Top 3 Buffalo Sabres stars from the first week of 2022
The Buffalo Sabres have started off hot, winning four of their first five games and outscoring opponents 22-11. Here are the top three stars.
The first full week of the 2022-23 Buffalo Sabres season is in the books, and they have seen some outstanding performances. While they have played well enough as a team to start off the season 4-1-0, the Sabres have also seen some sensational individual performances.
Below, I’m listing my top three stars of the week in descending order. Who was worthy enough to make the list? Check them out below.
Third Star – Alex Tuch
In his first five games, Tuch secured seven points and a remarkable six goals, putting him on pace for a 115-point season. And while it’s farfetched to believe Tuch (or anyone on Buffalo) will reach that milestone, it does show what kind of damage he can do to opponents when he gets hot.
Overall, I’m expecting Tuch to put up solid numbers all season, with the potential to have an elite week here and there. As for Week 1, he hit elite status.
Second Star – Buffalo Sabres Goaltenders
It’s impossible to choose one over the other. And while Craig Anderson has allowed far fewer goals on average, Eric Comrie faced more pressure overall. In his three starts, Comrie is 2-1 with a 0.930 save percentage and a 3.01 GAA. He had two remarkable games against Edmonton and Calgary, where he saved 86 of 91 shots on goal, good for a 0.945 save percentage.
You can only tell Anderson is 41 since he’s clearly playing a part-time starter role this season. This week, he posted a 0.970 save percentage and a GAA of just 1.00. While I highly doubt he will continue this remarkable run, I do believe we will see him post his best season since 2016-17, where a 35-year-old Anderson allowed an average of 2.28 goals per game. This is assuming he can remain starting once every three to four contests.
First Star – Rasmus Dahlin
Dahlin has eight points in five games, putting the defenseman on pace for 131 points this season. While that definitely won’t happen, I do foresee, barring injury, Dahlin scoring somewhere between 65 and 75 points if he stays healthy.
The 22-year-old defenseman has played so well, he isn’t just performing an an All-Star level; he’s producing something close to legendary, with one goal in each of his first five games this season, the most ever for a defenseman in the NHL’s 104-year history.
Related Story. One major takeaway from the Sabres Canadian road trip. light
And he’s not only performing well in the scoring department. Thus far, Dahlin has a plus/minus of eight, a 27.8% shooting percentage, 12 blocks, and eight hits. He has been remarkable regardless of whether he is helping his team score or helping to prevent opponents from scoring.
Want your voice heard? Join the Sabre Noise team!
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)