Rasmus Dahlin day-to-day after Sabres top Panthers

Before the bad news there was a good first period, and Dahlin was the one driving it.

Matthew Fairburn

@MatthewFairburn

Rasmus Dahlin scores on the power play. Loved that he didn't mess around entering the zone on his own to get things set up. Then he gets open for a one-timer and rips it. Sabres up 2-1.

That's the version of Dahlin Buffalo pays for. He carried the puck into the zone himself, got the power play set up, found a lane and one-timed it home to put the Sabres up 2-1. ESPN had it as his 2nd goal of the season. The Sabres didn't trail at any point after that, which is about the only part of the night that went to plan.

Early in the 2nd period it turned. ESPN reported Dahlin went to a knee on a shift that lasted 18 seconds, turned the puck over along the boards and went straight to the bench at the 3:44 mark. He didn't come back out.

Matthew Fairburn

@MatthewFairburn

Rasmus Dahlin will not return to the game for the Sabres. He has an upper body injury.

The rest of the room took care of it anyway. Noah Ostlund scored the winner in the 3rd, with Tage Thompson, Josh Doan and Ryan McLeod also scoring, and the power play that Dahlin got going kept producing. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen gave Buffalo solid minutes in relief too, so a team that needed a win got one.

Matthew Fairburn

@MatthewFairburn

Sabres beat the Panthers 5-3. A much needed win. Strong showing from the power play and a solid effort in relief from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. t.co/1QWfDMh5zc

Then came the update everyone in Buffalo was waiting on. Ruff called it day-to-day, which is the best realistic outcome, but the important bit is that Dahlin isn't going on the road trip right away. He's out for Tuesday at minimum, and theScore reported that game is in Montreal.

Matthew Fairburn

@MatthewFairburn

Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said Rasmus Dahlin is day-to-day. He won't initially go on the trip so that would rule him out for at least tomorrow.

Day-to-day is the right label to get, but losing him even for a night stings. Dahlin wears the C, and theScore notes he was a Norris Trophy finalist last season with 74 points. He runs the top power play and plays the minutes nobody else on that blue line can soak up. Buffalo hasn't said anything about the injury beyond upper body. The next thing to watch is whether he joins the team partway through the trip, because the Sabres can't afford a long stretch without their best defenseman.