The Buffalo Sabres finally got back to playing some hockey on Saturday evening when they hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins, and they iced what could mostly be considered their NHL lineup, barring a few missing pieces. Right out of the gate, they came out passionate, physical, and with a noticeable jump in their step. Even with it being the preseason, they looked like they had something to play for, and it was a refreshing sight, to say the least. As the game went on, there were a few hiccups and bumps, but as a whole, there was a lot to like from a few standout players, and from the group as a whole.
Standout Sabres
There were four players that stood out positively in one way or another above the rest of the team, and those were easily Zach Benson, Sam Lafferty, Henri Jokiharju, and JJ Peterka.
Benson was in on the forecheck and up in the opposition’s face all night long; be that in scrums or attacking the puck, Benson was always somewhere to be found being a pest. Lafferty was a two-way machine that was working both ends of the ice and was rewarded for his work with a goal when he drove to the net to pick up a rebound from Beck Malenstyn. Jokiharju was defensively sound all night and was creating chances in the offensive zone whenever possible as well. He too was rewarded for his work with a three-point night, including a goal on a brilliant point shot. Then there was Peterka who capped off the night with a hat trick and was flying everywhere on the ice. He was easily Buffalo’s best forward all night long, and he carried the top line on his back.
On the flip side of underwhelming performances, there weren’t any that stood out as terrible, but players like Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Owen Power could have done better. Luukkonen allowed a few soft goals that he otherwise would have had last season, but he is going to get a bit of a pass since this is his first bit of game action in months. Once he is in full game shape, he will likely be making those saves again. Power on the other hand had a number of bad turnovers in the defensive zone, and his awareness in his own end was questionable throughout the game. He did make up for it in the offensive zone at least by scoring one goal, and being an excellent offensive threat otherwise. Working on balancing that out will be huge for him.
The New Power Play Looks Worlds Different
My jaw almost hit the floor all the way from the 300 level watching the new power play work in this game. There was zero stagnation, and the puck movement was flowing so well that it looked like they had been practicing it for years. The precision of the passing was excellent, the choices of which players to pass to were outstanding, and ultimately, the chances created from the puck movement were significant enough to put a few in the back of the net.
It was extremely refreshing to not see them trying to beat a dead horse and just feed Tage Thompson on the left side for a one-timer every single shot. By my count, they tried that one time the entire night and that is perfectly fine. Having that shot as an option is great, but using the other scoring threats like JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn as alternatives is equally as good, especially when they can get the point shots through as well as they did. The motion and flow of the new power play is really what stood out here, and if it is something that is a sign of things to come, and it is going to be a part of an adaptive strategy that will change with how teams adjust to them, then it is poised to be severely dangerous this season.
Sabres Need to Keep Kulich & Move Greenway
Jiri Kulich had a spectacular prospect tournament performance, and he carried that momentum into the first preseason game. He was lined up with Peyton Krebs and Lukas Rousek as the Sabres’ third line and he also saw time on their second power-play unit. During nearly every shift he had, there was something to like in his game. He was pressuring opposing players, stripping them of pucks, getting quality shots on goal, and making smart plays to cover defensively when needed. He was doing everything a coach could possibly ask for from a player like him, and he has the offensive upside that would justify keeping him on the roster full-time over a player like Jordan Greenway. With his speed and scoring ability, he can outpace Greenway, and his tenacity will let him keep up with the likes of Krebs and (most likely) Ryan McLeod when the season starts.
The way this team played against the Penguins, there was no missing Greenway at all. The physicality that fans have wanted from him was there all night from the fourth line, and he just does not have the speed or finishing ability compared to the rest of the players on this team. Moving him out for a different depth player, or even to recoup some of the draft capital that he was traded for may be a good move at this point, but with how the team played as a whole he no longer fits with how they are built. If he gets cycled in for the next game on Monday, it will be interesting to see if he can keep up.
Sabres Have to Keep the Momentum Up
The hype is building, and the confidence is going to be up after scoring seven goals. Regardless of the quality of the roster of the opposing team, the Sabres have to take the systems that worked well for them and continue to improve them, and work on the ones that needed to be adjusted; like the penalty kill, which looked shaky for a majority of the time they were on the ice. If the Sabres want to have a chance against the other teams in the Atlantic Division, they cannot afford to start this season off slow, and poor special teams would be a recipe for exactly that.
Related: Re-signing Peyton Krebs Was The Right Move
Keeping the good momentum up as they carry on through the preseason and ultimately make their way to Europe to start off their regular season is going to be a huge factor in securing their playoff spot down the road. It all starts now by establishing good habits. Head coach Lindy Ruff has clearly gotten some sort of good message through to these players, and now he needs to drive it home and get it to sink in. Once it does, the fight to end the longest-standing playoff drought may finally come to an end.
