The Buffalo Sabres enjoyed a 4-1 win over the Ottawa Senators on opening night. Here are three players whose stocks are ascending.
The Buffalo Sabres played well enough to scratch out a win against their cross-border rival, the Ottawa Senators. So don’t let the 4-1 final score fool you, as two of those goals were empty-netters. Since the Sabres played in such a close contest until the final minutes, they needed some above and beyond efforts.
And a few players gave them just that. Below, you will meet three Buffalo Sabres who turned the tide in favor of the home team in last night’s contest. Three players whose stocks are on the up and up early on in this 82-game season.
1 – Craig Anderson looked 10 years younger
Craig Anderson said he wished he could be 31 this season instead of 41. He may be 41 chronologically, but biologically, he looked like he was 26. Anderson made some unbelievable saves last night, adjusting and contorting his body to catch and deflect the puck, before immediately repositioning himself for another onslaught from the fast and furious Senators.
With Anderson on a pitch count this season, we won’t see him in the net and playing like he’s 25 every night. But when he feels as though he’s 100%, as was the case yesterday evening, you will see more epic performances.
2- J.J. Peterka shines in his Buffalo Sabres debut
Anderson was our First Star last night, but when counting just skaters, Peterka earned the First Star Award. He logged just 11:55 of total on-ice time, but made the most of it with four shots on goal and a 25% shooting percentage.
Peterka’s give-and-go knotted the game up 1-1, and he nearly had another score later on. In the third period, he nearly recorded an assist by creating a scoring opportunity for Zemgus Girgensons. Overall, it was an outstanding performance for a player in just his third NHL start.
3 – Jacob Bryson’s advanced statistics shined
Like Peterka, we saw noticeable struggles from Jacob Bryson in the preseason. And last night, Bryson’s only stat line included a takeaway. However, when you look at his advanced statistics, his 12:19 time on the ice tells us a different story.
His Corsi For% at even strength sat at a remarkable 63.2% while his Fenwick did not trail by much, generating a 62.5%. Further, 66.7% of all zone starts occurred in the offensive zone when he was on the ice. Bryson also finished with a (1) in the plus/minus column.
This shows that Bryson is more than capable of holding his own playing behind a solid top four in Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson, Henri Jokiharju, and Owen Power. If Bryson’s ice time remains in the 12 to 16 minute range, expect more solid possession metrics.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)