Buffalo Sabres Coach Lindy Ruff Issues Warning After Team’s Close Call

The Buffalo Sabres showed grit—a trait that’s been missing during their 14-year playoff drought—by holding off a late surge from the Vancouver Canucks. Head coach Lindy Ruff called a timeout with just over four minutes remaining on Tuesday after the Sabres gave up two goals in 39 seconds, turning a comfortable 4-0 lead into a tense 4-3 game.

Ruff told reporters, “We’ve been in this situation many times, and we’ll face it again. Just stick to our game. The system is locked in, be ready for those hard wall battles. I thought the execution after that was solid, despite the pressure they were putting on.”

With the Eastern Conference so tightly packed, Buffalo can’t afford to lose games like this down the stretch. The Sabres entered Tuesday in 10th place, having dropped from seventh and ended a 10-game winning streak with a loss to Columbus. Their win over Vancouver moved them up to ninth, just four points behind Montreal for third in the Atlantic Division, keeping two paths to the playoffs open.

Ruff, now in his 25th NHL season as a head coach, praised his team’s response to his message in that critical late-game moment.

Individually, players like Rasmus Byram have stepped up during the team’s recent hot streak. Byram has tallied nine points (three goals, six assists) over the last seven games, a period in which Buffalo went 6-1-0. However, his long-term role may be uncertain, given the presence of Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, and a resurgent Mattias Samuelsson.

The Sabres could consider moving him in a package deal for a high-scoring forward to strengthen the roster further.