Dahlin thrilled after Sabres take division lead: 'Finally we're here'

While it may only be temporary, Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin is thrilled his club grabbed top spot in the Atlantic Division following a thrilling 8-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday.

"It's just finally - finally we're here," Dahlin said postgame, per The Athletic's Matthew Fairburn. "So, I don't take this for granted at all. I'm so fired up. I'm so happy. I'm so happy for Buffalo as a city and all the fans too. This means the world."

The win pushed the Sabres past the Lightning for first place, although Tampa Bay has two games in hand. Sunday's meeting was a high-octane affair that featured 102 penalty minutes between the teams and a seven-goal third period.

"We could not have done this without the crowd we had," Dahlin said. "They kept us in the game the whole match. It was an unbelievable atmosphere. I think that was probably top I've experienced."

The Sabres have a 98.8% chance of ending an NHL-record 14-year playoff drought, according to Moneypuck. Buffalo's undergone a remarkable turnaround since firing former general manager Kevyn Adams on Dec. 15, putting together a league-best 25-5-2 record over that span.

"We've come a long ways, obviously," head coach Lindy Ruff said after the victory.

Dahlin has been a key factor in Buffalo's surge, registering 32 points in his last 31 games while averaging nearly 26 minutes per contest. The Sabres haven't finished higher than fifth in the Atlantic Division since drafting Dahlin first overall in 2018.