'Just an impressive human being' | Dahlin nets hat trick, 5 points in Toronto

TORONTO – Rasmus Dahlin leaned to his right as he watched his shot travel down the ice, as if to guide the puck into the empty Toronto net.

When it crossed the goal line, Dahlin had checked yet another box in his already decorated career: his first NHL hat trick, part of a five-point performance by the Buffalo Sabres captain in their 7-4 win over the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday.

“He said, ‘I don’t even know how to act because I’ve never done this before,’” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “We know there’s a lot of hockey left, but I’m happy for him.”

Ruff could have been talking about the hat trick, or the grander context behind it. The Sabres won their fourth straight game and improved to 19-3-1 since Dec. 9, the winningest 23-game span in franchise history.

It’s new territory for the team at large, but particularly for Dahlin and Tage Thompson, two players who arrived together in 2018 and have since spoken openly about their commitment to trying to build a winner in Buffalo. They both hit milestones on Tuesday: Dahlin with his 400th point, Thompson with a goal in his 500th game.

They’ve led a deep, balanced roster to third place in the Atlantic Division with a six-point cushion between them and the closest non-playoff team (Florida). They’re eight points ahead of Toronto following Tuesday’s win.

Their game on against the Maple Leafs was one of resilience. The Sabres had an early goal taken off the board due to an offside challenge, then fell behind twice in the first period. They lost starting goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to a lower-body injury on the second goal.

They responded to each dose of adversity – with goals from Josh Doan, Thompson, Alex Tuch and Jack Quinn in addition to the three from Dahlin, plus a 16-save performance in relief by Colten Ellis – and eventually their disciplined, up-tempo play led to them pulling away with a three-goal third period.

It was a resilience befitting a team captained by Dahlin, who’s played the season amid unimaginable circumstances. Dahlin announced prior to training camp that his fiancé, Carolina Matovac, was recovering from an emergency heart transplant. Just yesterday, Matovac announced in an Instagram post that the couple had experienced a pregnancy loss during the summer which contributed to the discovery of her heart failure.

“Obviously what he’s going through personally, I can’t even imagine,” Thompson said. “The fact that he’s here playing hockey and competing for us means the world to us and I think that just speaks to his character. How much he loves the team, how much he wants to win. And he’s not just playing, he’s leading by example. I can’t say enough good things about him and obviously the mental strength you have to have to be able to do what he’s doing is pretty impressive.”

Mattias Samuelsson summed up his friend and defense partner in a few short words.

“Just an impressive human being,” Samuelsson said.

Dahlin’s performance against the Maple Leafs – in a game with important standings implications, no less – was the full package of his all-world talents: quick puck movement out of the zone, deft skating, and offensive players of every variety.

Dahlin rushed down the left side of the ice and delivered a hard pass toward the blue paint for his first goal, which deflected in off a Maple Leafs defender. He took his forward prowess one step further for his second goal, which saw him cut to the Toronto net to deflect a shot from the point by Samuelsson.

In the third period, Dahlin reached into his bag of tricks for a talent he’s shown since his rookie season: a high, lofted pass from his own zone that lands on his teammate’s stick at the opposing blue line. Quinn was the benefactor for a goal on the rush.

“The young man’s gone through a lot, and I’m so happy for him that he’s getting rewarded for all the work and all the adversity that he’s faced,” Ruff said. “This has got to put a big smile on Carolina’s face, too.”

Dahlin was smiling, too, after the game – his sights set forward on the work still to be done, but with a clear appreciation for how far he and the Sabres have come.

“I’m just so happy I can be with this team, my brothers,” Dahlin said. “They help me every day. I could not have done this without them, that’s for sure.”

Here’s more from the win in Toronto.

Ellis steps up in relief

Luukkonen exited the game due to a lower-body injury just 12:14 into the first period. Ruff said the goaltender will be evaluated by doctors on Wednesday.

Ellis stepped in for his first action since Jan. 15 and held the Maple Leafs to two goals the rest of the way.

“I thought Ellie came in and made some good saves for us, and I think the team really rallied around him,” Ruff said.

Samuelsson’s big night

Samuelsson had a career-high three assists, his second three-point performance of the season.

“But Ras had to steal the show with five,” he said. “Yeah, it's fun to be involved in the game on both sides of the ice.”

Sticking with it

Odd bounces led to a back-and-forth first half of the contest, which saw the score tied on three separate occasions. Two Maple Leafs goals were scored off loose pucks caused by blocked shots. The Sabres got their bounces too, with Doan’s goal banking in off a defender’s outstretched stick.

But, eventually, the Sabres’ detailed defense and fast-paced offense began to outweigh and puck luck for either side. They took the lead permanently on Dahlin’s second goal, scored with 1:43 remaining in the second period, then pulled away with goals from Tuch and Quinn in the third.

The Sabres finished the night with a 31-23 edge in shots.

“We just keep going to work,” Samuelsson said. “I think we have a pretty talented group that can score goals, so just stick with the game plan. Keep hunting pucks, keep getting after the other team, and good things will come. I don't think there's really much panic in this room.”

Up next

The Sabres return home to host the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. It will be the team's annual Black History Celebration, featuring contributions from local Black artists, entrepreneurs and entertainers.

Tickets are available here.

Coverage on MSG begins at 6:30 p.m. with puck drop scheduled for 7.