The Buffalo Sabres won their first of two dress rehearsal preseason games in an old school, aggressive fashion against the Carolina Hurricanes.
It would have been a mistake of thinking the game was over after just one period, but for the Buffalo Sabres, their comfortable 3-0 lead came from a style of play that may just give them an identity for 2022-23. The Sabres remain a young and inexperienced team, with three rookies in the projected starting lineup, meaning we should expect some growing pains.
But that doesn’t mean they can’t minimize the pain as their 2022-23 season takes fold, and it was something they proved against one of the better teams in the Carolina Hurricanes. Sure, it was still preseason, but this was also a contest that pitted the Sabres against an experienced squad with Stanley Cup aspirations.
Even though the games aren’t counting, this wasn’t a contest where Buffalo was supposed to pull out to a 3-0 lead. But no matter, the Sabres look as though they found an identity this season: Speed and aggression. They just need to keep it up for a full 60 minutes.
Buffalo Sabres forged an identity that could win them games in 2022
The Sabres remain, in the eyes of many, among the league’s worst teams. And that’s okay. When you are a small market team that hasn’t won in over a decade, the mainstream media is going to overlook you. It’s a fact of life.
But anyone who watched or followed that hockey game last night saw Jack Quinn creating opportunities for himself by flying up the slot. Vinnie Hinostroza, a projected extra skater, did the same and ended up with a goal thanks to assists from Jeff Skinner and Tage Thompson.
Thompson, who later scored a Gordie Howe Hat Trick, did the same. Ditto for Dylan Cozens. Heck, it seemed as though every member of the Buffalo Sabres contributed to this ultra-fast style of hockey that ended in a 4-2 victory.
The Sabres have a chance to show off that same, fast-paced style on Friday against the Pittsburgh Penguins, a team feeling some urgency to win another Stanley Cup as the Golden Trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang continues to age. If they generate the same results against one of the league’s best teams, then the Sabres may just have a “scary good” identity heading into the regular season.
Article Source: Observations: Tage Thompson’s old-school first period leads Sabres past Canes by Mike Harrington