The Buffalo Sabres saw a new look on the first defensive pairing with Casey Fitzgerald earning the nod over the injured Henri Jokiharju.
The Buffalo Sabres struggled on defense in embarrassing losses to the Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens. Following an injury to Henri Jokiharju, who shared the first pairing with All-Star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, newcomer Casey Fitzgerald received the nod.
Fitzgerald finished the game with one shot on goal, plus one hit and one block in 21:57 of ice time. A complementary player to the two-way Dahlin, the small but aggressive Fitzgerald possesses a defense-first mentality, logging 11 hits in a four-game stretch before the tilt against the St. Louis Blues and developing a reputation as an agitator.
Does Casey Fitzgerald deserve a permanent spot on the first pairing?
Fitzgerald held up well in his ice time. Caught out of position on a Jordan Kyrou goal, the rest of his game was smooth sailing. On the Blues second goal of the night, Fitzgerald was in prime position in front of the net to post a block. Unfortunately, Kyrou was there to redirect the puck for his second goal of the evening.
Midway through the second period, Fitzgerald showed off his aggression following a rebound. Initially, it looked like he came up with an excellent poke before losing his stick. However, Jeff Skinner skated into the fray to take control of the loose puck.
Overall, Fitzgerald played a solid game. He made his mistakes and was caught out of position at times. But he showed natural aggression and a knack for spotting the puck during his ice time.
Jokiharju brings a more conservative approach. And while it also complements well with Dahlin, his two most recent performances show that perhaps Fitzgerald is worthier of the first pairing. This, at the moment, would relegate Jokiharju to the second-pairing with the aggressive Mattias Samuelsson.
Time will tell. But don’t be surprised if you see Fitzgerald get the nod in the future. Especially if he plays well against Dallas, where he’s again projected to pair with Dahlin.