BUFFALO, N.Y. — So what should we make out of the Sabres most recent streak of seven wins in 10 games?
Of course, with this team’s track record, people are likely going to be very cautious before they buy-in. That’s totally understandable, but I think we are finally seeing some real progress.
These players have become close in a relatively short period of time, but it’s so obvious on the ice. For years fans have been begging players on this team to stick up for each other and all we’ve seen is pretty much, "You’re on your own, kid."
Now, if something happens on the ice, these guys show up to help as a unit. Dylan Cozens and Casey Fitzgerald have declared to the league that taking runs at Rasmus Dahlin is unacceptable and won’t be tolerated.
It’s amazing how much a rookie can mean to a team, but Mattias Samuelsson finally got his chance to crack the lineup, and it couldn’t have gone better. The kid is never out of position, and with his size, reach, and deceptive speed, he can close gaps quickly. He’s playing quite a bit and taking some of the pressure off Dahlin.
I think if you’re a fan, you should be very excited about the young D. Dahlin and Samuelsson will be joined by Owen Power soon, which means the left D will have players that are 19, 21 and 22 years old. Fitzgerald is 25 years old and is ready to contribute on the right side, along with 22-year-old Henri Jokiharju. Add in 24-year-old Jacob Bryson, 20-year-old Ryan Johnson, and 22-year-old Oskari Laaksonen, Buffalo is developing some very good young depth.
Alex Tuch has come as advertised. The 25-year-old was part of the Jack Eichel trade and has eight goals and 18 assists for 26 points in 32 games as a Sabre. Tuch also scored the shootout winning goal Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
I always knew Tage Thompson had the talent to score 25 goals in this league, but I didn’t know if he’d drive himself to do it. Thompson absolutely put in the work to get his bullet-like shot off quickly, and it has resulted in 27 goals in 60 games.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was establishing himself as a NHL goalie before he got hurt. Buffalo also has two of the best college goaltenders in the nation. Devon Levi is in the final 10 for the Hobey Baker Award and college hockey’s best player, while Erik Portillo is the goaltender for the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Michigan Wolverines. Both will be playing in the 16-team tournament field.
Next season Jack Quinn should be up from Rochester. In two games with the Sabres, the club’s first-round pick in 2020 has a goal and an assist. In Rochester, he’s been one of the biggest offensive threats in the league, netting 21 goals and 23 assists for 44 points in just 28 games. In 53 games with the Amerks, JJ Peterka has 16 goals and 35 assists for 51 points.
Adams still needs more than just what I’ve been talking about here, but it seems like some fans are allowing themselves to take this mini-streak and dream about what hockey used to be like in Buffalo.