3 Keys to Sabres Getting Back on Track vs. Blackhawks in Home Opener

The Buffalo Sabres opened their season on the road in Columbus and came away with a 6–3 loss. It wasn’t the start they were hoping for, but that’s why all 84 games are played, and there’s plenty of time to settle in and find their rhythm.

Now the focus shifts to the weekend, where the Sabres host the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night for their home opener. The atmosphere at KeyBank Center should be electric, and Buffalo will be looking to reset, respond, and pick up their first win of the 2026–27 season.

Here are three keys for the Sabres to get back on track against the Blackhawks.

Goaltending & Defense Needs to Be Better

I’m grouping the goaltending and defense together because in the loss to Columbus, both areas struggled in ways that fed into each other. Ukko‑Pekka Luukkonen, who got the nod in the opener, simply wasn’t sharp. He allowed five goals on 22 shots, and while not all of them were his fault, it was a shaky performance overall.

With that showing, it’ll be interesting to see whether the Sabres give him another start or turn to Colten Ellis. Head coach Lindy Ruff has always leaned toward riding the hot hand, and early in the season, finding a goaltender who can get into a rhythm quickly can be a major advantage in setting the tone.

Defensively, the team needs to tighten up, and that includes both the blue line and the forwards. There were stretches where they defended well, but Columbus capitalized whenever Buffalo’s structure slipped. Three of the five goals Luukkonen allowed came off deflections where the Sabres failed to tie up sticks or box out in front. The most glaring example was Sean Monahan’s power‑play goal in the third period: Four Sabres surrounded him, yet no one tied up his stick or stepped into the lane, allowing a clean deflection to restore Columbus’ two‑goal lead.

Another goal came from point‑blank range, when new Blue Jacket Matthew Knies found a soft spot in the penalty kill and buried a high‑danger chance for his first goal with the franchise. Buffalo’s coverage simply wasn’t tight enough, and Columbus made them pay.

It will help that the blue line is getting healthier as Olen Zellweger is set to make his Sabres debut according to Ruff, but as a unit they need to clean up their mistakes.

Special Teams Needs to Step Up

If there was one area that clearly struggled against the Blue Jackets, it was the special teams. The power play went zero for five, despite having a full two‑minute 5‑on‑3. The penalty kill didn’t fare much better, allowing two goals on three Columbus opportunities.

Starting with the power play, Buffalo simply has too much talent to come up empty that often. The first unit alone features Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, Konsta Helenius, Zach Benson, and Josh Norris, a group capable of breaking games open. Helenius came close to scoring a power-play goal but the man advantage had expired 10 earlier.

The penalty kill also looked unlike the unit that was so reliable last season. Both goals allowed came from Blue Jackets players finding soft spots in the slot and finishing cleanly. The structure wasn’t sharp, and the coverage broke down at key moments. If the Sabres want to win Saturday, their special teams needs to be much better.

Need Top Guys to Produce

The final key for Buffalo on Saturday is getting production from their superstars. It’s only one game into the season, so there’s no reason to panic with 83 still to go, but in front of a packed home crowd, nothing would energize the building more than Thompson or Dahlin making a statement whether by a goal, a big play, or simply taking over when the puck is on their stick.

They don’t need record‑setting nights, but a goal or an assist from either of them would give fans a boost of confidence as the season settles in. Helenius scoring in his debut and the middle six chipping in was a great sign, but when that production is paired with Thompson and Dahlin at full speed, the Sabres become one of the toughest teams in the league to contain.

Buffalo needs to fire on all cylinders Saturday when the Blackhawks come to town. Chicago will be playing their third game in five days, all on the road, and the Sabres have to take advantage of that scheduling edge. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET.