The Buffalo Sabres took care of business against the San Jose Sharks on Sunday night. A huge reason stemmed from their second line.
We all know how good the line of Jeff Skinner-Tage Thompson-Alex Tuch is. However, the newly called “Kid Line” featuring JJ Peterka-Dylan Cozens-Jack Quinn is starting to pick up some heat.
So where am I going with this? The Sabres finally have a solidified top six. All Sabres fans are used to only one line doing the work but now, Buffalo’s first two lines are making a huge impact. I want to take a deeper dive into the second line for a minute and just what kind of impression they are leaving on the team.
2 goal game for Jack Quinn, he has 5 goals in his last 6 games, points in 7 of his last 8 as well. #LetsGoBuffalo
— NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) December 5, 2022
12 pts total now (5g-7a) in his last 8.
— NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) December 5, 2022
JJ Peterka has points in 6 of his last 7 GP. #LetsGoBuffalo
— NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) December 5, 2022
It took them a while and they haven’t been on the same line all season, but ever since being placed together, Peterka/Cozens/Quinn have been so much fun to watch lately. When Tage Thompson, Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch haven’t scored, the second line has been producing which is great to see.
Buffalo Sabres second line solidified the top six
Like I said before, it’s been a long time since Buffalo has had a reliable top six. As of now and as crazy as it sounds, the Sabres are second in the NHL in goals for. A huge reason why is their first and second line. Here are the stat lines for each line:
First Line:
- Tage Thompson-16 goals, 18 assists, 34 points.
- Jeff Skinner-12 goals, 15 assists, 27 points.
- Alex Tuch-12 goals, 12 assists, 24 points.
Second Line:
- Jack Quinn-6 goals, 8 assists, 14 points.
- JJ Peterka-6 goals, 8 assists, 14 points.
- Dylan Cozens-9 goals, 15 assists, 24 points.
The first line is the most impressive stat line but recently, the second line has really stepped up in a big and it’s great to see some of the young talent having their moments to shine. The other two lines have been doing their jobs but as for the top six, they are just another reason why this team is so much fun to watch despite having a record under .500.
We still have a long way to go until the end of the season and I can’t wait to see what the Sabres top six does between now and April.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)
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