The Buffalo Sabres entered November with a 7-4-3 record and 17 points after winning three straight games. Jack Quinn’s scoring, Zach Benson’s play at even strength and Owen Power’s expanded role helped drive the start, while penalty killing remained a concern.
A team statistical report published Monday detailed Buffalo’s first 14 games, including four victories after overcoming deficits of at least two goals. No other NHL team had more than two such wins at that point.
Buffalo next hosts Ottawa at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, opening a four-game homestand. The game also marks the debut of the Sabres’ Hometown Remix uniforms.
Comebacks help build the early record
Three of Buffalo’s first four victories came after the team fell behind by two goals. The Sabres collected nine of their 17 points in games in which they trailed during the third period.
Their goal differential reflected that late strength: Buffalo was plus-8 in third periods and minus-8 in second periods.
The most recent road trip offered a different pattern. The Sabres went 3-0-1 and held a lead of at least two goals in each of the four games.
Quinn and Benson make an impact
Quinn scored eight goals in October, a sizable jump from his previous opening months. He scored once in October 2022, missed October 2023 with an injury, scored once in October 2024 and had three goals in October 2025.
He averaged 19 minutes, 16 seconds of ice time while playing on the second line and top power-play unit. His early scoring rate projected to 48 goals over a full season, compared with his previous career high of 20.
The opportunity comes after Alex Tuch’s departure, with Quinn set to become a restricted free agent next summer.
Benson’s results were especially strong at five-on-five. According to Natural Stat Trick figures cited by the Sabres, Buffalo held a 65.2% share of expected goals with him on the ice, ranking 11th among NHL players with at least 150 minutes played.
The actual goal margin was 15-5 in Buffalo’s favor. Benson also had nine primary assists, tying Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar for sixth in the league.
Benson spent time with Noah Östlund and Quinn before joining Tage Thompson and Peyton Krebs for two games. He missed Monday’s practice for maintenance; coach Lindy Ruff indicated there was no major issue.
Power carries a larger workload
Power averaged 26:39 of ice time per game, the fifth-highest figure in the NHL, while contributing 11 points on two goals and nine assists. Both goals were overtime winners.
He partnered with Olen Zellweger as Buffalo’s defensemen combined for 40 points, tied for third in the league.
Power also carried a substantial penalty-killing workload. Over the most recent four games, he logged 16:54 shorthanded, followed among Buffalo defensemen by Mattias Samuelsson at 14:41, Zellweger at 7:23 and Louis Crevier at 4:25.
Penalty killing has room to improve
Buffalo killed 68.6% of opposing power plays through the opening stretch, the NHL’s fourth-worst rate. Last season, the Sabres ranked fourth at 81.9%.
They allowed multiple power-play goals in four games and held opponents without a power-play goal in three. The unit is working through personnel changes following the departures of Tuch, Jordan Greenway and Bowen Byram.
Among forwards over the latest four games, Beck Malenstyn led Buffalo in shorthanded ice time at 12:02, followed by Ryan McLeod at 11:50, Benson at 8:58 and Josh Norris at 7:11.
Defenseman Conor Timmins returned to practice Monday after missing the season’s opening stretch with a lower-body injury. He previously averaged 3:02 per game on the penalty kill and recorded 24 blocked shots in 39 games, giving Buffalo another experienced option as it prepares for the homestand.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to news@fingerlakes1.com.
