Buffalo Sabres: What to watch for in Game 2 of 2022 Prospects Challenge

The Buffalo Sabres prospects took care of the Canadiens in Game 1 on Thursday. On Saturday, they will face the New Jersey Devils prospects. 

After a phenomenal outing in Game 1 of the 2022 Prospects Challenge, the Buffalo Sabres have Friday off before a 7:00 pm matchup against the New Jersey Devils prospects. Despite the strong showing, however, the Sabres prospects can stand to improve, starting with playing all 60 minutes.

During the first 10 minutes of Game 1 vs. the Montreal Canadiens prospects, the Sabres looked sloppy, and that’s a generous statement. They constantly let Montreal’s forwards get behind them and execute plays, they weren’t disruptive, and once, top pick Juraj Slafkovsky easily outmaneuvered them as they were orange cones in an agility drill.

If it wasn’t for goaltender Beck Warm doing all he could to keep the puck out of the net, the Sabres prospects would have played catch up all game. Warm did allow two goals, but those first 10 minutes were so bad, the Sabres are lucky he didn’t allow more.

Buffalo Sabres prospects must get off to a hot start in Game 2

Despite the trying first 10 minutes, the Sabres got it together and looked hot offensively. Linus Weissbach had a phenomenal assist to Josh Passolt to put the Sabres on the board while Nolan Burke pitched after another 27 seconds to knot the game at two.

This showed us that the Sabres prospects didn’t panic when down early, and it’s that cool, calm collectiveness they need to exert on Saturday night for 60 minutes. So look for a better start in Game 2 against a very good New Jersey Devils lineup.

Tyson Kozak’s encore?

Kozak scored on a deflection from Mats Lindgren in the second, putting the Sabres up 3-2. Later in the contest, his shorthanded goal increased the Sabres lead to 4-2. Originally described as a defensive forward, Kozak spent all of last season making it a point to practice his offensive skills, and it’s safe to say that he’s been successful so far.

A relentless prospect, Kozak missed most of development camp in July because of an injury, yet still impressed during the four-day period when he was on the ice. Now that he’s impressing once more at the Prospect’s Challenge, what will his Game 2 performance look like?

Look for Jersey to key on him, so I am actually expecting no points here. Instead, with the opponent keying on Kozak and looking to shut him down, Matt Savoie might just take the starring role in this one.

Better play from Kisakov and Rosen

It was exciting to see Aleksandr Kisakov and Isak Rosen take the ice for the first time in a game situation. And while they did some good things, they also showed obvious need for improvement. Both hesitated just a little too long before taking shots on Thursday night, which ended up in easy saves from Montreal.

However, their overall speed was on display. Rosen especially seemed to catch onto the faster pace, evidenced when he blocked a potential game-tying goal from Montreal in the game’s final minute. Kisakov did create some space early and was in perfect position to receive a would-be assist from Weissbach.

They are two prospects who, with repetition, will adjust a little more to the quicker pace of the game. Look for the duo to show more flash on Saturday night, as they prepare to (presumably) begin their North American careers in the AHL.

Article Source: Observations: Isak Rosen, Tyson Kozak lead Sabres to come-from-behind win by Lance Lysowski