Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - Jiri Kulich and most of the Buffalo Sabres put on an absolute clinic on Friday at the Sabres Prospects Challenge, beating the Columbus Blue Jackets, 3-1.
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The score doesn’t say total domination, but just to give you an idea, I picked Blue Jackets goaltender Nolan Lalonde as the first star of the game. If Lalonde hadn’t stood on his head, the score may have gotten into double figures.
The Sabres outshot the Jackets, 16-4, in the first period, and 19-9 in the second. Lalonde finished the night with 38 saves on 41 shots faced.
Kulich and Isak Rosen should look head and shoulders above the rest, and Kulich more than filled that bill, while Rosen didn’t.
Kulich’s third period goal would be enough to be No. 1 on SportsCenter, and probably will be in Canada.
The 2022 first-round absolutely undressed defenseman Charlie Elick, who was a second-round pick in this year’s NHL Draft, and then deked Lalonde right out of the crease for his second goal and third point of the game.
Kulich opened the scoring when Vsevolod Komarov’s shot hit Rosen in front, and went right to Kulich, who made no mistake.
Komarov picked up right where he left off when he was named the best defenseman in the QMJHL last year. He was strong in both ends of the ice, and isn’t afraid to pinch in to keep pucks in and play a physical game.
Olivier Nadeau was dominant on the forecheck, and it paid off in a power play goal. Speed killed on this play as Kulich gained the zone, as Viktor Neuchev used his speed up the right wing and laid a perfect pass in front to an open Nadeau.
Nadeau seemed to win every battle along the wall, and when he was on the ice, the puck stayed in the offensive zone.
I picked Noah Ostlund as the game’s third star. He didn’t have a point, but the puck was on his stick all night long.
Ostlund is not big, but I was amazed at how many battles he won along the wall. He caused multiple turnovers, which gave great scoring chances to Konsta Helenius and Anton Wahlberg.
Helenius, at one point, found himself with a wide-open net after a beautiful feed from Komarov, and he put the puck through the crease and out the other side.
Ostlund had numerous open one-timers from the right circle, but Lalonde never cracked.
Even the two unknown defensemen in the lineup, Noah Laaouan and Jack Bodin, were strong throughout this game.
Scott Ratzlaff only had to make 20 saves in this game, but Buffalo did break down four different times and Ratzlaff made four point-blank saves.
I could go on-and-on here about so many great performances, but what the Sabres did was follow the game plan.
"The things we talked about the last three days - playing hard, smart and fast, and the commitment to buy in to playing a hard game identity. Regardless of the win, we tracked really hard," said Rochester Americans head coach Mike Leone following the win. "I thought right from the start of the game we were really fast, kept possession of the puck, and I really liked the last two minutes of the game. We managed it really well, and they couldn’t get their goalie out. A really good effort by the group."
Leone won’t have a morning skate on Saturday, as the Sabres will play the New Jersey Devils later in the evening. The Devils beat the Ottawa Senators on Friday, 9-1.
My guess is Sabres' seventh-round pick this past June, Ryerson Leenders, will get the call in net.
Last season, Leenders was 24-17-4 for the OHL's Mississauga Steelheads. He had a 3.12 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.
Saturday's game at Harborcenter is sold out.
Join Brian Koziol, Brayton Wilson and myself for pregame coverage starting at 6:45 p.m. ET on WGR.
