JJ Peterka is Sabres' best in overtime loss to Penguins

With the goalie pulled, Pittsburgh found a way to force overtime with Rickard Rakell tapping home a loose puck in the crease. Tage Thompson’s overtime penalty proved costly, as Sidney Crosby ended things with the man advantage.

The grading system was implemented last season to assign letter grades to each Buffalo Sabres player based on game performance. The letter grades are assigned based on statistical computation, since our eyes can deceive us, taking into account the following factors:

• Production
• Quality of offense
• Quality of defense
• Volume of offense
• Volume of defense
• Powerplay performance
• Penalty kill performance
• Penalties drawn and taken
• Role
• Minutes played

Wednesday’s game against the Penguins had the Sabres grades all over the board, with some impressive and some not-so-impressive showings.

All game data via Evolving-Hockey.com

Studs

JJ Peterka

Grade: B+

Production: B+

Offense: A

Defense: C+

Powerplay: N/A

Penalty Kill: N/A

Peterka was the highlight of the night on Buffalo’s side of things, scoring two goals. Even without his production, he measured as the best player on the ice for the Sabres on Wednesday. Peterka’s goals-for percentage was 100%, his expected goals-for percentage was over 71%, and his shots-for percentage was over 70% when he was on the ice.

Buffalo’s second powerplay unit didn’t get a single chance, with shortened powerplays thanks to some tough penalty calls. Even still, Peterka had the second-most minutes of any Sabres forward on Wednesday.

Previous Sabres Grades: Samuelsson, Jokiharju Step Up In Sabres Win Over Panthers

Tage Thompson

Grade: B

Production: B+

Offense: A-

Defense: C+

Powerplay: F

Penalty Kill: D-

Yes, Thompson took the penalty in overtime that ultimately cost the Sabres the game. He is docked in the grades for that, lowering him down to a “B”.

Still, Thompson was part of the five-on-five engine that kept the Sabres churning. The first game of the season aside, he’s played like the number-one center Buffalo expects him to be.

Alex Tuch

Grade: B

Production: A-

Offense: A-

Defense: C-

Powerplay: N/A

Penalty Kill: D-

An “A-” production day vaults Alex Tuch into the “Studs” column and completes the line’s trifecta. Being on the ice for Rust’s powerplay goal and minor defensive lapses lowered Tuch’s grade overall, but there’s no denying he was driving the Sabres’ offense.

Besides Thompson throwing the puck off of him before wrapping it around the other side of the net for Buffalo’s first goal, Tuch showed great patience by waiting and springing Bowen Byram in the neutral zone for Peterka’s first goal.

With the first line clicking, the Sabres need the rest of the forward group, particularly Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn, to help them out offensively.

Duds

Bowen Byram

Grade: D

Production: C-

Offense: D

Defense: F

Powerplay: N/A

Penalty Kill: D-

It’s getting to an ugly point again with Byram, who needs to be one of Buffalo’s better players each night with the minutes he is given. If it weren’t for his two assists, we’d be talking about an “F” night for the highly-drafted defenseman.

Byram and Owen Power were caved in as a defensive pair against Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin’s lines. Yes, they’re tough assignments, but as a shutdown pair the former fourth overall and first overall selections, respectively, have to find a way to neutralize their opponents.

Peyton Krebs

Grade: D

Production: F

Offense: F

Defense: B+

Powerplay: N/A

Penalty Kill: D-

So far, there hasn’t been much offense coming from the fourth line. Peyton Krebs is an adopted member of the identity line with Nicolas Aube-Kubel out, which you would think would help boost the production. Instead, it has slowed the counter-attack speed that Sam Lafferty and Beck Malenstyn displayed in the preseason.

Krebs is keeping things clean defensively in limited minutes, which is about all you can ask by playing him under 10 minutes a night. It just won’t do him any favors in the game grades.

Owen Power

Grade: D

Production: C+

Offense: D-

Defense: D-

Powerplay: D+

Penalty Kill: D-

There wasn’t much that Power did right versus Pittsburgh. Two shots on goal and two hits were the only values on the stat sheet, and his pairing spent far too much time in the defensive zone. Power’s at his best when he’s pushing play up-ice, but Pittsburgh limited his opportunities to do so.

Head coach Lindy Ruff mentioned earlier in the week that he doesn’t prefer to play two left-handed shots together and that he believes Power and Byram are leaving plays to be made because one is always on their off-side. With only Henri Jokiharju and Connor Clifton as righties on defense, there’s not much he can do to change that.

Do not be surprised, however, if Ruff decides to pair Power with Rasmus Dahlin like we saw initially in training camp. It could be the reshuffling the Sabres need with their pairs.

Sabres Grades vs. Penguins

For the Pittsburgh Penguins point of view, head over to Pittsburgh Hockey Now for the latest.