Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The Buffalo Sabres' fourth goal on Wednesday kept getting changed between Tage Thompson and Ryan McLeod. It was embarrassing that the NHL couldn’t figure it out and kept changing it, but that’s how they roll.
It was the next day when I could actually sit down and talk to McLeod about getting his first NHL hat-trick, because he finally got credit for the goal. McLeod was, of course, ecstatic for the moment.
"It’s a special moment, it’s pretty cool," said McLeod on Thursday after practice. "It’s cool we got the win, and it’s a moment I’ll remember for a long time."
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Last year, McLeod scored 12 goals with the Edmonton Oilers in 81 games, which was a career-high. This year, he already has 10, and is on pace to score 19 by season's end.
McLeod didn’t have a point in his first three games with the Sabres, but he then went on a five-game points streak, where he had four goals and five points. In 15 games, he had six goals and six assists for 12 points, and it looked like he was going to improve offensively in Buffalo.
He then lost his linemates Jason Zucker and Jordan Greenway, and the centermen's game suffered. In 23 games, he had no goals and six assists.
Recently, in his last three games, he’s had four goals and two assists for six points, and set a career-high for points in a game twice with three.
Last season was also McLeod’s best, picking up 30 points. He now has 24, and is on pace to finish the year with 45 points.
McLeod feels recently he’s gotten some puck luck, and he’s trying to shoot it more and get around the net more. Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff says it’s something that maybe slipped in those 23 games.
"He’s getting around the front of the net, getting those second opportunities, and I think in his case, you would look at the goals he scored using his speed and that combination of getting down there between the dots and around the top of the paint, I think has gotten him some extra opportunities to score. And now they’re starting to go in," said Ruff on Thursday.
Going into a 23-game slump isn’t easy for any player.
"I just tried to do the right things every night, and it gets tough sometimes. But the more times you have good habits and do the right things, at least you’re helping the team, even if it’s not going in," McLeod said.
Midway through the game on Wednesday, Ruff flipped McLeod with Dylan Cozens, which had him playing with Tage Thompson and Jason Zucker. McLeod admitted that when he’s playing with a goal scorer like Thompson, he’ll look for him a little more.
Jiri Kulich practiced again with the team on Thursday, and while Ruff says he’s doing well, he doesn’t think he’s going to be an option for Friday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Meanwhile, Jordan Greenway has progressed from just working out to skating, according to Ruff.
"He’s progressing, skating. He’s on a schedule that he’ll be skating for, at least, a couple of weeks on his own, and then see where he’s at," Ruff said.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was also given the day off by Ruff after making 35 saves in Wednesday's win over the Carolina Hurricanes.