The Buffalo Sabres have had an up and down marketing campaign to say the least. After two of their finest video games of the season, wins over the Ottawa Senators and New York Rangers, a matinee matchup with the Calgary Flames immediately had the eye of the complete fan base.
The Sabres responded with their third excellent efficiency in a row, a 3-2 shootout victory over the Flames. Although it’s the second three-game successful streak for the Sabres this season, this one comes at a pivotal time for the Sabres. Let’s get into the three most important takeaways.
Luukkonen Is on a Heater
There are a selection of issues that wanted to go nicely for the Sabres this season. Getting offensive manufacturing from the highest line was a should. Group protection needed to get higher and the brand new additions wanted to make the lineup higher after no blockbuster commerce was made through the offseason.
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However simply as importantly, the workforce wanted goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to select up the place he left off a season in the past. It took a while, however Luukkonen seems to have discovered his groove. He has been excellent over his final 4 begins, permitting not more than two targets in every of them (three wins).
Although his report is a modest 6-4-0 to start out, the stats inform an even bigger story. Luukkonen has allowed two targets or fewer in seven of his 11 begins. Extra importantly, he has been displaying consistency of late, taking the lion’s share of the begins. The Sabres figured that they’d their No. 1 goalie after they signed him to a brand new deal, and it appears like they guessed accurately.
Thompson Wanting Like 2022-23 Tage
One of many keys to the Sabres making the playoffs this season was the return to type of high heart Tage Thompson. He exploded into prominence through the 2022-23 season, reaching career-highs in targets (47), assists (47), and factors (94) because the Sabres narrowly missed the playoffs.
After a troublesome season marred by damage, it appears like that Thompson has returned. He scored within the win over the Flames, his 10th in 15 video games to start the season. At his present tempo, he would end with 54 targets and 92 factors.
His affect on the rating sheet is clear, however his chemistry with Alex Tuch and J.J. Peterka has given the Sabres a reputable high line as soon as extra. Peterka is taking part in at a point-per-game clip with Tuch just under the tempo. Thompson was counted on to steer the workforce and has completed so in spades to start out the season.
This Is a Higher Defensive Group Than in Latest Years
Group protection has been downright putrid over the previous few seasons, so head coach Lindy Ruff needed to get this facet of the workforce squared away when he signed again on. By way of the primary 15 video games of the season, it may be argued that he has succeeded.
At the moment, the Sabres are 11th within the NHL in targets in opposition to per recreation (tied for 10th, really), permitting 3.07 targets per recreation. You may see the workforce having far fewer positional breakdowns than in previous seasons, led largely by the two-way efficiency of Tuch, who leads the workforce in takeaways.
Good groups play good protection. It’s how they discover methods to win when the offense simply isn’t there. The penalty kill, which had begun the season lower than perfect, has now climbed to 18th within the NHL. You may see the workforce coming collectively, believing within the system, and delivering higher defensive hockey than Sabres followers have been used to.
Key Stretch for the Sabres
That is the second three-game successful streak for the Sabres. The primary one ended with a three-game shedding streak, however the schedule strains up for a Sabres run. They host the Montreal Canadiens and St. Louis Blues, then have the Philadelphia Flyers, Anaheim Geese, and San Jose Sharks on the highway over their subsequent six video games.
The Sabres should win 4 of those video games if they’re going to significantly be a menace for the playoffs. Good groups beat the groups they’re speculated to beat and 4 of these groups are the worst within the NHL. This appears and looks like a unique workforce, so right here’s hoping that they don’t falter throughout what needs to be a really winnable stretch of video games.
