‘It’s not good enough’ | Sabres fall to 0-3-0 to begin season

The Buffalo Sabres lost 3-1 to the Colorado Avalanche on Monday afternoon at KeyBank Center and are 0-3-0 to begin the 2025-26 campaign.

“It’s not good enough,” captain Rasmus Dahlin said. “Better start today, worse ending.”

Following Saturday’s loss in Boston, the Sabres stressed the need for a more competitive first period. They accomplished that against Colorado with 13 shots in the opening 20 minutes, including Tage Thompson’s first goal of the season to tie the game 1-1.

Second-period goals from Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon, however, left the Sabres chasing the game against a skilled and speedy Colorado team. Shots were an even 12-12 in the middle frame, then 15-4 Avalanche in the third.

“We were getting pucks to the net, bodies to the net, had a lot of chances,” Thompson said. “And then they made a push, and I felt like we didn’t have as much extended O-zone (time) after that where we could really even get to the net, because we didn’t have the puck. (We’ve) just got to find a way to be better.”

Coach Lindy Ruff attributed the strong start to effective breakouts, but his team didn’t fully capitalize on their early opportunities, converting on just one of six high-danger scoring chances in the first period, per Natural Stat Trick. And as the game progressed, the Avalanche were the ones applying consistent offensive pressure; high-danger chances were 10-5 in visitors’ favor over the final 40 minutes.

“I don't think we got up ice enough to help our forwards out,” Ruff said. “[Colorado] broke it out quicker, and some of our execution leaving the zone wasn't near as clean as it was in the first two periods.

“… First period, 25 to 30-second shift we spent in their zone, they chip it out, we went at them while they were changing. They flipped the table on us in the third period, and that hurt us."

Compared to Saturday, Buffalo got more bodies and created more chaos near goaltender Scott Wedgewood’s crease, and bouncing pucks killed promising scoring chances on multiple occasions. But with just two goals through three games, the Sabres know it’s time for results, not silver linings.

“We've got bodies that need to produce for us, for sure; a little bit of squeezing (the sticks) right now, but I think there was some good signs in that game,” Ruff said, referencing wide shots and mishandled pucks by Buffalo in the offensive zone.

“We have to work harder, we have to keep it more simple, we’ve got to score more, our power play has to get better,” Dahlin said.

Injuries and tough puck luck have done the Sabres no favors to begin the season, and they’ve acknowledged as much. With 79 games remaining, they’re determined to change the narrative and make these first few losses a distant memory.

“Obviously this sucks; no one wants to lose their first three games,” Thompson said. “But we’ve got an opportunity Wednesday to turn it around, and I think that’s all we’ve got to start doing: just look at the next game. Can’t keep looking back – last three games, last four seasons, last 14 seasons, whatever you want to do. We’ve just got to keep our sights set on what’s next. And for us, that’s Ottawa.”

Here's more from the loss.

Power play can't convert

As Ruff hinted at pregame, Buffalo shuffled its power-play units a bit, with Jiri Kulich and Jack Quinn elevating to the top unit and Alex Tuch joining the second group. But the results were largely the same; the Sabres went 0-for-3 on the man advantage Monday – with three total shots on goal – and are 0-for-11 to begin the season.

“We didn't handle their pressure well again,” Ruff said. “You’ve got to get that bumper release, or you’ve got to be able to get away from that pressure, and there was a few times we didn't get away from it quick enough.”

“Have a plan, know where the out is – that solves a lot of problems,” Dahlin added.

The group will look to get rolling against the Senators, who’ve allowed five power-play goals through three games to open the season.

MacKinnon causes problems

Pregame, Ruff also discussed the threat of Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon.

“There’s not a game that he doesn’t create something; he’s that good a player,” Ruff said. “Dynamic speed. He’s a dynamic rush player. You have to limit his opportunities knowing that he can create some those opportunities on his own. And he just does it every game.”

Monday was no exception. In the first period, MacKinnon opened the scoring by spinning away from the right boards, dancing through the slot and firing a backhand past Sabres goalie Alex Lyon. In the second, after a questionable Alex Tuch embellishment penalty created a 4-on-4 situation, the star center stickhandled through the left circle for his second of the game and a 3-1 Colorado lead.

The perennial Hart Trophy candidate is up to four goals and eight points through four games this season.

Samuelsson injured; Johnson enters

Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson was held out of the lineup due to a day-to-day injury; he could be ready for Wednesday’s game, Ruff said.

• Injuries and Transactions | Latest on Samuelsson, Benson, Norris, others

Ryan Johnson, a healthy scratch Saturday in Boston, re-entered the mix in Samuelsson’s place and skated 10:32. In the first period, Johnson poke-checked the puck away from Gavin Brindley to break up a scoring chance in the slot and leveled the Colorado forward for good measure.

Up next

The Senators visit KeyBank Center on Wednesday. Tickets are available here.

Coverage on MSG begins at 6:30 p.m. before puck drop at 7.