Buffalo Sabres forward Peyton Krebs once again found himself in the press box as a healthy scratch in last night’s win over the Montreal Canadiens.
One reason for the Buffalo Sabres recent struggles before last night’s five-goal blowout win against the Montreal Canadiens is that some players seem to have taken an infamous step back this season. Peyton Krebs is one of those players. Krebs, who has just three assists in 16 contests, has shown a physical, more tenacious edge to his game, but the productivity otherwise isn’t there.
In short, the 21-year-old has looked like a fourth-line forward tops, logging just over 12 minutes per game. And other than improvements in physicality, he has had almost nothing going for him. His faceoff win percentage sits at a measly 36.5%, his plus-minus of (-4) is tied for the third worst on the team next to Casey Mittelstadt and Jacob Bryson, and his five shots on goal is last on the team among forwards who have played in at least 10 games.
The Buffalo Sabres may wind up sending Peyton Krebs to the AHL
So far, head coach Don Granato has been rotating his least productive forwards in and out of the lineup, so it was no surprise to see that Krebs was a healthy scratch last night. And overall, this bas benefited many of them.
Jack Quinn’s game, for example, improved after he sat out a couple of contests. You can say the same for Rasmus Asplund, who also sat for two. That said, I can see Krebs potentially getting the nod again sooner than later to play while Granato sits another, most likely Victor Olofsson or Casey Mittelstadt, where he will have an opportunity to show that he picked up on a few cues.
However, if Krebs continues to struggle and look uncomfortable during his shifts, don’t be surprised if he ends up wearing red and blue as opposed to blue and gold in the not-so-distant future. Not that he will remain in Rochester for long, but going back to the AHL ranks will give him an opportunity to fine-tune his game against more manageable competition.
Article Source: Observations: Top line, stronger defense help Sabres snap losing streak by Lance Lyswowski
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)
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