Score: Sabres 4, Blackhawks 2
Shots: BUF: 22 | CHI: 37
Buffalo Sabres Goals: Tage Thompson (4), Beck Malenstyn (1), JJ Peterka (4), Ryan McLeod (3)
Chicago Blackhawks Goals: Craig Smith (1,2)
Plus 1: Bright Spots
I’ve really liked what we’ve seen so far this season from both Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka. Both players have six points, including four goals, on the season, with Peterka having played two fewer games. Thompson is on a four-game point streak, with five points in that stretch, while Peterka has five points in his last three games. While this isn’t surprising from either of them, they’ve definitely been some bright spots early on in a struggling season. Alex Tuch is another, as he leads the team with seven points, including five assists.
Plus 2: Suppressing Bedard
The Sabres did a good job of keeping sophomore phenom Connor Bedard off the board on Saturday night. He was limited to just two shots on goal and finished the game as a minus-1. For an offensive threat who has seven points on the season so far, he could’ve had a much better showing, but Buffalo did well at keeping him down.
Plus 3: A Bounce Back
In Saturday’s game preview, Steven said this:
“Last season, he was able to follow up sub-par outings with quality performances on numerous occasions. In the 2023-2024 season, UPL had 6 outings (5 starts) with a save percentage below 80%. In the 6 starts that followed, he averaged a 91.1 save percentage. Odds are that he will have a bounce back night against Chicago.”
Sure enough, it was a bounce-back performance for Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who made 35 saves on 37 shots faced. The season hasn’t been incredibly kind to UPL so far, and giving up two goals on 13 shots faced in the second period isn’t great, but this was a big win for the Sabres and for Luukkonen.
Final Thoughts
If we’re talking about players we’ve liked so far this season, we can’t ignore Ryan McLeod. He’s been on a hot streak with four points in his last four games and a three-game goal streak. Perhaps not the flashiest player, but he’s already made an impact early into his Buffalo career, and I like it.
Although the Sabres’ road trip is over, things aren’t going to be easy for them. The next test comes on Tuesday against a tough Dallas Stars team that is one of the best in the league, with 10 points and a 5-1-0 record and a plus-9 goal differential. The Stars head into Buffalo on the heels of Saturday’s 4-1 win over Edmonton; that game kicks off a four-game homestand for the Sabres.