Written By: Intern Justin
In a year where there doesn’t appear to be much hope for the Buffalo Sabres, there are still bright spots on the team. There won’t be playoffs, but there’s hope for next year with the heart that the team plays with. With so many promising young players in the organization, they will be showcased in the player of the week. The best players shouldn’t be limited to just the Sabres, so the Rochester Americans will have their own player of the week as well.
Sabres Overview:
The Sabres had a challenging week, lining up against three playoff teams in the second week of March. They finished 1-2, getting outscored 10-4 against the Los Angeles Kings, Florida Panthers, and Vegas Golden Knights. Though not a single Sabres player recorded more than one point in the week, one of their most impressive wins of the season came against the Knights.
Sabres’ Player of the Week: Alex Tuch (1 goal, 1 point)
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Craig Anderson (41) is congratulated by Buffalo Sabres right winger Alex Tuch (89) on his 300th win. James P. McCoy / Buffalo News
Though Alex Tuch’s empty-net goal didn’t appear to be very impressive, it meant a lot for Sabres fans. Tuch took the puck away from Jack Eichel, the former Buffalo captain who he was traded for, and buried a shot from a difficult angle for his eighth goal of the year.
The Buffalo crowd, which booed Eichel every time he touched the puck, went wild from seeing Tuch’s game-clinching goal. Tuch appears to be a top candidate for Buffalo’s captaincy next year. With Buffalo’s win, Vegas fell to 4-7-1 since Eichel’s debut.
Americans Overview:
The Sabres and Americans had similar weeks; they both won one game and lost the other two. Rochester was outscored 12-7 by the Laval Rocket, Syracuse Crunch, and Utica Comets. Despite a sluggish start to the week–getting blown out by Laval on Wednesday, they finished on a strong note with a shootout win on Saturday.
Amerks’ Player of the Week: Arttu Ruotsalainen (0 goals, 3 points)
Rochester Americans forward Arttu Ruotsalainen skates against the Utica Comets during the first period at the Blue Cross Arena on Friday, Feb. 5, 2021. Harry Scull Jr.
Unlike the Sabres, the Americans had many players with multiple points in the week. The top point leader turned out to be Arttu Ruotsalainen, a familiar face among Sabres fans. ‘R2,’ as Sabres fans call him, has excelled for Rochester as of late. He has six goals and 12 points in his last seven games, leading the way for the Amerks offense over that stretch.
Though Ruotsalainen didn’t record a single goal during the week, he still racked up the most points when 12 different skaters on the team recorded at least one. In the 7-2 loss, Ruotsalainen assisted on the only two Rochester goals and added another If his hot streak continues, he’ll most likely get called up to the Sabres for his second stint of the season. He currently sits at 12 goals and 33 points in 37 games played.
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