusting yourself when you get chances that you can create, make plays,” he said of his offensive exploits. “For me, as a defenseman, you don’t only have to play defense, you can get involved.”
Right now, Samuelsson, 25, having morphed into a shutdown defender again, is brimming with confidence and contributing in nearly every area.
Thirty-seven games into the season, a strong argument can be made the 6-foot-4, 229-pound Samuelsson is the Sabres’ MVP and perhaps the NHL’s best comeback story.
Without the services of captain Rasmus Dahlin, their most talented defenseman, against the Bruins, the Sabres sorely needed someone to step up, and he filled his skates.
“I don’t think I went into the game thinking I got to fill that gap that Ras, obviously, fills, but I just tried to step up any way I could, play a lot of minutes in his absence,” Samuelsson said. “… If that was block 10 shots and play good defense, then I would’ve done that, but (I was) lucky enough to chip in offensively.”
In addition to becoming the first Sabres player to record three points in one period this season, Samuelsson skated 24 minutes, 56 seconds, registered a team-high six hits and blocked two shots.
“His physicality has been really good this year,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “I think he ends a lot of plays. He’s really on top of his game, I mean, from what he’s done chipping in offensively and the work he’s done on the PK. And then playing against every top line and big minutes every night, he’s really playing a good brand of hockey for us.”
Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who made 21 saves, said Samuelsson’s calmness and strong presence on the ice has caught his eye.
“Even in the offensive zone, I think he slows the game down for us in good way,” he said. “… But especially when we’re talking about defense, I think he controls a lot of the ice. He’s unbelievable with his stick, especially when it comes to defending.
“I feel like just overall you can see just how much improvement he has done.”
Ruff said he expects Dahlin to meet the Sabres in St. Louis, where they begin a three-game road trip Monday against the Blues. He returned to Sweden over the Christmas break to be with his fiancée, Carolina Matovac.
Dahlin missed three games in November to visit Matovac, who has been rehabbing after experiencing major heart failure and undergoing a heart transplant in the summer.
“I really think the guys wanted to win one for Ras,” Ruff said. “With all the stuff that he’s dealt with and all he’s come back and given our team.”
Ruff said he was texting with Dahlin before the game. Around 6 p.m., Ruff called him.
“I just told him to go to bed, get some sleep and we’ll see you in St. Louis,” he said. “He said, ‘No, I’m staying up to watch the game.’ I should’ve asked him if his mom and dad are going to let him stay up that late.”
Center Josh Norris scored a late empty-net goal for the Sabres, who rank ninth in the Eastern Conference. They’re one of four teams who have earned 42 points. The Florida Panthers own the tiebreaker, so right now, they have the second wild card spot.
This is the Sabres’ longest win streak since their 10-game run in November 2018.
