Buffalo, NY (WGR 550) - The Buffalo Sabres seem to be a much different hockey team than they were in the past. After losing their first three games they’ve won 4-of-5 and in the loss, they played the Montreal Canadiens even, but couldn't score the tying goal.
Some things are still happening like the captain of the team, Ramus Dahlin taking a penalty with 4:37 left in a one-goal game, but you know what was different? On the power play Alex Lyon made a huge save in front and Owen Power collected the puck and took off on a shorthanded 2-on-1. Alex Tuch led the NHL with six shorthanded goals last season and Power gave him a perfect pass to put the Sabres up two goals and they won, 5-3. Tuch now has points in 5-of-6 games scoring three goals and four assists for seven points.
Mattias Samuelsson was determined to be a much better hockey player this season and it has been mission accomplished. He said one of the things he was challenged to improve on was reading the play and getting up into the rush to be the fourth man. He had his first two-goal NHL game thanks to that, including the goal that put the Sabres ahead at 4:38 of the game.
It was a lot of early goals as just 23 seconds later, Tyson Kozak left the ice injured which led to Will Nylander getting behind the defense for a breakaway goal that Alex Lyon got a piece of, but couldn’t stop. Had Kozak not gotten injured and leaving the ice, he would’ve been the high man and had Nylander.
Just 1:11 after Nylander’s goal, the Sabres executed a nifty 3-on-2 with Tage Thompson going to Zach Benson to Jiri Kulich for his third goal in five games. The teams had scored three goals in just 1:34. Benson has seven assists in his last five games
Before the first period was over, Auston Matthews was left alone in the right circle and he ripped a power play one-timer to tie the game. It was only the second power play goal the Sabres have given up all season. Buffalo has killed 28-of-30 penalties this season which is 93.3% which is second in the NHL.
Despite being only one of their last eight on the power play, Buffalo is 11th at 23.1%
The Sabres took advantage of a shaky Anthony Stolarz and netted two in the second to head into the third period up 4-2.
Last season Thompson didn’t have a goal in his first five games and then scored goals in five straight games. This season he'd been doing the same thing missing the net, especially over the crossbar with one goal in seven games. He got himself open in the middle and Bo Byram found him for a goal so it remains to be seen if a heater is just around the corner for him.
Samuelsson’s second goal was just like his first, but it was Dahlin with a nifty pass to set him up. Dahlin has assists in 5-of-6 games picking up six points.
Unfortunately for the Sabres, Kozak's injury will keep him out of Saturday's game in Toronto. Konsta Helenius has struggled this season with the Rochester Americans until Friday. He came into the game against the Laval Rocket with one goal and no assists for one point, but in Rochester’s 4-0 win, he had two goals and two assists. Ruff said they’ll likely call someone up for Saturday and does a four point game get the Sabres 2024 first round pick his first NHL game?
Buffalo is now in third place in the Atlantic Division with eight points. That’s two behind the Detroit Red Wings and four in back of Montreal.
Lindy Ruff didn’t say, but it stands to reason that the 32-year-old Lyon won’t play back-to-back games so my guess is either Colten Ellis will play his second NHL game and second game out of three or Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will get his first NHL action of the season after winning 4-2 in Rochester during a rehab assignment in Rochester.
Join Brian Koziol and me on Saturday for the pregame starting at 4:00 when you’ll hear from Ruff, Michael Kesselring and one more player.