The Buffalo Sabres prospects took it to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first game of the Prospects Challenge. The 3-1 victory didn’t signify how much the Sabres controlled the game, outshooting their opponent 41-21. There were beautiful passes, dazzling breaks on the rush, and even a couple of fights to entertain the crowd at HarborCenter.
Due to the overall dominance, there weren’t too many critiques throughout the game. The Sabres worked well as a five-man unit, covering for the occasional whiff or turnover. While nearly everyone’s stock rose, there were three clear standouts as Buffalo’s best.
Jiri Kulich
Aside from the obvious two goals scored, there was an aura about Jiri Kulich whenever he had the puck. He was on a different level than the Columbus defenders, as evidenced by his second goal. He broke down the right wing, slid the puck to the middle past the lagging defenseman, and deked out Blue Jackets’ goalie Nathan Lalonde to slide the puck inside the far post.
Lalonde himself deserves a lot of credit for his 38 saves. The Sabres peppered him all night, and it took a move like Kulich’s to beat him. Kulich’s first goal was a quick rebound, which Lalonde also had little chance on.
As a Sabres hopeful, Kulich did what you’d want him to do in the first game of the Prospects Challenge – take it to his peers. He appeared to be punching in a whole other weight class. He’s primed to master the AHL this season and push for a job in the NHL.
Ryan Johnson
Along the same lines as Kulich, Ryan Johnson was on a different level than most Blue Jackets prospects. Given that he played 41 games with the Sabres last season, this should be no surprise. The 23-year-old defenseman does the underrated things on the ice that help dictate play. His first pass was spot on, his mobility was elite, and his recovery was impeccable.
The driving force behind the team’s dominance was Johnson, who simply kept play up ice and in the offensive zone.
Konsta Helenius
It’s easy to forget that Konsta Helenius is one of the youngest players on the ice. He oozes confidence, commanding the puck and always being on top of the play with or without the puck. The Sabres organization believes in him so much as a center that he bumped Noah Ostlund to the wing, as the two combined with Anton Wahlberg to form the second line.
Helenius didn’t score but had a couple of prime scoring opportunities. One of those opportunities was after all five Sabres players touched the puck in the offensive end, forming a beautiful passing play that left Helenius a yawning cage on the doorstep of the crease. He slid the puck along the ice and off the far post, missing what was the best play of the night.
The finishing will come for the Finnish center. The impressive part is that Helenius wants to take charge in a chance to play against his peers. He was slamming his stick on the ice on his off-wing on the powerplay and calling for a play before it was fully formed. One instance even saw him receive a pass in the high slot with little space, and a nice power move opened up a clean shot opportunity.
It would have been nice to see Helenius fit in with his linemates, Ostlund and Wahlberg. He did much more than that – he became the focal point of a very effective trio for the Sabres.
