Locked On Sabres - Daily Podcast On The Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres have come out of the Olympic break firing on all cylinders, winning all three games on the road. Most impressive is a road win against the East's best Tampa Bay Lightning, after playing the night before, by a score of 6-2! In one of their best wins of the season, the Sabres proved that this team is capable of achieving more than squeaking into the playoffs. They proved they can give the Lightning a run for their money if they meet in the postseason. Some sites now have the Sabres as high as 97% to make the...

One week away from the NHL trade deadline and the Buffalo Sabres have yet to be involved in many rumors. What will Jarmo Kekäläinen go after on his first big day as Sabres GM? If it's a forward, the likes of Owen Tippett, Nazem Kadri, Vincent Trocheck, and Jake DeBrusk are all good forwards who are available. Which of the four is the best idea? Sneaky Joe breaks down what each guy offers, but also what the risk is on each. Tippett is the youngest, but has the longest contract. Does that scare us? Is Kadri too ol...

The Buffalo Sabres got back at it with a victory in New Jersey, led by a two point effort by Tage Thompson. A great shot on the Sabres' first goal, and a great pass to Peyton Krebs on the game-winning goal, Tage was a direct contributor on the Sabres' only two goals of the game. And on the game winner, Tage stripped Jack Hughes, his Team USA teammate. Krebs answered the bell playing on the top line, something he's had decent success at all season long. Mattias Samuelsson was dominant with some crazy good shot stats that prove it...

The Buffalo Sabres have a five point lead on a playoff spot coming out of the Olympic break and begin with a road game against a bad New Jersey Devils team. Are the Devils as bad as their record says? With Tage Thompson ready to go, Josh Norris, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen ready to go the Sabres are equipped to get the win and pad their lead over Columbus and Washington. Plus, Joe loves Noah Ostlund to score not just one goal, but TWO GOALS tonight playing on a great line with Norris and Josh Doan. And why we should...

Out of the Olympic hockey break, the Buffalo Sabres are in great shape to make the playoffs, with a five point lead on the first teams out. Looking at the upcoming schedule, and playoff odds, there's one potential playoff matchup that looks more likely for Buffalo than any other matchup. A meeting with the Montreal Canadiens. Will both teams continue playing well enough to play a fast, fun series in Round 1? Plus, a look at the upcoming schedule, which features a lot of road games, against very good teams for the Sabres, making Wednesday against the Devils even more...

For the first time in 46 years, Team USA wins the Gold Medal, beating Canada in overtime 2-1! Tage Thompson becomes the first Buffalo Sabre to win Gold in almost thirty years, almost scoring multiple times in the final game. Jack Hughes is the hero in OT, but it's Connor Hellebuyck with the legacy game, cementing himself as the greatest American goalie ever, with dozens of incredible saves to keep USA in the game. Plus, Owen Power and Josh Doan could be good picks to make the next Olympics for USA and Canada, with both teams seeing important players aging...

Team USA stuns Team Canada with Jack Hughes’ overtime heroics to clinch gold, marking a historic double as both U.S. men’s and women’s teams take top honors. Is this the start of a new era in international hockey, or will Canada’s depth and Connor McDavid’s star power rebound in the next Olympics?

Gil Martin, Eddie Garcia, David Morassutti, Zach Berman and Armando Velez break down the Olympic gold medal thriller, spotlighting Connor Hellebuyck’s record-setting goaltending and Canada’s struggles following Sidney Crosby’s absence. Conversation heats up with debate over the MVP selection, i...

Tage Thompson lights the lamp for the third time in the Olympics in Team USA's huge win over Slovakia to advance to the Gold Medal game against Canada! Thompson's powerplay success continues, and he continues to show good chemistry with Jack Eichel on the man-advantage. Thompson now leads the US in goals per 60 minutes of ice-time. However, Tage was injured during the second period. Should we be worried about his status for the Gold Medal game and for the Buffalo Sabres restart? Plus, Canada's comeback against Finland, and Macklin Celebrini showing the hockey world that he's going to be...

USA and Canada set up a dream gold medal showdown after dominating in Olympic hockey semifinals—can Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon outduel the American stars for gold? Goaltending and blue line depth take center stage as Sidney Crosby’s possible return adds extra drama, while Brad Marchand’s leadership fuels Canada’s comeback momentum.

Gil Martin, David Morassutti, and Kyle Kjer break down Canada’s resilience, Team USA’s offensive explosion led by Jack Hughes and the Tkachuk brothers, and the impact of Zach Werenski on the American blue line. Key topics include Finland’s collapse after a hot st...

USA Women seize Olympic gold in dramatic overtime, stunning Team Canada and cementing a new era of rivalry. Is Canada's reign slipping with a generational shift underway? Hilary Knight’s heroic goals power Team USA, while Marie-Philip Poulin’s injury exposes Canada’s reliance on veteran stars. The squad examines whether physical contact rules in women’s Olympic hockey should evolve as skill, pace, and grit reach new heights.

Gil Martin, David Morassutti, Kyle Kjer, and Glenn Dreyfuss break down key moments, including the controversial penalty and Switzerland’s bronze medal win. Insights focus on the emergence of youth i...

Tage Thompson and Team USA are continuing on at the Olympics, while Rasmus Dahlin and Sweden are going home, after Quinn Hughes wins it for the US in a thrilling overtime win in the quarterfinals! Tage's line finally finds the back of the net on a great deflection by Dylan Larkin, which got the US out to a 1-0 lead. After JT Miller and Vincent Trocheck blew that lead in the final minutes, Quinn Hughes put the cape on and won it in overtime with an amazing wrist shot, to send the US to the semis where they will...

Canada and Team USA punch their tickets to the Olympic hockey semifinals after gripping overtime battles. Are NHL stars elevating the sport’s global stage and making these games must-watch? Sidney Crosby’s injury shakes up the Penguins’ playoff outlook, while Mitch Marner’s clutch heroics spark Leafs fans and ignite Twitter with debate about his legacy. Unforgettable moments abound as controversial officiating, intense trash talk, and maple syrup celebrations fuel the drama.

Gil Martin, David Morassutti, and Zach Berman dissect Canada’s narrow escape against Czechia and Team USA’s gritty win over Sweden. Key topics include the...

USA and Canada women’s hockey set up a classic gold medal showdown, but is the lack of parity hurting the sport’s global growth? Gil Martin, Eddie Garcia, Zach Berman, and Glenn Dreyfus break down Team USA’s defensive dominance, Marie-Philip Poulin’s crucial return for Canada, and the uphill battle facing Swedish and Czech programs. The hosts debate whether dynasties boost or hinder Olympic excitement, and consider what it would mean for Canada to stage a Miracle on Ice upset.

The roundtable also tackles Tom Wilson’s rare Olympic fight, the fallout from Kevin Fiala’s injury, an...

The preliminary round of the men's Olympic ice hockey tournament is over and Team USA got SCREWED. Thanks to an upset Slovakia win of Group B, and Sweden falling to the 7-seed in the tournament, Tage Thompson and USA will play Rasmus Dahlin and Sweden in the quarterfinals, should Sweden beat Latvia on Tuesday. This sets up an incredibly difficult path to the Gold Medal for USA, that will likely have to include wins over Sweden, Finland, AND Canada to win it all. This is also thanks to a terrible tiebreaker that causes Germany to be a higher seed...

Finland shocks Sweden with a commanding 4-1 win in a fierce Nordic rivalry, as Juuse Saros rebounds with standout goaltending and Mikko Rantanen finds the scoresheet. Can Sweden bounce back after defensive lapses and an underwhelming performance from its blue line? Gil Martin, David Morasuti, and Glenn Dreyfus break down the dramatic shift in Group play, highlight William Nylander’s return from injury, and spotlight Slovakia’s narrow escape against a spirited Italy fueled by Damian Clara’s 35-save effort.

Canada flexes its offensive muscle with the McDavid-MacKinnon-Celebrini line, all scoring in a 3-goal outburst against Switzerland, with t...

Team USA opened their Olympic campaign in men's hockey against Latvia, and in his first ever Olympic game, Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson found the back of the net! Tage's powerplay goal came in the second period when the game was still close, a huge moment for him in his career. Was he on his way to Mike Sullivan's dog house when he scored the goal? Sneaky Joe breaks down Tage's game and the feeling when Tage got benched for a couple of shifts. Meanwhile, Brock Nelson and the rest of Team USA looked amazing, winning 5-1 over the...

Slovakia shock Finland as Juraj Slafkovsky and Simon Nemec make a statement—could their Olympic hockey run upset the favorites? Canada assert their dominance, with Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Macklin Celebrini igniting early, while questions linger about Finland’s goaltending and Sweden’s struggles. The hosts highlight the evolving Olympic tournament, from surprise upsets and breakout performances to fierce rivalries and roster intrigue.

Gil Martin, David Morrassuti, Zach Berman, and Ian McLaren break down key moments as Canada’s star-studded lineup dismantles Czechia and Team USA’s depth makes waves against Latvia. Insights include Switzerland and Germany’s...

On the opening day of the men's hockey tournament at the Olympics, Rasmus Dahlin was one of the stories of the day, putting up a much needed three assist performance as Sweden nearly suffers a catastrophic loss to Italy. Dahlin looked like the best player on a very talented Swedish roster, and made an incredible to get the team the lead late, which they never gave back to the Italians. Could Dahlin have a look at MVP of the tourney? Plus, Tage Thompson is getting a look on Team USA's top powerplay unit, but could be playing in a...

Team USA Women shock Team Canada with a dominant 5-0 victory—has the balance of power shifted in Olympic hockey? Gil Martin leads the debate with David Morassutti and Glenn Dreyfuss, spotlighting the Americans’ airtight defense, standout performances from Hannah Bilka and Laila Edwards, and the historic inclusion of three Black players in a single Olympic game. The crew questions if Team Canada can recover from this lopsided loss, debating what adjustments Marie-Philip Poulin’s return might spark and whether the U.S. could be overconfident heading toward a likely gold medal rematch. Turning to the men’s tournament, the pane...

The Buffalo Sabres are going to be a buyer at the trade deadline for the first time in over a decade and there are A LOT of good options for them both at forward and defenseman. The biggest ideas being Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues, two very good top liners. Thomas would give the Sabres another top-center, while Kyrou would be the right speedy, scoring winger for the group. On the blueline, Blues' veteran Justin Faulk is an intriguing idea, but third pair options like Logan Stanley of the Jets, and old friend Tyler...

Team USA and Team Canada dominate the Olympic women’s hockey tournament—are they locked in for another gold medal showdown? Hilary Knight breaks records while Marie-Philip Poulin’s injury sparks new questions. Is Sweden or Czechia ready to crash the party and claim bronze, or is the gap still too wide?

Glenn Dreyfuss, Gil Martin, and Kyle Kjer spotlight the rivalry series, competitive edge from the PWHL, and how legendary goaltenders like Ann-Renée Desbiens are tipping the balance. Key topics include USA’s offensive surge, power play threats, and the impact of increased professional opportunities for women...

All of the players have arrived in Milan for the Olympics, including Tage Thompson with Team USA and Rasmus Dahlin with Team Sweden. Tage and USA have never had this great a chance to win gold, with talent that is on par with Team Canada. Sneaky Joe loves where Tage is lining up in the first couple practices, on the wing, with Dylan Larkin as his center on the third line. Who will Tage's other linemate be? Looks like it'll be either Jack Hughes or Kyle Connor. Plus, a sign that Sweden is about to unleash Dahlin on the...

Sabres fans are annoyed at a 5-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins being the lasting taste for the next twenty days, as the NHL heads into the Olympic break. Despite a tough loss to the Pens, the Sabres are still in very good shape in the big picture of ending the playoff drought. The playoff odds are still north of 80%, and there is still a sizeable gap between the Sabres and the first teams out of the playoffs. Only some lessons should be taken from the loss. The Sabres need to upgrade the bottom of their blueline, as Jacob...

The Buffalo Sabres can sit in second place in the Atlantic Division throughout the entire Olympic break with a win against the Penguins on home ice. Bypassing Montreal and Detroit could do a lot for fan vibes over the next three weeks. The Sabres will have to do it without Zach Benson and Josh Norris who won't return until after the break. What has made the Penguins so good this year after three bad years in a row? Evgeni Malkin's resurgence has been out of nowhere and critical to the Pens sitting in second place in the Metropolitan division...

The Buffalo Sabres had a lead against the Tampa Bay Lightning with 25 seconds to go. The Lightning tied the game and won it in overtime. Peyton Krebs made mistakes on both the tying goal and the winning goal, ESPECIALLY THE WINNING GOAL. However, there is reason to feel really good about the way the Florida road trip went, with three points out of a possible four. Including getting one point on the road, on the second of a back-to-back, with a backup goalie, against the best team in the Eastern Conference. The point puts the Sabres back into the...

On the road against the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Buffalo Sabres got off to a terrible start, down two goals early. Then, Lindy Ruff rallied the troops, kicked their butts into gear, and came back to win. Led by a three-point night by Peyton Krebs, one of the best games of his entire career. The Sabres again proved they're a team that is not going to take an entire night off, even if they do fall asleep for a period here and there. With the win, the Sabres playoff odds have skyrocketed, as they have at least...

Following a loss to Montreal, the Sabres find themselves in the final spot in the East playoff picture. BUT NO NEED TO FEAR! The standings are still looking good both above and below them. However, this has become a big week with the Olympic break coming after just three more games. The Sabres have three tough opponents coming up to try and, at least, keep the cushion at six points between themselves and the first teams out. A preview of Sabres-Panthers shows a winnable game, with a lot of injuries still going on, on the Florida side of things...

Alex Tuch is in the final year of his contract with the Buffalo Sabres, while being the team's second leading scorer, following a hat-trick in the Sabres win over the LA Kings. As the Sabres continue to solidify their position in the playoff picture, and the trade deadline rapidly approaching, Sneaky Joe believes trading Alex Tuch away would be malpractice and the idea is a complete non-starter. Whether he leaves for nothing in free agency or not. Tuch continues to be a consistent offensive weapon for the Sabres at even-strength and on the penalty kill. What would it take...

The Buffalo Sabres walked into Toronto, looking to put the Maple Leafs down in the playoff race, and they did exactly that with a 7-4 win. The hero of this game? Rasmus Dahlin gets his first career hat-trick and two assists to go with it, as he took the game over. Dahlin, who has dealt with so much personally, showing up for the Sabres has been one of the best stories of the season. A look at his goals shows the strength of the Sabres, their defensemen getting into the offensive game. Mattias Samuelsson adds to that with a...

For the first time in a very long time, the Buffalo Sabres are a better hockey team than the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Sabres have been getting great goaltending, scoring from their blueline, and a consistent effort from all four lines. Their results have followed suit. Meanwhile up in Toronto, the Leafs are giving up more goals than anyone, can't score on the powerplay, and are sorely missing Mitch Marner. What is wrong with Auston Matthews, who is under a point per game for the first time since his rookie season. Numbers back up that the Sabres are the...

The Buffalo Sabres have not one hot goalie, not two hot goalies, but THREE hot goalies since their winning ways started in early December. Alex Lyon is now tied for the Sabres franchise record for wins in a row with nine, one away from having it all to himself after shutting out the New York Islanders. Numbers show that since the ten-game win streak began, Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen have been top-10 goalies in the NHL, while Colten Ellis has been a top-20 goalie. It's looking more and more like a three-headed monster that the Sabres will keep going...

The Buffalo Sabres had a massive game in the standings against the Canadiens, and they went into Montréal and grabbed two points. Jumping out to another hot start, featuring Jason Zucker, the kid line getting another goal, this time from Zach Benson, and a sixty minute effort from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen got the job done. The win puts the Sabres within two points of Montréal for a top-three spot in the Atlantic Division. However, the win was another game where the Sabres got out to a multi goal lead, that they nearly blew. NEARLY. Once again, after a pa...

The Buffalo Sabres and Josh Doan have agreed on a new seven year contract worth $6.95M per year! Doan has been one of the best surprises of the season, adding an offensive element to his incredible effort physically and defensively, for a terrific all around player. At just 23-years old, this feels like a great time to get a deal done. The trade looking back for Doan and Michael Kesselring for JJ Peterka is looking better and better for the Sabres. Will Doan keep up his goal scoring year to year?

With Doan, where do the Sabres...

Lindy Ruff put together a kid line of Zach Benson - Noah Ostlund - Konsta Helenius for the last two games, and in Nashville that line went off in the first period. Two Ostlund goals and a three point effort from Helenius, including his first NHL goal, got the Sabres out to a big lead early that they needed having played the night before. Helenius showed off his amazing shot and the line showed they were the ones that were going to have the energy, despite playing back to back nights. Was the Sabres collapse defendable? Panic play in...

The Buffalo Sabres went down to Carolina looking for their first win their in a decade, and looked like they were going to pull it off, before Brandon Bussi had something to say about it. The Hurricanes' hot rookie goaltender stood on his head on several occasions to rob Tage Thompson and other Sabres' from at least two, if not three, sure thing goals. Not to mention the Hurricanes being allowed to tackle the Sabres for the entire 3rd period without a penalty and a horrible call on Owen Power for tripping that led to the game winning goal...

Buffalo Sabres fans couldn't have had a better night on 2005-06 Reunion Night, with a great ceremony before the game bringing back all the alumni of 20 years ago, and the team on the ice gave them a ton to cheer about afterwards. Tage Thompson was the catalyst for all of that, with a point on every one of the Sabres goals, including a hat-trick. Tage was on fire, scoring on almost every opportunity he had, setting up Alex Tuch for probably his nicest assist of the season, and icing the game with a massive empty netter to beat the...

The Buffalo Sabres are hosting 05-06 reunion night celebrating what Sneaky Joe calls the most BELOVED team in Buffalo Sabres history. We head down memory lane remembering Brain Campbell's hit on RJ Umberger, Danny Briere's double OT winner vs Philadelphia, Tim Connolly's heroics against the Senators in Game 1, and plenty of other amazing memories. If this Sabres team could steal one player from that team, who should it be? Ryan Miller might end up being the most popular answer.

Plus, the Sabres get a 5-2 win over the Flyers, despite only generating 14 shots on goal. Was it...

The Buffalo Sabres have a lot of things that are working right now. The one thing that is going HORRIBLY wrong is the powerplay. The Sabres powerplay has been at it's best this year when Zach Benson has been on the number-one unit. However, who's spot would Benson take with Josh Doan and Jason Zucker being two of their most reliable players on the man-advantage this year. Should Lindy Ruff consider moving Tage Thompson to a different spot or even off the number-one unit? Sneaky Joe likes the idea of moving Tage to the high-slot and finding a way...

The Buffalo Sabres are ahead in the Eastern Conference playoff race, sitting in the first Wild Card position, over their Monday opponent, the Florida Panthers. With all games this week being at home, the Sabres need big performances to build a lead over the likes of Florida, Washington, and to track down Montreal for the third spot in the Atlantic Divison.

Sneaky Joe looks at the Panthers matchup, with Florida still missing Alek Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk, but now also their leading scorer Brad Marchand. This is the most beatable Panthers team the Sabres have seen in...

The Buffalo Sabres have now won 13 of their last 14 games following their win against the Ducks. The building was packed, loud, and the Sabres gave the fans a lot to cheer about. Jack Quinn leads the way with two goals, the opening goal, and the game-winning goal. Sneaky Joe was impressed all the way around by the Sabres effort. Skating, hits, defense, fights, goals... but only for 55 minutes. The Sabres yet again, almost collapsed with three goals allowed in the final minutes. Lindy Ruff was clearly upset about the effort late in his postgame comments. Is the Sabres late...