The Buffalo Sabres‘ power play has been abysmal through the season’s first few games, but that changed on Monday afternoon.
The Sabres entered Monday’s matchup vs. the Florida Panthers with one of the NHL’s worst power-play units. Buffalo was a staggering 1-for-17 on the man advantage, which averaged to a conversion percentage of just 5.9.
In the Sabres’ 5-3 win over Florida, instead of looking lethargic again, Buffalo went 2-for-5. It may be just one good game for the unit. But it might be the spark the Sabres needed to finally get the man advantage moving in the right direction.
Buffalo Sabres Find An Answer To Their Power Play Woes
The power play was a true difference-maker. With the Sabres and Panthers deadlocked 1-1, Rasmus Dahlin fired an 83-mph rocket toward the net to put Buffalo ahead. Noah Ostlund made this one happen, showing incredible stick work down low.
He fired to Benson, who drew in two Panthers players. Benson found Tage Thompson behind the net. Tage relayed to Jack Quinn, who then found Dahlin near the left circle. Dahlin did the rest and notched his second goal of the season.
Unfortunately for the Sabres, they lost Dahlin to an upper-body injury later in the game. That put a dagger into the afternoon, but the power play still managed to help Buffalo win this hard-fought battle.
The Sabres’ second power-play goal came in the third period, with the game tied 3-3. Benson retrieved the puck from behind the net. He fired to Quinn, who found Tage skating up the ice. Tage fired back to Quinn, who found Benson charging the net.
Benson showed incredible awareness, finding Ostlund, who was near the crease. That led to Ostlund firing one into the net to break the tie.
Sabres Could Have Catapulted Their Power Play On Monday
It’s only one game, and the Sabres are still just 3-for-22 on the man advantage, good for a 13.6 percentage. They also faced a team whose penalty kill was just 77.27. But that shouldn’t deter Sabres fans from getting optimistic.
Buffalo has an arsenal of seasoned veterans and younger talent capable of scoring at will — something they proved when they finished fifth in the league with 283 goals in 2025-26. That team wasn’t outstanding on the power play, converting just 19.51 percent of its opportunities. But it still scored on 48 of its chances.
It’s also still early in the season, and teams are working their way into something that at least resembles midseason form. Whether the unit improves on its numbers from last season remains to be seen. But if the power play once again becomes a viable supplement to a high-octane scoring attack the Sabres have owned in the past, they will force opponents to account for it.
The Buffalo Sabres will get a chance to build on their success on Tuesday night when they venture into Quebec to face the Montreal Canadiens. Should the Sabres enjoy a repeat performance or something close to it, this power play unit will be worth watching.
Buffalo Sabres’ Ugly Power-Play Numbers Flip in One Afternoon