Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - Following a home loss to the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night, the Buffalo Sabres were looking for a bounce back performance on Sunday night when they played host to the San Jose Sharks at KeyBank Center.
Buffalo continued their high speed play in the first period for, yet, another game with an early power play goal from Tage Thompson to give his team the lead. The Sharks pushed back later in the period with quick back-to-back goals from forwards Nick Bonino and Kevin Labanc, giving the Sharks a 2-1 lead heading into the second period.
The Sabres dominated San Jose in every aspect of play in the middle frame. JJ Peterka tied the game just 16 seconds into the period, while Jeff Skinner and Jack Quinn were soon to follow to give Buffalo a 4-2 lead through 40 minutes.
The third period started off slower for both teams compared to the first two periods, but the goals started up again when Quinn scored his second of the night. Sharks forward Oskar Lindblom fired right back for his team just 30 seconds later to cut the deficit to 5-3, but Alex Tuch buried an empty-netter late to cap off the 6-3 win for Buffalo.
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The Sabres, once again, played a very fast, physical, high scoring game to earn their 11th win of the season.
Here are three observations from this game:
1.) Offensive presence
While the Sabres have a record of just 2-2-1 in their last five games, their offensive production has been extremely consistent. The team has combined for 20 goals in that span.
This is a massive improvement for this group related to years passed when if the team was down, they were unable to convert offensively on a consistent basis.
Another positive is a majority of these goals are coming from younger players.
These stellar numbers have helped the Sabres stay in the top-five in the league in goals-for per-game with a whopping 3.80 goals-for per-game.
2.) The kids are alright
While all of the young players on the Sabres have looked great at different points this season, one line that has stood out recently - Dylan Cozens centering Peterka and Quinn - have been an unstoppable force as the Sabres' second line.
The three players have accounted for nine goals and 18 points in their last five games. They have exceptional chemistry on and off the ice, which is key when trying to compete at the highest level and put their team over the top.
3.) Leadership
Rasmus Dahlin, Zemgus Girgensons, and Kyle Okposo were named the captains for the Sabres at the beginning of the season, and have led by example in different ways every game this season.
Okposo and Girgensons have always brought a physical edge to their game, but in this contest, it was Dahlin who showed up with physical play. The 22-year old defenseman has been credited with 40 hits on the season, which leads the Sabres.
Dahlin's newfound physical play has rounded out his already amazing play. It's given him more confidence to use his body on the offensive side of the puck, along with play in his own zone.
This confidence has made him an exceptional leader for this year's Sabres team.
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The Sabres head back on the road on Wednesday to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena in the Ohio state capital. Faceoff is set for 7:30 p.m. EST with pregame coverage starting at 6:30 p.m. EST with Schopp and the Bulldog on the radio home of the Buffalo Sabres - WGR Sports Radio 550.
