Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – Ever since JJ Peterka started playing on a line with Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch, they’ve been scoring at a torrid pace.
Sabres head coach Don Granato put the line together in Edmonton a couple weeks back, because they had been scoring before that. In that game, Peterka had two goals and Thompson and Tuch each had an assist.
They’ve now been together for six games, and Thompson has six goals and four assists for 10 points, Tuch has one goal and seven assists for eight points, and Peterka has seven goals and one assist for eight points.
Granato has wanted to put Peterka with Tuch and Thompson for a while now, but he felt it wasn’t the right time until now.
"I’d been hoping to put JJ there for a long, long time, but that foundation that we talk about - knowing how to be a responsible player all of the time when you don’t have the puck, positionally to be in the right spot to get pucks back faster and not have your teammates have to work for you to compensate," said Granato on Thursday following practice.
"There are so many details that you need to bring to the table if you’re going to play with the best players, because they’re going to demand it. It wasn’t appropriate to put them there early. I think guys would’ve gotten frustrated with JJ potentially, and it could’ve offset everything and bumped progress.
"JJ has earned his way to that, and the timing was based on his situational awareness without the puck."
In 12 games, Thompson has nine goals and 17 points, while in 11 games, Peterka has eight goals and 11 points.
As for Tuch, he has always been an unselfish teammate. In his last 11 games, he has 11 assists and 14 points.
Tuch knows he can score goals, as he has 20 this season and had 36 in 74 games last year. In his career, Tuch averages 24 goals every 82 games, but he thinks he needs to be hard on pucks, and then find his two goal-scoring linemates for good chances.
"They’re both unbelievable offensive talents, and they have a knack for scoring goals," said Tuch on Thursday following practice. "I am looking for them as much as possible, because of their scoring ability, their ability to get open in those small little areas, which is huge. But as a three-man unit, we’re supporting each other all over the ice."
Tuch says they’re holding each other accountable, which you’d expect out of leaders like Tuch and Thompson. Tuch adds they’ve taken a lot of pride in being better defensively as a line, because it’s led to a lot of offense.
Tuch has had a locker next to Peterka the whole time he’s been in the NHL. He has seen a lot of growth on and off the ice from the German-born winger.
"He’s changed a lot, and matured in front of us," Tuch said. "On the ice, you’ve seen how lethal he’s become (he’s on a 30-goal pace). Part of it is he’s developing a full 200-foot game. Off the ice, he’s turned into a really good pro. He’s focusing on a lot of things day-in and day-out that when you first get into the league, you’re not really focusing on. He’s coming in with more of a routine to get him in the right mindset.
"He’s continuing to grow, and the sky’s the limit with him. It’s going to be a lot of fun to see, and hopefully I’m sitting next to him for a long time."
Jack Quinn has come up through the ranks with Peterka. They scored a lot of goals while playing together with the Rochester Americans.
"It’s really no surprise for [Peterka approaching 30 goals]," said Quinn after Thursday's practice. "I’ve been able to play with him for two full years, and some of this year on his line. I know how good he is, and I would’ve guessed that at the start of the year for sure. It’s nice to see."
Peterka has really enjoyed the opportunity he’s earned to play on this line, and says it meshed right away.
"I think we’re generating a lot of offense from our forecheck, and I think both of them are really easy to play with," Peterka said of his linemates last week. "We’re really good at getting pucks back, and a lot of our chances come from getting it in deep and making quick plays out of it."
Peterka feels his success comes from positioning, especially without the puck, because it lets him intercept passes and get back to offense.
The 22-year-old can soak in a lot from players like Tuch and Thompson, and says they think the game so well.
"It’s situational awareness. They know who they’re out against on the ice, and I take that and they help me mature my game," Peterka said.
Now this isn’t just a one-way street. Peterka has elite speed, which is going to back off the defense for his linemates.
"I hope so. We get good chances off the rush," Peterka noted.
Peterka considers Tuch a good role model for him. He says the veteran knows when it’s time to joke around, and he knows when it’s time to get down to business.
After practice on Thursday, Granato says he hopes to have winger Jordan Greenway back on Friday. If not then, the hope is for Sunday in Detroit against the Red Wings.
The Sabres could be in a much different spot on Friday when it comes to the playoff rush. The New York Islanders visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, while the Washington Capitals host the Pittsburgh Penguins.
