Sabres thoughts: Zach Metsa’s big night vs. Leafs, blue-line competition and more
Though it took a shootout to get there, the Sabres bounced back from Thursday's loss with a win over the Maple Leafs.
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The Sabres have won nine of their last 10 games. Joe Hrycych / Getty Images
The Buffalo Sabres had a lousy taste in their mouth for 48 hours after their loss to the Washington Capitals on Thursday. It would have been easy for the Sabres, who have been the hottest team in the NHL since Dec. 9, to write off that loss as one off game. But they showed up to the rink the next day and had a spirited practice, knowing a Saturday night game against the Toronto Maple Leafs offered a chance to finish this homestand on the right note.
And after a long week of games that started with the emotional marathon of an 8-7 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Sabres managed to eke out a shootout win against the Leafs on Saturday and have won nine of their last 10 games.
“When things are rolling, it’s a little easier to have competitive stamina and energy and focus when it’s fun,” Sabres goalie Alex Lyon said. “But we were a little sour the last 48 hours, and that’s a good sign. We have to take things personal.”
The Sabres controlled the game against the Leafs for most of the night. At five-on-five, they had a 31-18 advantage in scoring chances and a 12-4 advantage in high-danger chances. They also scored on the power play and had a perfect night on the penalty kill. A few turnovers were costly, but even in overtime, this ice was tilted in Buffalo’s favor. It came down to Alex Tuch and Jack Quinn converting in the shootout to end the homestand on the right note.
“I think sometimes when you play five games in a row at home, and you’ve had success and a couple huge emotional games, and everybody’s trying to tell you how good you are, you know, it’s time to go on the road for a couple,” coach Lindy Ruff said with a smile.
Here’s what else we saw in Buffalo’s latest win.
1. Through two games, the Luke Schenn-Logan Stanley pair has made some notable mistakes. Schenn had another rough moment early against the Leafs. In the first period, he and Stanley failed to get the puck out of the zone, and then Schenn got picked off on a weak backhand clearing attempt. That gave Dakota Joshua a prime chance in the slot, and he converted to tie the game at 1. A few minutes later, Schenn and Joshua fought, and it seemed to spark Buffalo’s bench. And a few minutes after serving that fighting major, Schenn ended up back in the box with a matching double-minor for roughing after a scuffle with Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Schenn was brought in for his veteran experience and his willingness to defend teammates. Trying to get him games to get comfortable makes some sense. Mattias Samuelsson was out for the Sabres, so Schenn’s penalty-killing ability might have tipped the scales in his favor. And the Leafs were fresh off having their toughness called into question after a dirty hit on Auston Matthews went unanswered, so maybe Ruff wanted the extra muscle in case things got testy.
And while the pair has made a few costly mistakes in the first few games, it did seem to settle in as the game went on. There’s a balance for Ruff in allowing the two time to get acclimated to a much different style of play and not letting the mistakes pile up. Ruff said, “I think they’re still understanding how we try to play.”
But Ruff liked the way Stanley decisively took away ice in the neutral zone in the third period. Schenn’s teammates even gave him the game belt for getting the team going with the fight. Don’t write off these new additions yet.
2. Zach Metsa didn’t do anything to loosen his grip on a lineup spot Saturday. He has handled himself well in his role, even if it has typically been a limited one. He doesn’t make many mistakes and makes quick decisions with the puck. On Saturday, he set a season high with 15:32 of ice time and again wasn’t on the ice for a goal against. The Sabres had a 16-5 advantage in scoring chances during his five-on-five minutes.
“He deserves to be in the lineup for how well he’s played,” Ruff said.
Metsa also got high praise from Lyon, who called him “a safety blanket.” It’s clear that players and coaches trust the 27-year-old rookie. And it says a lot that he was in the lineup in this spot over Michael Kesselring.
“It means a lot,” Metsa said. “I don’t know if I would have gotten that ice time when I first got here. I think for me it just kind of shows I’ve worked every day and kind of proven myself to the guys in this room and obviously the coaching staff, and got rewarded with that trust and ice time tonight.”
Zach Metsa set a season high in ice time against the Leafs.Joe Hrycych / Getty Images
3. Noah Östlund continues to make a big impact on Buffalo’s lineup. Ruff said recently that Östlund is “not afraid to make a play.” And he showed it Saturday, collecting a puck in front of Toronto’s net and setting up Quinn with a perfect pass for a power-play goal in the second period to tie the game at 2. He’s composed and patient with the puck and has the vision and hands to make high-end plays in the offensive zone. It’s also clear how much Ruff trusts his game away from the puck. And the Sabres are outscoring teams 32-22 during Östlund’s five-on-five minutes, so why wouldn’t he?
4. For all of the handwringing about Schenn and Stanley’s first few games, one of the team’s other deadline additions, Sam Carrick, has been a flawless addition to Buffalo’s lineup. He had another big play in this game, assisting on Owen Power’s goal in the first period to get the scoring started. In five games, he has 3 points.
“He honestly should get his Buffalo citizenship soon,” Ruff said.
5. Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin had one of the quotes of the year at Buffalo’s morning skate. Asked about how the Sabres have created the type of “brotherhood” that drives them to stick up for one another, Dahlin paused before offering a simple explanation.
“Drink beer,” he said with a laugh.
Sometimes it’s that simple.
6. With Schenn, Stanley and Metsa in, Kesselring sat out for the second straight game. With Samuelsson out, Ruff went with Metsa over Kesselring.
Kesselring played through knee and ankle injuries early in the season, but those had been feeling better of late. He seemed to be trending in the right direction in his last few games and got over 15 minutes against the Sharks while playing with Stanley. Maybe this will light an added fire under him to work his way back into the lineup.
7. The Sabres will be adding more competition to the blue line soon when Conor Timmins is healthy enough to play. He skated with the team Saturday for the first time since breaking his leg in December. Before his injury, Timmins was a regular and an asset on the penalty kill. Once he’s activated from injured reserve, the Sabres will have nine defensemen who have played NHL games this season on the roster. That’s quality depth, but it creates nightly decisions for Ruff and his staff.
8. With his shootout winner, Quinn is 8-for-13 in the shootout. That 61 percent success rate is seventh all-time among skaters who have at least 10 attempts in the shootout. Quinn also set a career high with his 16th goal of the season.
9. The Sabres had their 11th consecutive sellout Saturday, and notably, Buffalo fans were able to drown out the Toronto fans who have taken over the arena in recent years.
“This is one of the first times I’ve played here when it didn’t feel like a home game, which sucks because it’s nice to have our fans here, but good for Buffalo coming out,” Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll said. “Pretty exciting building tonight.”
10. After the Lightning lost Saturday, the Sabres are 4 points ahead of them for first place in the division. Tampa has two games in hand, but Buffalo still has the higher points percentage. The Sabres now hit the road for a four-game road trip out west.