Buffalo Sabres winger Victor Olofsson was a shoo-in for the First-Star in Tuesday’s big win over the New York Islanders
The Buffalo Sabres have solidified their first line. But who will become franchise cornerstones for their lower lines? Victor Olofsson made his case during Tuesday night’s big win over the New York Islanders when he scored two goals and snapped a six-game point drought.
Sure, one was an empty-netter. But still, two goals are two goals. And his first one showed just how far he’s come in what has been a 31-game drought without a goal.
Buffalo Sabres winger Victor Olofsson may have a future in Buffalo
The pair of goals were Olofsson’s first since October 31st, and they could not have come at a better time. With Sabres coach Don Granato shuffling the lower lines, it seems everyone not named Alex Tuch, Tage Thompson, and Jeff Skinner are auditioning to be a part of this organization moving forward.
Sure, Olofsson has struggled, and Tuesday night could be nothing more than an outlier. Or, it could be a look into the future.
After spending the 2019-20 seasons giving Buffalo Sabre fans hope, Olofsson has since struggled, putting up a meager 32 points in 56 games last season, down from 42 in 54 from 2019-20. Olofsson is also logging a career-low 15:58 of ice time, and his shooting percentage rests at a career-low 8.6%.
Olofsson’s game has given the Sabres little reason to believe he’ll stick around when the team finally meshes and begins winning consistently. So what made last night’s game different?
It really started in the previous game against the Montreal Canadiens, when he had four shots on goal. Olofsson followed up last night with five, and he converted two of them. Sure, one was an empty-netter, but let’s not spoil the fun – Olofsson’s first goal in the third period shows why his game is improving enough to at least warrant a look for a long-term future in Buffalo.
He couldn’t have made a better decision with the puck during his first goal of the evening, taking a one-timer and sneaking it by Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin. Olofsson also had a phenomenal shot on goal midway through the second period.
Overall, he’s been far more aggressive with the puck in the last two games, and the tactic is working wonders. While it’s unclear whether he keeps the momentum going, he may have found a way to stick to one of the team’s lower lines if he continues to capitalize on scoring opportunities.
(All statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)