Published by hockeybuzz.com, 9-22-2019
The Buffalo Sabres finished a home-and-home with the Toronto Maple Leafs with a split after a 5-3 win at KeyBank Center last night. A Sabres squad that will look very much like the one they'll be icing on opening night took care of business against that was minus the likes of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Morgan Reilly and No. 1 goaltender, Frederik Andersen.
Even without those top Leafs players, Toronto looked extremely sharp led by John Tavares and Mitch Marner along with defensive anchor, Jake Muzzin. Head coach Mike Babcock has had his system in place for four seasons and he's running it with a talent pool that's deep and high on skill and speed.
For their part, the Sabres are on their third coach since Babcock was hired in Toronto and by the looks of it, they've taken to a system that pushes the pace and allows for plenty of creativity.
Buffalo head coach Ralph Krueger has employed his charges pressure the puck and in the last two games against the Maple Leafs they've done so. The difference between a 3-0 loss at Toronto on Friday and the 5-3 win last night was more about skill on the Buffalo side and the difference in the Leafs goaltending more than anything else as the Sabres went stride for stride with a team that many consider a Stanley Cup contender.
Granted, it's only preseason and we've seen this before where Buffalo squads will buy-in early in a coaching tenure only to deviate down the road, but there's a better chance that this one will stick moreso than under head coaches Dan Bylsma and Phil Housley. Krueger has developed a much more personal relationship with his players than the aloof Bylsma could and he's got a much better grasp of coaching in the NHL despite being a novice. Whereas Housley came in as a rookie, and it showed, though Krueger only has 37 games as an NHL head coach but right now he seems to have a much better grasp of how to coach men and seems to have garnered much more real respect than Housley could.
In addition to that, Kreuger has more to work with in the personnel department than anything we've seen since maybe Bylsma's second year. Third-year general manager Jason Botterill has been sifting through the talent pool he inherited and has worked the roster more to his liking, which includes an overhaul on defense. Although there are still some big holes and there's plenty more to do, Botterill has brought in players and has some promising prospects graduating that will make the roster more competitive.
A big chunk of prospects brought into training camp will be headed east to Rochester tomorrow as the Amerks begin training camp and one will be headed overseas.
Probably the only surprise cut announced today was forward Arttu Ruotsalainen who is headed back to Ilves Tampere in Finland's top pro league. Ruotsalainen signed an entry-level deal with the Sabres with a clause in the deal that said his team could bring him back if he didn't stick in Buffalo. The 5'8" 181 lb. Ruotsalainen led Ilves last season with 21 goals and 21 points and showed well at Sabres camp this year, but didn't make the cut.
Forwards Eric Cornel, Sean Malone, Andrew Oglevie, Kyle Olson and Kevin Porter were also cut and will head to Rochester as well as defensemen Jacob Bryson, Casey Fitzgerald, Brandon Hickey, Zach Redmond and Devante Stephens. Goalies Michael Houser and Jonas Johansson will also be breaking camp with the Amerks.
C.J. Smith and Andrew Hammond were also cut and will need to clear waivers before reporting to Rochester.
Some quick notes:
--C, Dylan Cozens really impressed in Friday's game against the Leafs but was generally ineffective in the second game of a back-to-back. It's best to be reminded that he's only 18 yrs. old and that there's a huge difference between the grind of an NHL season and a full season in junior.
--Like we said yesterday, it's not a matter of winger Victor Olofsson being on the team for opening night, it's a matter of where he'll be in the top-nine.
--F, Curtis Lazar is a reclamation project and he's doing everything he can to make it to the big club. The former first round pick felt he was rushed to the NHL as a 19 yr. old and is looking to work his way back to the NHL. He's played as well as any of the fourth-liners vying for a roster spot.
--D, Rasmus Ristolainen played in his first preseason game and laid a questionable hit on Leafs defenseman Tyson Barrie. The polarizing defenseman seemed to enjoy laying the body on the Toronto skaters and was paired with Rasmus Dahlin. Ristolainen's total ice time was 21 minutes 58 seconds with time on both the powerplay and penalty kill, which should be right in his wheelhouse moving forward.
--F, Sam Reinhart is gonna get paid. How much remains to be seen but he's really coming into his own while on the final year of a two-year bridge deal.
--F, Marcus Johansson played center last night and played pretty well. Krueger gave him props for coming to a new organization with new team mates and playing a new position in his first pre season game.
--If you haven't figured it out yet, defenseman Colin Miller has an incredibly powerful slapshot. Just ask Leafs goalie Michal Neuvirth who's glove hand went numb after catching a Miller slapshot in his palm.
--Winger Jimmy Vesey should've signed with the Sabres out of Harvard. He looks like he belongs in Buffalo.
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