Young lines, competition will bring out the best in the Buffalo Sabres
By Sion Fawkes
The Buffalo Sabres have one of the youngest lines in the NHL with Dylan Cozens, Jack Quinn, and J.J. Peterka. They also have some sound competition.
Last night, we saw Peyton Krebs sit again as a healthy scratch. In his place is Tyson Jost, a 24-year-old former first round pick who, while failing to live up to expectations in the NHL, is carving out a niche role as a defensive forward.
Jost’s presence has, for now, pushed Krebs out of the lineup, and I have even speculated we might see Krebs bump down to Rochester if his game does not improve. So far, Jost’s presence has generated more scoring opportunities for the Sabres, with a Corsi For of 53.6% and a Fenwick of 51.1%.
Even more impressive, when Jost is on the ice, the Sabres offensive zone starting percentage sits at 47.4%. This indicates his presence is huge in transitioning the puck from the defensive zone. While Krebs has been more physical this season (13 hits in 17 games), he has not been as effective as Jost in the early going.
So far with Krebs in the lineup, 52.2% of the Sabres possessions have started in the offensive zone, yet his Corsi For sits at 50.9%, and his Fenwick, 49.8%. These are improvements from last season, showing Krebs is trending upward. But as it stands, Jost gives this team a better chance to win.
Young lineup showing tenacious edge for the Buffalo Sabres
While the Skinner-Tage-Tuch line has been by far the best this season for the Sabres, let’s not discount the Quinn-Cozens-Peterka line, where Dylan Cozens, at just 21, is tasked with leading the Sabres two youngest forwards. And he has done an admirable job, and it is one of many reasons why I said Cozens will become a captain for the Sabres. In time, obviously.
Something about Cozens’ leadership skills that I admire is that he isn’t out there just talking or directing his line. You see him lead by example, by playing hard on the ice and undoubtedly working hard off the ice.
More. Anderson proved his value to the Buffalo Sabres last night. light
Before last night’s game, the Sabres accounted for nearly 66% of all shots attempted at 5 on 5 with an expected goal percentage of nearly 73%. For two 20-year-olds and a 21-year-old fearless leader, that’s rather impressive. Now, they just need to find the net consistently, which will come in time.
Article Source: Observations: Sabres unable to mount comeback, fall to Lindy Ruff’s Devils by Lance Lysowski
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)
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