The Sabres appear to have found what they were seeking during their two-game homestand to start the season on North American soil. A win, and not only was it a win, it was the first time in the first four games for the Sabres where the Lindy Ruff style of play really took effect for a full 60 minutes.
For Sabres fans, it seems unheard of that their hockey team came out looking great for all three periods of play. Yet Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk were not playing, and Spencer Knight didn’t look comfortable all night, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. The Sabres pounded the net and generated 27 shots and five of them lit the lamp.
The Sabres found energy off big hits and sustained offensive zone time. Buffalo also laid the body down, blocking 16 shots, the most in a game for Buffalo thus far. It’s only one game of the remaining 78 games left to play for Buffalo. Can they keep this same style of play going for the rest of the season, something the coaches before Lindy couldn’t sustain?
Keep the Quinn-Cozens-Kulich line
Lindy’s new line combinations on Saturday paid off for him against the Panthers, as he might have found a new kid line behind his top line with Thompson and Tuch. Quinn’s speed, combined with the shot and playmaking ability of Cozens and Kulich, makes a killer combo for teams to defend.
Both Cozens and Quinn can gain massive assist numbers if Kulich can stay with the team long enough to find his rhythm in the NHL. Kulich in the last two seasons with Rochester he has scored 51 goals in 119 games, which turns in close to a half-goal per game.
Jiri made his presence felt early in the first period as he raced with Evan Rodrigues for a loose puck that was rolling into the corner behind Levi. Kulich would win the battle and hip check Rodrigues, regain the puck to chip it to Quinn who got the puck out of the zone to create a 3-on-3 rush the other way and created a scoring chance for Joki. It didn’t end up in a goal but that hard work and chemistry that is already built based on one game can go a long way with 78 games left.
The shift later would give Jokiharju’s first goal of the season with great passing and with all three forwards in front of the net to screen Knight. Lindy found a line that can bring energy and grit to his team.
A New Life for Peyton Krebs?
Peyton Krebs was one of many Sabres all over the ice in the victory over the Panthers on Saturday night. He was one of two extra forwards on the ice for Lindy Ruff’s squad. Hard work tends to pay off as Krebs received 14 minutes of ice time when Beck Malenstyn was limited to just two minutes on the ice for the Sabres. The 23-year-old also picked up an assist in the victory.
Krebs brings a lot of grit to the Sabres as he wins battles on the board and is not afraid to lay a big hit or stand up for his teammates in a fight. The juice he brought to the group on Saturday can keep him in the lineup. Not to mention he brings it to practice as well. Fighting Rasmus Dahlin after a battle on the boards makes practices competitive, something that wasn’t seen with Don Granato last season and makes Ruff proud, as he said, “I wouldn’t read too much into that. We want competitive practices.”
Will the power play ever score?
My biggest takeaway from the weekend is how weak the power play still is under Ruff and Seth Appert. Matt Ellis controlled the power play last season for Buffalo and ranked in the bottom four in the NHL. Well, that is still the case, as Buffalo is one of two teams that hasn't scored on the power play this season, the other being Toronto.
A power play that lacks movement while in the zone, but also has trouble sustaining offensive zone time with the man advantage. Entries from zone to zone have been painful to watch while the team is a man up. If Buffalo cannot figure out how to score on the power play, they will struggle to win games this season. Look at the game against the Los Angeles Kings last Thursday, which came down to special teams, a part of the Sabres that is missing in the lost and found.
Week 3 expectations
The Sabres go on a three-game trip this week. Facing the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday and the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday for their second back-to-back games in as many weeks. Buffalo ends the trip in Chicago at United Center before coming back home for a four-game stand. Ideally, with the Sabres already behind, a 3-0-0 trip would be a perfect way to bring momentum back home.
Going 2-0-1 and taking five of the six points available would be a more realistic expectation for the Sabres this week.