Mike Harrington: Points to ponder after Sabres' golden sweep out West
Florida captain Aleksander Barkov seems poised to go on a Patrice Bergeron-like run with the Selke Trophy for the game's top defensive forward, but it seems like it's time for Alex Tuch to start getting his name into that mix as well.
In the wake of their three-game California sweep, the Sabres canceled practice Monday and will return to the ice Tuesday in KeyBank Center. That’s when we’ll get some clarity on whether Tage Thompson will be able to play in Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Wild in KeyBank Center.
Without their No. 1 center, sidelined by what’s believed to be a nagging groin problem, and also minus ace penalty killer Jordan Greenway on a week-to-week basis, the Sabres went 3-0 out West and wrapped up Saturday’s win in San Jose on Alex Tuch’s short-handed goal that highlighted a 12-for-12 week for the PK units. The Sabres are 7-2 the last three years in their trips to the Golden State and 12-6 in the last six visits.
Alex Tuch’s takeaway from Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger, on the ice, was the defensive play that set up Jiri Kulich’s overtime goal in the Sabres’ win on Friday.
Kyusung Gong, associated press
Before 10 Eastern Conference teams played Monday night, the Sabres were third in the Atlantic Division and just two points behind the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers for second place. History shows Thanksgiving is a stunningly accurate date to forecast playoff qualifiers, and the Sabres have established an early-season goal of getting into the hunt and, for once, not chasing the season.
Buffalo’s 11-6-1 record since its 0-3 start is akin to playing at a 105-point pace for an entire season. Heady stuff. Here’s a run through lots of the numbers and notes on my mind in the wake of the trip:
• No idea what’s up with this: Buffalo is 7-1-0 against the Western Conference and only 4-8-1 against the East. The Sabres are taking advantage of a run of West teams on the schedule that continues with five of the next six games being home contests against West clubs (Minnesota, Vancouver, Colorado, Winnipeg and Utah).
Buffalo is tied with Washington (also 7-1) for the best record against the West. Who is the best vs. the East? It’s the Wild, who hit town Wednesday 8-1.
• Florida captain Aleksander Barkov seems poised to go on a Patrice Bergeron-like run with the Selke Trophy for the game’s top defensive forward, but it seems like it’s time for Tuch to start getting his name into that mix as well.
Tuch’s ace puck thievery started the play that led to Jiri Kulich’s OT winner in Anaheim and it also created his breakaway that produced the game-winning short-handed goal in San Jose. That’s Tuch’s third shortie of the season, tied with old friend Sam Reinhart for the league lead.
When Tuch is on the ice at 5-on-5, the Sabres have 61% of the goals, 57% of the high-danger chances and 54% of the shot attempts. He’s fourth in the league among forwards in blocked shots (30) and fifth in takeaways (15). He’s got a team-best plus-11 rating. He’s an ace penalty killer. Pretty solid for a first-line winger.
• It’s far too early for general manager Kevyn Adams to be taking victory laps for anything given the playoff drought, but the silly social media narrative that he’s done nothing of note to help this club needs to stop.
Just since March, Adams has added three significant players to the roster from outside the organization in Bowen Byram, Jason Zucker and Ryan McLeod, as well as a solid role player in Beck Malenstyn. He’s also added NHL-level depth pieces in Sam Lafferty, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Dennis Gilbert and goalie James Reimer, who was terrific in his Buffalo debut Saturday in San Jose.
That’s turning over more than a third of the team from the outside, and not through prospects. And who was Adams’ first choice as coach? Lindy Ruff.
The Sabres are hoping No. 1 center Tage Thompson will soon return to action. Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
• Can we stop talking about how the Sabres are going to replace Jeff Skinner’s goals? He was washed up here last season. What’s he doing in Edmonton? Four goals, three assists and a minus-9 rating while struggling to keep a spot in the bottom-6. He’s been replaced more than fine by Zucker (5-9-14, plus-3). All this chatter about needing a top-6 forward is absurd groupthink.
This team can use another Zucker-like veteran forward – I’ve already tabbed Nashville’s Gustav Nyquist as one of my targets – but what it really needs is a better candidate to be a partner for Owen Power.
You wonder what it might take to get Marcus Pettersson from Pittsburgh or Jacob Trouba, a right-handed shot, out of New York. Ruff worked with Trouba when he was on David Quinn’s staff in New York but you have to wonder how much Trouba’s game has slid the last couple of years. You would need him to come in to be a real player and not be an Erik Johnson type, as in great in the dressing room but no longer so great on the ice.
• Good problem to have: What do the Sabres do about Kulich when Thompson comes back? Kulich can’t play center with Thompson, Dylan Cozens and Ryan McLeod in the middle. But it seems like he should stay, given his offensive ability and the way he can help you take faceoffs in a pinch. Kulich has won 66% of his draws overall and 70% in the offensive zone, and no regular on this team is remotely in that neighborhood.
• Meanwhile in Rochester, Devon Levi has gone 1-0-1, 2.37/.909 and stopped 50 of 55 shots in his first two games with the Amerks. Both went to overtime, with Levi earning a 2-1 win Wednesday at first-place Laval and suffering a 4-3 home loss Friday vs. defending Calder Cup champion Hershey in a game that saw the Bears score the tying goal with eight seconds left in regulation.
The Amerks (8-6-3) are fourth in the North Division and have been a streaky bunch, going 1-3-3 in their last seven games after a six-game winning streak. Sabres first-round choice Konsta Helenius, the AHL’s youngest player at 18, is tied for the team lead with five goals with Brett Murray and Tyson Kozak.
Last edited: