With power play slumping, Sabres restructure top unit

A week remains before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the Buffalo Sabres know they have some work to do on their power play.

Streaky all season, the man advantage is currently stuck in one of its cold spells, having gone 0-for-17 across the last five games, so the Sabres made some changes before Saturday’s practice at LECOM Harborcenter.

Notably, on the first unit, Rasmus Dahlin occupied the right flank while forward Jack Quinn manned the blue line. Tage Thompson remained on the left flank, and Alex Tuch joined the unit in the bumper. Their handedness maximizes one-timer opportunities around the formation, coach Lindy Ruff explained, with things running through Dahlin’s side.

“We’re going to take a look at this for a game or two – we have that luxury,” Ruff said. “… We’ve run a little bit dry, so now it’s time to just try something.”

Luck is a factor, and the Sabres haven’t gotten much during this stretch. They’ve attempted 47 power-play shots in those five games, 23 on net, and Natural Stat Trick credits them with 10 high-danger scoring chances. The best opportunity might’ve come from the second unit Thursday versus Columbus, when a goal-line Zach Benson fed Josh Doan in the bumper for a one-timer – goalie Jet Greaves made a great stop.

On the other hand, teams make their own luck to some extent, and Buffalo hasn’t pressured penalty kills into enough mistakes lately, resulting in too many one-and-done stints in the zone. Check out Quinn’s power-play goal from March 31 against the Islanders; after Ilya Sorokin made two quick saves, Jason Zucker and Josh Norris won a puck battle at the point to maintain possession and give Quinn room to roam:

“Overall, I think we’ve just got to start threatening a little bit more, start shooting a few more pucks and not being afraid to keep them in chaos after some shots on net,” said Zucker, the team leader with 10 power-play goals this season.

At its best, Buffalo’s power play has operated down low. When Tage Thompson or Doan get the puck along the goal line, defenders sometimes drift toward the bumper and leave an open lane to the net – bad angle aside, that can be a high-percentage shot off those guys’ sticks. Take a look:

Those plays aren’t always available, though, which forces the shooters to create action from farther out.

“You play teams that pack it in pretty tight, and then the down-low plays aren’t there,” Ruff said. “So that means, a lot of times, you’ve got to be willing to shoot it from just inside the dot and get people around looking for tips and rebounds or a shot-pass.

“I think we’ve been a little stubborn when it comes to shooting sometimes, but we talked to the group this morning about being a little bit more in the attack mode. Being in that mode where, if we got a puck on net, anything can happen after that.”

Successful playoff runs typically involve a dangerous power play, so if the Sabres are to play deep into May (or June), they’ll need their special teams in top form once again.

“Five-on-five, it’s gonna be tight, it’s gonna be hard to score, we’re gonna be hard to play against and not give up many chances,” Tuch said. “So, when you get those chances on the power play and penalty kill, I think that’s what makes the best teams in the playoffs.”

Here’s more from Saturday’s practice.

Saturday’s practice lines

The Sabres took line rushes with the same groups from Thursday’s win, including Logan Stanley and Zach Metsa as the third pair on defense.

Those two both played more than 16 minutes versus Columbus, including a career-high 19:25 for Metsa. Their bigger workloads meant relatively light nights for Mattias Samuelsson (21:03), Owen Power (20:10), Rasmus Dahlin (19:46) and Bowen Byram (19:31).

Ostlund’s status

Forward Noah Ostlund (upper body) has continued skating on his own, and the rookie hasn’t been ruled out for the start of the playoffs. He hasn’t played since March 25.

“Getting better,” Ruff said. “Just one of those injuries that’s just pain management, and as soon as we get that reduced, he’ll be back.”

Tuch’s King Clancy nomination

On Friday, Tuch and his wife, Kylie, announced a $50,000 donation to Sisters of Charity Hospital. Their youngest son, Teller, was born last April with underdeveloped lungs, but he’s now fully healthy thanks to Sisters’ Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Fittingly, Friday also saw Tuch nominated for the King Clancy Trophy for a fourth straight year.

“Growing up right down the thruway there, it’s always been really special to me, the Buffalo Sabres, and giving back has been one of my main goals since I’ve been able to in the NHL,” Tuch said. “I’ve talked about before that God put me on this earth not just to play hockey, but use my image and some fortunate financial situations – that I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of – to help others that are less fortunate than myself.”

Practice sound

Up next

The Sabres visit the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday at 8:30 p.m. EDT. MSG’s pregame coverage starts at 8.