The Buffalo Sabres are fresh off a dominating 8-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings, Tage Thompson has 9 points in his last 2 NHL games, and hockey is fun again in Western New York
By the Numbers đ
Record: 6-3-0 (12 points) | Division: 2nd | League: 6th
5v5 Expected Goals-For Percentage (xGF%): 50.2% (15th in the NHL)
5v5 Goals-For Percentage (GF%): 58.5% (6th in the NHL)
Quick Hits
Jeremy Davies has been re-called from the Rochester Americans (AHL)
Kyle Okposo: The older Alex Tuch?
As we all know, the Sabres top line consisting of Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson, and Alex Tuch was absolutely fantastic last season.
This line was a major part of the Sabresâ 2nd half resurgence, and they even gave this line another look this season.
But this tweet from this offseason got me thinking:
How do the Sabres find another Alex Tuch? A mature forward who can win puck battles and has enough hockey IQ in the offensive zone to contribute to the offense rather than subtract it. Someone who can provide defensive cover and allow a chaotic environment for Skinner and Thompson to succeed.
Surely that player must be outside the organization and needs to be acquired via trade. Well, it turns out that player may have been in the building this whole time. That player is team captain Kyle Okposo.
The Skinner-Thompson-Okposo line was put together about 35 minutes into Saturday nightâs game against Chicago. It eventually led to not one, but two 3rd period goals that tied the game en route to a 4-3 Buffalo victory.
Head coach Don Granato ran the line back out there again on Monday night against Detroit and they were fantastic:
Oh and this line eventually scored two more goals as well, check out this one coming off of an Okposo puck battle win and a quick pass from Tage:
This line has only seen 15 minutes of 5v5 ice time together and they have outscored their opponents 4-1 in that short time frame. According to Evolving-Hockey, this line has also outshot their opponents 20-6 and have posted an awesome 73.9 xGF%.
Oh and Alex Tuch can now move onto a line with Dylan Cozens and JJ Peterka. Adding Kyle Okposo to the top line is a savvy move and one we may see stick around for a while.
In the Details: JJ Peterka and open space
Throughout the season, I will highlight some smaller details within Sabres playersâ games that allow them to separate themselves from the rest of the pack.
Letâs first start off with JJ Peterka, the 20-year-old winger has been off to a pretty good start for the Sabres. He has 5 points in his 9 games this season and has been a pretty inventive offensive player.
A good chunk of his dangerous opportunities have come through âsmart cherry-pickingâ which is finding open space in the defense in transition, receiving the puck, and creating chaos on the rush. Almost like Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis with Josh Allen, that route adjustment is always there for them just to go deep into space.
We saw a great example of this in last nightâs game:
And we have even seen him convert plays like these into goals:
Next time you watch JJ Peterka, keep an eye on the weakside of the opponentâs defensemen. He will find that space and he will use it. Give him the puck in that space and watch out.
Down on the Farm: A big win and a big loss
The Rochester Americans had two games this past weekend, both against Laval. Friday night saw the Amerks drop an 8-1 game to the Rocket. The Amerks bounced back with a 5-1 win over the Rocket on Saturday. You have to love the ebbs and flows of AHL hockey.
Oh and Jiri Kulich scored his 1st AHL goal on Satuday. It was an empty-netter, but did he ever work for it:
Jiri Kulich has 6 points in 7 AHL games to start the season. Heâs tied with Sean Malone, Lukas Rousek, and Isak RosĂŠn for 2nd in scoring on Rochester. Not too bad for an 18-year-old late 1st round pick playing professional hockey.
Game Preview: Pittsburgh Penguins @ Buffalo Sabres, 11/2/22, 7:30 PM ET
I think itâs a good idea to fill up the KeyBank Center this Wednesday, whoâs in?
Penguins by the Numbers đ
Record: 4-4-1 (9 points) | Division: 7th | League: 22nd
5v5 Expected Goals-For Percentage (xGF%): 55.4% (7th in the NHL)
5v5 Goals-For Percentage (GF%): 59.1% (5th in the NHL)
Scouting the Penguins
Bad Penalty Kill: the Penguins have a very good hockey team, but their penalty kill? Itâs bad. They rank 29th in Goals Against per 60 and 29th in Expected Goals Against per 60. Itâs a good night for the Sabres to get the power play going
Potent Offense: the Penguins have one of the best 5v5 and power play offenses in the game right now in terms of expected goals. Their finishing hasnât been the greatest, causing the actual goals to lag behind their expected goals, but they can still bury teams fast. Classic âbetter than their recordâ team
Players to Watch
Tage Thompson (BUF): the guy is fresh off a 6-point performance on Monday night and has 9 points in his last 4 periods of hockey, so I donât think thereâs really another choice here. His line with Skinner and Okposo has been buzzing and we will see if they can keep rolling on Wednesday
Sidney Crosby (PIT): we need to appreciate this player while he is still around. He may not always be one of the âflashiestâ superstars in the NHL, but he is one of the greatest players this game has ever seen. Sid the Kid is now 35 years old and he is still producing with 11 points in 9 games this season
Betting Odds
Taking a look at the BetStamp app, the Sabres are still underdogs across the board despite the Penguins mediocre start to the season.