With reinforcements on the way at forward, Ostlund shines in win over Oilers

Noah Ostlund has been a quiet figure early in his Buffalo Sabres tenure. His linemate, Beck Malenstyn, said Ostlund typically keeps to the background in team settings, occasionally offering a quip to let his dry sense of humor cut through the noise.

Ostlund’s play has spoken volumes, however, in the wake of injuries to the Sabres’ forward group. The 21-year-old stepped up once again Monday, contributing a pair of goals in a 5-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers at KeyBank Center.

“He has such good vision, he probably doesn’t need to say much (on the ice), either,” Malenstyn said of his rookie linemate. “He’s in the right spot. A lot of the time you’re able to see him, you know he’s supporting you. So, yeah, heck of a player.”

With reinforcements on the way at forward – Josh Norris (upper body) and Jason Zucker (illness) both joined the team for its morning skate on Monday, a significant step in their recoveries – the Sabres’ depth shined against a talented Oilers team.

Along with Ostlund’s two goals, Malenstyn scored his first of the season on a deflection and Bowen Byram added his third from the back end. Colten Ellis, another rookie, started in goal for the third time in the last four games and made 32 saves for the victory.

Buffalo’s star players also contributed, with Tage Thompson sending a puck from his own end into an empty net to extend his goal-scoring streak to three games and Rasmus Dahlin tallying a pair of assists for the second straight contest.

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But the star of the night was Ostlund, a first-round pick in 2022 whose first cup of coffee in the NHL came this past April. Ostlund was held scoreless in eight games with the Sabres to end the 2024-25 season, but his two-way play was enough to make an impression (as was his subsequent playoff performance in the AHL with Rochester).

The rash of injuries to Buffalo’s forward group – with five opening-night players currently out due to injury or illness – has opened the door for Ostlund and fellow first-round pick Isak Rosen to play key roles for Buffalo, including on the top power-play unit with Thompson and Dahlin.

Ostlund has manned the net-front role on that unit of late – his first time ever in that position. He was standing with his back turned to the goaltender during the final minute of the first period when he caught a pass from Rosen, pulled the puck to his forehand, and buried a close-range shot to give the Sabres a 1-0 lead.

“I mean,” Ostlund said. “Their defense were pretty aggressive and stood pretty high. I saw the opening and took it.”

Ostlund has played on a youth-infused line alongside Rosen and Jack Quinn at times this season; at other times he’s found himself with Thompson on his wing. On Monday, in an effort to balance the lines against two of the NHL’s premier offensive talents in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, coach Lindy Ruff slotted Ostlund in at fourth-line center between Malenstyn and Josh Dunne.

That line went to work on Buffalo’s third goal, which saw Ostlund and Dunne win the puck down low on the forecheck and send it up to the point. Dahlin’s shot was deflected by Malenstyn to give the Sabres a 3-1 lead in the second period.

Ostlund’s second goal provided added cushion during the third period. This time, Ostlund wheeled from behind the net toward the right faceoff dot with Malenstyn screening goaltender Stuart Skinner and buried a wrist shot to the far side.

“Osty just brings a lot of poise and a lot of skill up the middle,” Malenstyn said. “I thought he was able to make some great plays for us, let Dunner and I just put our heads down and go to work.”

Ostlund has three goals and five points in 11 games this season; Rosen has three goals and six points in eight games. Their offensive contributions are helping Buffalo stay afloat amid the injuries at forward – and offering a glimpse of the future.

“I think the progress of these guys has been real good,” Ruff said. “How well they played down in Rochester. Now they’re starting to feel a little bit more comfortable.

“I think any young player, usually when they’re brought up, it’s kind of a limited role. Because of the amount of injuries and the type of people we’ve lost, they’ve been cast in a real big role, and they’ve given us as much as they could. … They’re making steps toward being a regular NHL player.”

Here’s more from Monday’s win.

Shutting down McDavid

The Sabres rode the momentum of their come-from-behind win in Detroit on Saturday and turned in a shutdown performance against the NHL’s top star, holding Connor McDavid without a point for just the fourth time this season.

McDavid – who ranks second in the NHL with 30 points – entered the night on an eight-game point streak.

Mattias Samuelsson was McDavid’s most frequent matchup, totaling 14:22 of shared ice time according to Natural Stat Trick. The Sabres led 9-6 in scoring chances during those minutes, which included the Oilers’ lone power play.

Overall, the Sabres led 7-2 in high-danger chances when McDavid was on the ice at 5-on-5.

Draisaitl, the NHL’s second-leading goal scorer, was held to an assist and two shots.

“We stressed trying to stay five in tight,” Ruff said. “We knew we’d probably have to give up some ice through the neutral zone, but make sure we have numbers back where we’re not giving the easy opportunities.”

Ellis controls play

Ellis earned his third win in four NHL games and earned praise for his management of the puck, particularly when the two teams were tied 0-0 for much of the first period.

“I think that he was able to sense a little bit of danger at times, and whether he broke the puck out or whether he just held it for a whistle, there was times where he knew what we needed,” Ruff said.

“I said this morning that his puck play’s been real good; I thought tonight his puck play was excellent, and that tied into trying to keep their top guys out of the middle of the ice.”

A monkey off Malenstyn’s back

Malenstyn reached toward his shoulder as he skated toward the Buffalo bench following his second-period goal, as if to throw the proverbial monkey off his back.

“May have been bigger than a monkey,” he said. “I’m not sure what was hanging out back there, but it definitely feels good to have it off.”

The hardworking forward had been held scoreless through 17 games, but his impact has been felt elsewhere. He is the Sabres’ leader in hits, ranks second among team forwards in blocked shots, and is a regular on the league’s top-ranked penalty kill.

“I am happy,” Ruff said. “The job he’s done penalty killing, how hard he works every night, you want to see those guys get on the board. You want to see them get rewarded.”

Up next

The homestand continues Wednesday against the Calgary Flames. Coverage on MSG begins at 7 p.m. with puck drop scheduled for 7:30.