The Buffalo Sabres rediscovered their high-scoring ways when Alex Tuch returned to the lineup in Monday’s win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Let’s face it. Inexperience in playing meaningful games this time of the year could be a thorn in the Buffalo Sabres side. Take just one look at the roster, and you’re going to find that most of these players have little to no playoff experience.
But one player has a lot of it, and he knows exactly what it’s like not only to weather the storm that the playoff race brings, but to do so as an underdog. Alex Tuch was part of a then-expansion Vegas Golden Knights team that shocked the world back in 2017-18, making not only the playoffs, but the Stanley Cup Final during their first season of existence.
One look at Hockey-Reference shows us that Tuch has 66 games of playoff experience. And in a manner of speaking, he has even more, considering the fact he found himself in multiple regular season playoff races during his four seasons with the club.
Tuch is already using that experience to lead his teammates through the most important part of the season. His words?
"“It’s cliché, but one win at a time. One game at a time. … It really helps. It does. If you’re able to just not look at the standings, not look at what other teams are doing, focus on yourself and focus on your next opponent, it allows you to play your best games.” – Alex Tuch, via Buffalo News."
Buffalo Sabres must look to Alex Tuch during playoff push
We found out during Buffalo’s stunner the other night against the Toronto Maple Leafs of how important Tuch was to the team. His two goals were the difference-maker in a game that snapped the Blue and Gold’s four-game losing streak, and 2-5-1 record without the star winger in the lineup.
But now, Tuch will be taking on a leadership role as the end of the regular season is on the horizon. As the Sabres are still heavy underdogs in this race, it makes Tuch’s presence all the more valuable.
Without him, Buffalo is going nowhere but a 12th straight regular season exit without a playoff appearance, and that’s a fact. But with Tuch in the lineup, plus his leadership and experience, the Sabres might just sneak into the postseason for the first time in over a decade.
Source: Alex Ovechkin’s Capitals are next obstacle for Sabres during their playoff push by Lance Lysowski, BuffaloNews.com
(Data provided by Hockey-Reference)