Notable numbers from a quarter-season of Sabres hockey

Believe it or not, the Buffalo Sabres have already passed the quarter mark of the 2025-26 season.

Twenty-two games into their schedule, they’ve already dealt with a lot: injuries, goaltending conversations, up-and-down special teams, offensive explosions, hot stretches and losing streaks, home-ice dominance and road struggles, and more.

Through it all, the Sabres remain right in the thick of the crowded Eastern Conference playoff race, and they believe their best hockey is still ahead of them. Here are some numbers that have defined Buffalo’s season to date.

All rankings are through the games of Monday, Nov. 24.

10

Notable absences

A mix of injuries, health and personal issues have left the Sabres without 10 (projected) lineup staples for substantial periods of time. Here’s the list, ordered by most to fewest games missed:

Josh Norris (upper), Justin Danforth (lower), Michael Kesselring (lower), Zach Benson (face/lower), Jordan Greenway (middle), Jiri Kulich (blood clot), Jason Zucker (illness), Tyson Kozak (lower), Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (lower) and Rasmus Dahlin (personal).

With luck, the Sabres are on the tail end of that perfect storm. Zucker and Benson returned over the weekend to provide immediate boosts, while Norris, injured on opening night, has been a full participant in practice and could re-enter the lineup as soon as this weekend, coach Lindy Ruff said Tuesday.

"Every day you just try to push it a little bit more, and I’m getting to that point where I’m getting really close, so it’s exciting," Norris said.

Danforth, Kulich and Kesselring, however, remain out with no clear timeline for their returns.

• Injuries and transactions | Latest on Norris, Kesselring, Kulich, Danforth

3

Wins for each goalie

Alex Lyon started 11 of the first 15 games, then Colten Ellis played four of five, and now Luukkonen has gotten the last two. The result? Three wins for each guy so far, and no end in (immediate) sight for Buffalo’s three-goalie roster.

Together, the trio has given the Sabres better goaltending than they got in 2024-25, with an .892 save percentage (19th best in the NHL) compared to last season’s .880 (31st).

Last year the Sabres’ goalies combined for a .764 save percentage on high-danger chances, per Natural Stat Trick, which ranked last in the league. This season that’s improved to .805, which ranks 19th.

GSAE: Goals saved above expected, per Stathletes

87.7%

On the penalty kill

Buffalo’s penalty kill continues to lead the league, and the group has yet to allow multiple power-play goals in a game.

Offseason trade acquisition Conor Timmins has an NHL-leading 17 shorthanded shot blocks, and Mattias Samuelsson ranks eighth on that list with 11; Samuelsson also has an NHL-best 11 hits while shorthanded. Those defensemen have been staples on the kill, as have forwards Ryan McLeod, Alex Tuch and Beck Malenstyn.

The Sabres have scored three shorthanded goals, tied for fourth most in the league, and they've each come at key moments in eventual wins. Both of McLeod’s tied things up against Ottawa and Detroit, while Tuch’s provided late insurance to put away the Maple Leafs.

The man advantage, meanwhile, ranks 20th at 17.9 percent. That’s skewed a bit by an 0-for-11 start, and the units have looked better of late with four power-play goals in the last six games. And the power play has been shorthanded, in a sense, going stretches without first-unit guys like Norris, Benson, Zucker and Dahlin.

8-4-2

On home ice

KeyBank Center has been kind to the Sabres, who just completed a 3-1-0 homestand and have scored 3.43 goals per game at home this season – seventh best in the NHL. They’ve allowed just 2.79 per home game, which ranks 12th best.

The road has been a different story, with a 1-5-2 record and 4.50 goals against, on average. Buffalo’s only road win came in its most recent game, the three-goal comeback on Nov. 15 at Detroit.

With eight of their next 10 and 12 of their next 17 games on the road, the Sabres know their home-ice success needs to start traveling.

"We’re right there in a lot of the road games, but we haven’t finished the deal," Ruff said. "We’ve got to be a better team, whether you get into the third period and you’re tied or go you ahead, at preserving that win."

4

Points out of the playoff picture

For all their ups and downs, the Sabres have stayed within striking distance in the Eastern Conference. They sit just four points behind Boston for the second wild-card spot and six points behind Tampa Bay for first place in the Atlantic Division.

They’ll need to go on a run to stay in the mix, but this past week, and the returns of several up-in-the-lineup players, suggest they’re up to the task.

Now, some notes from Tuesday’s practice at KeyBank Center.

Tuesday's practice lines

Luukkonen expected to start Wednesday

Having occupied his own net during practice, Luukkonen is expected to make a third straight start Wednesday at Pittsburgh. He's stopped 49 of 53 shots (.925) between the last two.

"I would say he's looked good in the two starts, and he's won two games," Ruff said. “I think it’s going to take him a few more – he’s getting comfortable with playing again – but I’ve liked his game.

"I think he's been able to pick up some stuff through traffic, and that's probably the hardest part, with the amount of people that get in front of your goaltender nowadays. He looks refreshed back there, so you just put that all together and hope he can just build confidence off of that."

Up next

The Sabres fly to Pittsburgh to take on the Penguins on Wednesday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m., with MSG's pregame coverage starting at 6:30.