The Buffalo Sabres Prospects Challenge continues tonight at 7 pm in a tilt vs. the New Jersey Devils. Here are some notable players to watch.
The Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils prospects have one thing in common: They both enjoyed come-from-behind victories over the Montreal Canadiens. Now they will face one another at the LECOM Harborcenter with the goal of showing one another they brought the better pool of prospects to the game.
All logic states that Tyson Kozak will be the one to watch, but expect the Devils to key on him every time the former seventh round pick takes the ice. But with Kozak likely drawing attention, there are three other players who may find themselves in the limelight if they execute.
3 Buffalo Sabres to watch on Saturday night – Matt Savoie
Savoie didn’t light up the stat sheet, but he still showed creativity on Thursday when he was on the ice. A factor on most plays, Savoie did everything but find the back of the net. The former ninth overall pick made it clear he plans on playing some games for the Sabres this season, and a big outing tonight will augment that cause.
Isak Rosen
Rosen had some rocky moments which often occurred because he held onto the puck too long. However, he adjusted well to the speed and ended up having a good game, including an assist on Tyson Kozak’s goal that gave the Sabres the lead.
Look for Rosen to grow even more comfortable in the North American game tonight, using his speed to create space, and his natural on-ice awareness to get rid of the puck faster. Given his ability to adjust so quickly on Thursday, Rosen’s development curve may be slimmer than many think.
Linus Weissbach
There are many names that I can put here, but Weissbach jumps out at me because he is an older prospect who displayed sound leadership ability and productivity on Thursday. Like Savoie, Weissbach stated his desire to become a full-time member of the Buffalo Sabres.
A strong showing in Game 1 certainly helped. Now, he faces the challenge of putting together back-to-back solid performances. Not only on the ice, but also as a leader of this prospects team.
3 Devils to Watch – Alexander Holtz
Holtz is in a similar position to Weissbach, and the former first round pick has put on dominant performances dating back to last season with Utica. A clutch player, he gave the Devils a chance on Friday, tying the game at the 18:14 mark of the third period. In overtime, his one-timer sealed the comeback win. He is a player the Sabres must account for every time he skates onto the ice.
Simon Nemec
Just as everyone set their eyes on Juraj Slafkovsky of Montreal, Sabres fans will get a look at another top pick in Simon Nemec. Looking collected under pressure, Nemec often called his own number to dice his way through incoming Montreal skaters. He’s going to be hard to stop tonight.
Reilly Walsh
Walsh is one of those two-way players the Buffalo Sabres prospects need to key on. In the game against Montreal, Walsh set the tone with a power play goal, and the defenseman did so by displaying incredible puck awareness, finding twine on a rebound. He was also responsible for ending Montreal’s scoring chances often, snatching the puck multiple times in the defensive zone.
The puck drops at 7 pm Saturday night featuring two teams who hold a lot of momentum following a fun-filled day of Sabres Fan Fest. If the Sabres prospects win this one, they will carry a lot of confidence into the final game on Monday.
Article Source: Holtz Tallies Twice In Devils’ Victory | GAME STORY by Sam Kasan