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Only One Goal from Tuch Lowers Sabres Individual Grades Versus Kings

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Alex Tuch Buffalo Sabres grades Los Angeles Kings

The Buffalo Sabres cannot win games by scoring one goal a night, as head coach Lindy Ruff pointed out Thursday postgame. The team’s lack of production, despite numerous grade-A scoring chances, cost them a win against the Los Angeles Kings. Alex Tuch scored the only goal for the Sabres as the Kings stunned them with three straight in the third for the 3-1 defeat.



The solo goal is only part of the tale of the night, however. The Sabres played a complete game for the first 40 minutes, dominating at even strength, the powerplay, and the penalty kill. The scoreboard, of course, doesn’t reflect that. To get a better idea of how well each Sabres player performed, let’s turn to the Sabres Grades.

Last season we implemented the grading system. That way, we can assign letter grades to each Buffalo Sabres player based on game performance. Sometimes our eyes deceive us, so the letter grades are assigned based on statistical computation, 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

The game grades model is freshly reworked and improved for the 2024-2025 season to better account for production and more realistically detail a player doing what they’re asked to do by the coaching staff. Friday’s grades were not very good, and Saturday’s look even worse.

All game data via Evolving-Hockey.com

GradeLower LimitUpper Limit
A+92%100%
A85%92%
A-77%85%
B+69%77%
B62%69%
B-54%62%
C+46%54%
C38%46%
C-31%38%
D+23%31%
D15%23%
D-8%15%
F0%8%

Studs

Alex Tuch

Grade: B

Production: C+
Offense: A-
Defense: B
Powerplay: A+
Penalty Kill: B+

Alex Tuch was not only the only goalscorer for the Sabres, but he also helped Buffalo control all facets of the game. Tuch, Tage Thompson, and Zach Benson were the best trio on the ice throughout the entire game for either team. It’s a great sign for the Sabres as Tuch and Thompson struggled in the first game of the season, but have now bounced back to land in the “Studs” column twice in a row since.

Tuch consistently was in the mix, pushing the puck into the offensive end and whipping the puck around into dangerous scoring areas for the Sabres in the offensive zone. He was instrumental in setting up Benson at the end of the first on the goal called back. If it was for half of a second, his line would’ve had two goals and potentially a different result on the gamesheet.

Owen Power

Grade: B

Production: C
Offense: A-
Defense: B
Powerplay: A
Penalty Kill: B-

Owen Power has been Buffalo’s best defenseman through the first three games. He earned the promotion to the top powerplay and immediately boosted the unit’s effectiveness. The Kings have a reputation as one of the better penalty-killing squads in the NHL, but the Sabres and Power had no problem getting set and moving the puck around on them.

Power also played the most minutes on the team, with 24:04 of ice time. Whether it was a reflection of his good play or just a case of situational demand, the trust he’s earning from the coaching staff is apparent.

Bowen Byram

Grade: B

Production: D+
Offense: A+
Defense: B+
Powerplay: A
Penalty Kill: B+

Power’s defense partner, Bowen Byram, wasn’t far behind in performance quality. Zero even-strength shots on goal and two blocked shots are not going to draw great production grades, however.

Byram, like most of his teammates, has to find a way to produce even when not playing well. He has the kind of game-breaking skill required to do so, and it’s that skill that the Sabres need to get them into the win column.

More Byram: Bowen Byram Primed to Thrive Under Ruff

Duds

Sam Lafferty

Grade: D

Production: F
Offense: F
Defense: B+
Powerplay: N/A
Penalty Kill: D-

Two hits and a penalty are all Sam Lafferty has to show for against Los Angeles. It was a quiet night for the fourth-liner, which is unusual for an energy player.

Lafferty’s move to the wing may have stymied him a bit, but his linemates Beck Malenstyn and Peyton Krebs found ways to get involved throughout the night. Simply put, Lafferty has to be better.

Mattias Samuelsson

Grade: D

Production: D+
Offense: D+
Defense: D-
Powerplay: N/A
Penalty Kill: D

“D’s” across the board for Mattias Samuelsson sums up his night. Head coach Lindy Ruff ridiculed him postgame for taking the shorthanded penalty that ultimately cost the Sabres the win. Samuelsson and Clifton were not good at even strength, although the numbers suggest that Samuelsson was the anchor, not Clifton.

We may see the first lineup move on defense this season on Saturday, as Dennis Gilbert and Jacob Bryson are lingering around as healthy scratches ready to jump at the next opportunity.

Peyton Krebs

Grade: C-

Production: F
Offense: F
Defense: A+
Powerplay: N/A
Penalty Kill: D

There wasn’t much offense from Peyton Krebs and company on Thursday, but that’s not what they were asked to do against the Kings. Krebs played the least amount of minutes of any Sabres skater, despite Jason Zucker leaving the ice temporarily after an injury from a cross-check and an eventual 10-minute misconduct in the third period.

The tidy defensive end is all you can ask from a player with only seven and a half minutes of ice time. It just didn’t do him any favors in the grading system.

More Sabres: Quick Hitters from Sabres Versus Kings

Sabres Grades

Buffalo Sabres Grades Los Angeles Kings Alex Tuch

POSTEAMLETTER GRADEGRADEPRODOFFDEFPPPK
Alex TuchRBUFB66.8%C+A-BA+B+
Owen PowerDBUFB63.8%CA-BAB-
Bowen ByramDBUFB63.3%D+A+B+AB+
Tage ThompsonCBUFB-57.9%D+A+C+AN/A
Zach BensonLBUFB-55.8%DA+C+AB+
Jordan GreenwayLBUFB-55.5%CA-B-N/AD-
Rasmus DahlinDBUFB-54.9%D+AC+AB+
Ryan McLeodCBUFC+50.0%CBC-N/AB
Jason ZuckerLBUFC+49.8%D-BBAN/A
Ukko-Pekka LuukkonenGBUFC+48.2%
Henri JokiharjuDBUFC45.9%CB-CD+D+
Dylan CozensCBUFC43.6%D+FB+AB-
Jack QuinnRBUFC42.9%D+D-BA+N/A
Connor CliftonDBUFC-36.5%C-CC-N/AC-
Jiri KulichCBUFC-35.2%FFB+AN/A
Beck MalenstynLBUFC-34.3%CD-CN/AD+
Peyton KrebsCBUFC-31.7%FFA+N/AD
Mattias SamuelssonDBUFD22.4%D+D+D-N/AD
Sam LaffertyCBUFD21.2%FFB+N/AD-