BUFFALO, N.Y. — In a gripping matchup on March 25, 2025, the Buffalo Sabres edged out the Ottawa Senators with a narrow 3-2 victory, a win that not only marked a significant milestone for head coach Lindy Ruff but also deepened the Senators' playoff worries. Tage Thompson scored the go-ahead goal just 1:23 into the third period, propelling the Sabres to victory and solidifying Ruff’s legacy as the second coach in NHL history to achieve 600 wins with a single franchise.
Under Ruff's guidance, the Sabres improved their record to 600-467-90 with 78 ties, trailing only Al Arbour, who holds the record with 740 wins with the New York Islanders. This win was a testament to Ruff’s coaching prowess and a highlight in his second stint with the Sabres.
Despite the victory for Buffalo, the game was a frustrating experience for the Senators, who now find themselves having lost all three encounters against the Sabres this season. The Senators' stars, Brady Tkachuk and David Perron, both delivered power-play goals, but it was not enough to secure the win. The Ottawa Senators have dropped to a record of 37-28-5 this season, and their grip on the playoff picture has begun to slip amid rising tensions in the locker room.
“Sh-tty feeling, especially at this time of year, losing like that,” remarked Tkachuk after the game, summing up the collective disappointment among the Senators. As they kick off their Father’s Trip, they have now lost three of their last four games.
The game began with an electrifying pace, indicative of the high stakes. Tkachuk opened the scoring, taking advantage of an early power play with a slick shot just 1:35 into the game. Assisting on the goal was Dylan Cozens, who made his first emotional return to Buffalo since being traded from the Sabres on March 7, 2025. Cozens not only helped set the tone but continues to find his stride, collecting a point in eight of his nine games since joining the Senators.
However, the Sabres responded quickly; Jack Quinn equalized just before the end of the first period at 1:29, capitalizing on the Senators' temporary lapses in defense. Quinn shot a one-timer past Ottawa goalie Anton Forsberg, who finished the night with 21 saves but can hardly be blamed for the errors that cost his team the game.
The second period saw both teams trade blows. David Perron put Ottawa back in the lead with another power-play goal at 7:39, allowing the Senators to hold the momentum momentarily. But things changed again when Jacob Bernard-Docker, having just scored his first career goal with the Sabres, tied the game 2-2 at 12:56 of the second period. His shot from the blue line slipped past Forsberg in a moment the Senators desperately needed to prevent.
Then came Thompson's decisive moment. Capitalizing on a play set up by Zach Benson, Thompson shifted the momentum once again, driving home the game-winning goal early in the third period with a shot that Forsberg couldn’t stop. Thompson’s performance demonstrated why he is a critical asset to the Sabres as they continue to play spoiler in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Despite the Sabres’ winning streak, this loss raises questions for the Senators. Their inability to clinch victories against the league's struggling teams hinders their playoff aspirations. Tkachuk elaborated on the team’s need for urgency and consistency, saying, “We’ve just got to find a way. We play them one more time next week, and it’s a big one. We’ve got to find a way to bear down on every puck battle and do what it takes to win.”
As the Senators sit in the first wild card position in the Eastern Conference with only twelve games left in the season, every point counts. Consequently, they need to regroup quickly to maintain their playoff status. Coach Travis Green expressed his disappointment, saying, “I thought we made a couple of mistakes defensively that cost us goals, and ultimately we lost the game.”
Next, the Senators will head to Detroit on March 27, 2025, trying to reclaim their momentum. Conversely, the Sabres will look to continue their winning ways against Pittsburgh, staying on track as a potential spoiler as the playoff race heats up.
