BUFFALO — It was never a question of skill. Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson possesses loads of it.
At his best, he ranks among the NHL’s top shutdown defenders.
“He’s got every tool in the toolbox,” Sabres winger Alex Tuch said Monday in KeyBank Center. “He’s big, he skates well, he’s got the long stick, he’s got the hockey IQ. And then when he’s physical like that, he’s just horrible to play against.
“I mean, I practice against him every day, and it’s just miserable. He makes life hell on the opponent.”
Samuelsson, 26, has been a nightmare for opponents during his career season, utilizing his 6-foot-4, 229-pound frame to thwart their top lines. He even added offense to his repertoire, scoring 13 goals and 41 points in the regular season. His gaudy plus-41 rating led the team.
For a few years, as he battled injuries, he rarely showcased that game. He couldn’t get out of his own head. When he failed to respond after an illegal hit concussed teammate Tage Thompson, it felt like his days in Buffalo might be numbered. Fans booed him.
It appeared he needed a change of scenery.
“It’s no secret the last year or two before this I was struggling with injuries and stuff,” Samuelsson told GNN Sports on Tuesday prior to Game 2 of the Sabres’ first-round playoff series against the Boston Bruins. “Some dark places and dark days just kind of doubting if you can do it, if you can stay healthy.”
Well, Samuelsson stayed healthy this season, playing a career-high 78 games. Along the way, he said he learned he possessed “mental toughness.”
It’s no coincidence he developed into a high-end asset.
“He’s evolved into a real solid, good, two-way defenseman,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “Can play against anybody, can be physical, can score goals. He has a complete game, as simple as that.”
Fittingly, Samuelsson showcased that in his first taste of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Sunday’s thrilling 4-3 win in Game 1.
He scored the go-ahead goal late in the third period and laid nine hits, a total that only trailed Tuch’s 10.
As he described his first taste of the postseason, a smile came across Samuelsson’s face.
“The atmosphere, the energy,” he said of his debut. “I think that’s what I’ll remember from the game for a while, how much fun it is. That’s obviously what you dream about growing up.”
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When Sabres center Josh Dunne learned he would suit up for Game 1, he said he had to pinch himself.
After the Sabres beefed up their forward depth before the trade deadline, Dunne, 27, mostly served as an extra, sitting out 17 of the final 21 regular-season games as a healthy scratch.
But with center Sam Carrick injured (left arm) and the heavy Bruins the Sabres’ first-round opponent, Ruff utilized the 6-foot-4, 208-pound Dunne for Sunday’s opener.
“It’s so exciting,” Dunne said of hearing he would make his postseason debut. “It’s a dream come true to play in the playoffs.”
Dunne said he had never played in a louder building.
“The crowd was so electric,” said Dunne, who played in Game 2.
Dunne, who played 34 regular-season games, has been pivoting the fourth line between Jordan Greenway (6-foot-6, 231 pounds) and Beck Malenstyn (6-foot-3, 209 pounds).
Late in the regular season, Tyson Kozak (5-foot-11, 185 pounds) often centered Greenway and Malenstyn.
On Sunday, Dunne and his linemates showcased their grit in limited action, combining for eight hits while drawing a penalty and generating time in the Boston zone.
The trio’s 77.8 percent Corsi For ranked first among Buffalo’s forward lines, according to NaturalStatTrick.com.
“I thought they had a couple of good net-front opportunities,” Ruff said. “It was a game where we knew we would have to dump a lot of pucks in because they were stacking the line. They did a good job of getting pucks back and didn’t get rewarded for it.
“But overall, their physicality and the fact that they got to pucks and hunted pucks was something I thought was going to be one of their strengths.”
Dunne said he and his wingers understand their identity.
“Two big bodies that I’m playing with that are really strong pucks and really grind people down,” he said. “So they did a great job, and we were allowed to get some cycle going and start to create some chances.”
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When the Sabres introduced Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen to bang the drum and rile up the crowd before the opening faceoff, fans roared like the home team had won the game.
They roared again when Allen, who sported a black No. 89 Tuch jersey, chugged a beer.