Sabres Keep Rolling & Previewing 05-06 Night

January 15, 2026·1 hr 21 min·7 clips

The Sabres face the Flyers in a game that could decide the final wild card spot.

Brendan opens by noting that the episode comes roughly one week after the Sabres' five-game winning streak ended with a 5-1 loss to Columbus. Since then, the team won three straight against Vancouver, the Rangers, and Anaheim before losing 4-3 to Florida in overtime — a game Taylor characterizes as one the Sabres of last year would have lost by more. He highlights the Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky's performance and the Sabres' improved defensive structure as positive signs. The standings context is clarified: the Sabres and Flyers are tied with 52 points in 44 games and identical .591 points percentages, technically holding the final two wild card spots ahead of Boston and Toronto based on points percentage. Brendan stresses the need for a regulation win given how tight the Atlantic Division is. Taylor previews the Montreal game, analyzing how three Canadiens goalies — Sam Montembeault at .874, Cayden Primeau at .888, and Jacob Fowler at .908 — have combined for an .887 save percentage while the team leads the division. He attributes their strong standing to offensive firepower including Cole Caufield, Yaroslav Askarov, Oliver Kapanen, and Nick Suzuki at over a point per game. Brendan praises Lindy Ruff's decision to move Noah Ostlund from the fourth to the second line, arguing that Ostlund's playmaking ceiling is higher than Peyton Krebs and that playing him alongside Josh Norris and Jiri Dvorak is the right configuration. He expresses concern about the third line of Riley McLeod, Jason Zucker, and Jack Quinn, noting that Quinn has points but often disappears in games. Taylor agrees Zucker is still returning to form after losing significant weight during illness. The hosts discuss Josh Norris and specifically a December shift against Boston where Norris blocked two shots in his own zone, one without a stick, which Brendan says changed his view of Norris as a compete player. They float the possibility of trading Norris for either Jason Robertson or Robert Thomas before the deadline, walking through Dallas's cap situation and how Robertson may cost upward of $12 million annually. Brendan says he would give Robertson $12 million without hesitation. The episode closes with both hosts anticipating the 05-06 anniversary night, which Brendan attended after getting $122 total for two tickets in the 100 level through a Maxim Afinogenov-themed promotion.

As heard by us

A fan-first look at a Sabres team that has responded well, even if the bigger read is still unsettled.

Straight Up Sabres is at its best when it stays on the Sabres' answer to the 5-1 loss to Columbus. The talk around three straight wins against Vancouver, the Rangers, and Anaheim, followed by the 4-3 loss to Florida, gives the episode a clear shape.

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Why you'd press play

You want a Sabres homestand check-in after three straight wins and a 4-3 loss to Florida.

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