Zemgus Girgensons and Johan Larsson are the two most NHL-ready forward prospects for the Buffalo Sabres at the Traverse City Tournament.
The duo had played on the same line in Rochester for the Amerks ever since Larsson came to Buffalo at the trade deadline in the Jason Pomiville trade.
For the first two games of the tournament coach Chadd Cassidy had them centering the top two lines, Larsson up top and Girgensons on the second. For yesterday's game, though, he put Girgensons up at left wing with Larsson at center and rookie Joel Armia on the right side.
One would suspect that Cassidy felt it was a pretty big game and he didn't want to experiment too much. Buffalo needed to get one point in the contest vs. Carolina to advance to the Traverse City Championship game vs. the Detroit Red Wings prospects to defend their title.
With those two on the top line, the Sabres cruised to a 4-0 lead with just over four minutes gone in the second period. Larsson scored the Sabres first goal, his first of the tournament, on the powerplay with Girgensons getting the lone assist. Girgensons would assist on Jerome Gauthier-Leduc's goal just over a minute later to put Buffalo up 2-0.
After a Nick Baptiste tally, Girgensons scored the fourth goal, his first of the tourney, with Larsson getting the lone assist.
"They control the game for us at both ends of the rink," said Cassidy.
Larsson and Girgensons had been plying their trade in a two-way role throughout the tournament with not a lot ending up on the scoresheet. But "whenever we get into trouble," said Cassidy, "they're the guys we can send out there that can steady the ship for us."
A steadying presence certainly was needed later in the game on the penalty kill.
After Buffalo jumped out to that 4-0 lead, Carolina roared back with three unanswered goals, all on the powerplay.
The Canes would have two more powerplay opportunities later in the game with the score close, but the Sabres closed the door as Cassidy shortened his penalty kill units. "The big part of [killing those penalties] was personnel. Larsson and Girgensons got a lot of time. [Daniel] Catenacci got a lot of time there. Those are three guys that do a lot of penalty killing for us. That's a role that they excell at."
That Larsson and Girgensons were able to finally get their first goals each in the tournament after being steadying forces through the first two games wasn't lost on Cassidy either, "It was great they could get some reward for that."
One would expect to see them in a prominent role again as Buffalo meets host Detroit for the Traverse City Championship tonight.
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