Buffalo Sabres: Tyson Jost continues to flourish under Don Granato
Tyson Jost was in Casey Mittelstadt territory as far as draft busts go. Then things changed when the Buffalo Sabres acquired him.
In Thursday night’s loss to the Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres center Tyson Jost skated up the slot, took a pass from Victor Olofsson, and got one right over goaltender Connor Hellebuyck’s shoulder. It tied the game at two, and while a breakaway goal later in the third period all but sealed the deal for the Jets, Jost enjoyed yet another strong performance.
It was Jost’s fourth goal in a Sabres uniform, and his 12th point of the season (ninth with Buffalo). He nearly had another one in the third period, which would have again tied the game, but Hellebuyck denied the 24-year-old a multi-goal outing that could have sent the contest into overtime.
Tyson Jost continues to be a force with the Buffalo Sabres
After initially starting with the Sabres on the fourth line, Jost has since moved up to center Casey Mittelstadt and Victor Olofsson. Before his arrival, the Mittelstadt line noticeably struggled, and sometimes saw fewer than 10 minutes of ice time per game.
While Jost’s presence hasn’t turned the line into a trio of rockstars, they have at least become serviceable. With Jost in the lineup, they are no longer a lost cause, and the line scored the Sabres only two goals in last night’s affair, with Victor Olofsson taking helpers from Mittelstadt and defenseman Henri Jokiharju to tie the game at one in the second period.
Jost has also been remarkable on the penalty kill, and at even strength, where his presence has allowed the Sabres to generate more scoring chances. His Corsi For% at even strength sits at 51.8%, just the third time in his career where it reached north of the 50% mark.
Overall, Jost proved once again that he was a phenomenal pickup on the waiver wire. He will never be an all-star in this league, but you can expect him to make a solid living in Buffalo as a member of the supporting cast.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)
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