Buffalo Sabres: 3 positive takeaways against Toronto
Your 2021-22 Buffalo Sabres turned something positive into the norm: Routinely blowing out a tough Toronto Maple Leafs team
The Buffalo Sabres looked good in most facets of the game last night against their heated rival. It started when debuting defenseman Owen Power disrupted an exchange between Mark Giordano and Austin Matthews. And it ended with an exclamation point when Rasmus Asplund scored on an empty-netter.
While the Sabres still looked beyond bad in some categories (face-offs, anyone?) they excelled in others. This team was far more physical last night against their heated rival than they have been in the past week, where teams like the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers out muscled them.
The Sabres gave themselves plenty of opportunities last Sunday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Unfortunately for them, they could not capitalize on those chances and ended up losing big. That wasn’t the case versus Toronto, where the Sabres once again enjoyed a high shooting percentage. Something they have become accustomed to in most recent games.
Finally, the Sabres accomplished something most NHL teams could not: They are routinely stifling Auston Matthews. Matthews, who has 58 goals and 99 points this season, had a tough time getting anything going. And the Sabres proved twice this season that if you stop Matthews, you can stop the Maple Leafs.
Now the burning question remains: Can the Buffalo Sabres apply their success against Toronto against other playoff-caliber hockey teams?
While this season is pretty much over, the Sabres can apply the following takeaways that gave them three wins against Toronto to the league’s other 31 teams come October 2022. Here are the three takeaways described in greater depth.
Owen Power’s debut
In his 19:50 of ice time, rookie Owen Power looked like he belonged in his NHL debut. Predictably, the Leafs targeted him early, and Power quickly found himself on the wrong end of a two-on-one attack against the dangerous duo of Mark Giordano and Auston Matthews.
Power survived the exchange when he stifled a pass between the two, and it was at this moment when you realized just how hot of a commodity the defenseman is going to be. Power will make his mistakes, no doubt. All rookies do. But you can expect more heroic moments like Power had against Toronto.
“Right away, there’s no panic in his game,” Alex Tuch said of Power. “I feel like he’s been in the league for 10 years already in his first game.” – via Buffalo Hockey Beat.
Power’s debut was one of the Sabres feel-good stories of 2022. He definitely gave the long-suffering franchise and their fan base a new hope that better days are around the corner. Now, Power needs to enjoy repeat performances during the upcoming two-game homestand against the St. Louis Blues and Philadelphia Flyers.
Will Power continue to live up to the expectations? We won’t need to wait long to find out when the puck drops tomorrow night at the KeyBank Center.
Capitalizing on opportunities
The Sabres actually looked good in their 5-0 loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning. They did most things right – they just didn’t score. And unfortunately to win in the NHL and in any sport, you must score more points than the other team.
Against Toronto, the Sabres got it right. They finished 2 for 4 on the power play, which has steadily improved in recent memory. The Sabres also converted five of their 28 shots on goal, good for a 17.8 shooting percentage, over 10% higher than the Leafs last night.
They were also the more physical team, combining for 49 hits and blocks while taking advantage of 16 giveaways. It was a night where the Sabres, defensively, could beat any of the other 31 franchises.
Offensively, the Sabres saw five goals from five different players. Kyle Okposo started the frenzy with a power play goal midway through the first. After the Leafs responded, center Tage Thompson scored early in the second before line mate Jeff Skinner found twine in the third.
Later, Rasmus Dahlin set two new career-highs with his 10th goal scored a quarter of the way through the third period. The goal, plus Dahlin’s assist on Okposo’s power play goal in the first, puts Dahlin at 46 points for the year.
Finally, Rasmus Asplund closed things out with an empty-netter. The goal increased the Sabres total number of goals against Toronto this season to 19.
Stifling one of the NHL’s best
Auston Matthews is arguably the NHL’s best player. And if he isn’t the best, he’s in the top five. With 58 goals scored this season and 99 points, Matthews contributes, on average, at least one time per game.
That hasn’t been the case in the previous two contests against the Sabres. In 16 of his last 18 games, Matthews has accrued at least one point. The last two games he has not logged a point have come against the Sabres, who have definitely learned a thing or two about stifling the star player and provided a blueprint for Leafs opponents to work with during the playoffs.
Related Story. Grading Owen Power's Debut. light
Overall, these three takeaways are something the Sabres can use moving forward. Expect Power to show more flashes over the next seven games, and you can further expect the Sabres to continue to create opportunities for themselves, as they have done in their previous two outings.