Dennis Gilbert Fight helps Spark Sabers to the first wins in 4 years in 2 years – The New York Times

Buffalo, New York – at the moment the battle looked strange.

Three seconds in the Buffalo Sabers game against the columbus blue jackets, Sabers defender Dennis Gilbert released his gloves and qualified with Matjo Olivier, one of the most difficult players of the NHL. The arena was still half empty as fans found their way to their seats. Olivier won the match.

Gilbert vs Olivier released the gloves to start the game #Sabrehood #Cbj pic.twitter.com/4sw8qljo06

– Buffalo hockey moments (@sabresplays) February 5, 2025

Sabers know that their team durability is in question after Stefan Nosen has killed Taj Thompson from the game with an illegal blow to the head and sliding without a sword to put his finger at him. This incident led to a canceled practice and a team meeting on Monday. Sabers coach Lindy Ruf said that the team had some heavy conversations. Alternative captains Alex Tuch and Dylan Cozen said the lack of response like the team was never on Sunday would never be repeated again.

So when the blue jackets began the line of Zack Aston-Raise, Justin Danfor and Olivier, Ruf threw Gilbert over the boards. He said it had nothing to do with the team meeting.

“Dennis started tonight, because when I looked at the composition sheet that came in, they started their most difficult line,” Ruf said. “I didn’t know what they meant. They may have watched the movie and told us to follow them immediately from the bat. Or maybe Olivier will rule someone and he is a difficult hero. “

Gilbert, Buffalo’s seventh defender, came into this game with three matches in 18 games played this season. A native of Buffalo, Gilbert was a selfless teammate in his first season with his team in his hometown. He played sparingly, but willing to bring a physical advantage in the composition when summoned. And with everything that had happened in the last two days, Gilbert wanted to set that tone. He did not reveal any details about how the struggle became different, except to say that he was “out of the cuff” and he “just had a feeling”.

“I prefer to fight, which means something,” Ruf said after the match. “I mean, really. Gibby great. I don’t know if they had anything in mind, their squad. I had no idea. But I wouldn’t risk it. “

Of course, Olivier had nothing to do with Thompson’s shot. Losing the battle will probably not do much to deter other teams to try to push the sabreres around. And it certainly doesn’t delete what happened on Sunday. However, the battle meant something to Gilbert’s teammates.

Sabers came out after the match and managed to win by 3-2 to get their first four-game winning series from January 2023. After the match, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen switched to the Gilbert Sabers Victory Vicat One of the two goals on a tuner. All Gilbert’s teammates began to chant: “Gibby! Gibby! Gibby! “

GIBI‼ ️ pic.twitter.com/a3c7jwgpig

– Buffalo Sabers (@buffalosabres) February 5, 2025

“There were many discussions in the league, especially for us,” Tuch said. “To have a man like Dennis Gilbert, a hometown who likes to put on this T-shirt every night, to go to the fifth in the center of ice with one of the most difficult boys in the league, just shows how much my heart I think. I think he’s a big reason to win this game tonight. He is a hell of a teammate and a hell of a man. “

What matters more than the battle was the way Sabers showed some mental strength down in the participation of the game. They had a 3-1 lead and allowed a third-period goal, but they managed to lock the game. In the last minute of the game, Sabers had five blocked shots, two from Tuch and three from Dahlin. James Raimer, starting in the place of Lukonen (every day with injury), stopped 27 shots at victory.

“We have had a little difficult year so far,” Gilbert said. “We’re starting to find a way a little. You can question many things when such things happen and you have a lot of disadvantage. One thing I have never questioned is the care that everyone in this room has each other. I was elsewhere. Not so. There are definitely things on which we have to work on, and I think we are turning the corner here, but this is the most difficult thing we need to find, and we have it right now. “

Despite the winning series of four games, Sabers are still last in the Eastern Conference and 29th place in the NHL. But they may have learned something from Sunday. Perhaps Gilbert, who is in harm, has inspired them. Perhaps all this ordeal approached the group a little closer.

Whatever works. But it will take more than one game and more than just Gilbert to change the perception they created on Sunday.

Injury notes: Thompson and Lukonen are considered day by day, Ruf said. Lukonna had a minor injury at Morning Skate and the team decided to endure it afterwards. Defender Matthias Samuelson is in a injurious reserve with a lower body injury after blocking a shot late against the devils. And Beck Malestin left the game early Tuesday with rear spasms. Connor Clifton returned after missing more than a week due to illness. He lost a lot of weight after grabbing a bug, which paves around the Sabers dressing room.

(A picture of Dennis Gilbert’s tilting with Mateo Olivier: Timoti T. Ludwig / Imagn images)