Game 79 Stray Observations: Dallas beats Buffalo 3-2
Also: just who is Pavid Pastrnak, really?
It wasn’t the best game, but then again, you make the same comment about the officiating. There’s not much to take away from tonight’s contest except that Dallas is the best team in the Central, and arguable the entire West. Colorado is in a tight contest and teid 2-2 with Minnesota as of this writing, but it’s hard to imagine the Stars losing their grip at the top with the schedule ahead (Winnipeg being the only serious opponent).
Tonight’s game really felt like the calm before the storm. They played well, but Buffalo didn’t challenge them to play harder. Nobody stood out as being a weak link (Nils Lundkvist included!); they just looked like a team getting in some reps before the ice turns into an octagon.
The biggest story of the night was about a certain milestone for a certain player, who we’ll get to in the strays. For now, the question is how they’ll finish, and whether they can put one in the record books. The record for most points by a Dallas team is 114, which was in 1999; as fortune would have it, the same year Dallas won the Cup. If Dallas somehow tops that total — which would require them to either beat Winnipeg, Seattle, and St. Louis all in regulation — it would only be fitting that they also won it all.
But we’re getting way ahead of ourselves. This all sounds good and fun until the playoffs start. The the gloves and all bets are off.
Wyatt Johnston: elite
With his 32nd goal, Johnston is now tied with Anze Kopitar with 32 goals for a 20-year old. It’s absolutely absurd stuff. Which is tied for 10th during the cap era. Some fans might be wondering what his fancier offensive numbers say. While he ranks lower in expected goals above replacement, he’s still 32nd overall, which is above the following players:
Jack Hughes (21-22 season)
Jamie Benn (09-10 season)
Gabriel Landeskog (13-14 season)
Milan Lucic (08-09 season)
Brendan Gallagher (12-13 season)
Cole Caufield (21-22 season)
So yea: elite indeed. However, this isn’t just about the 23rd overall pick from 2021 showing out and scoring goals. Johnston is a complete player; much so that his defense actually rates higher in terms of player percentile than his offense this year.
Esa Lindell: no longer staying home?
The most interesting players to me are the peculiar ones; the ones who defy convention, and are filled with contradictions. Anybody reading my work closely knows I never thought Denis Gurianov and Julius Honka were elite talents who just needed more minutes. To the extent that I was biased towards them, it was because you only learn more about their peculiarities by challenging them. Sometimes they pass, sometimes they fail, but at least you get to learn more. These are the oddballs, and I like oddballs (phrasing).
Oddballs don’t have to be adventurous players though. In that regard, Lindell is an oddball. Drafted for his offense and size, he delivered exactly that in his rookie year in Texas, scoring 42 points. But once he made the jump, he was immediately typecast as a stay at home player to stand guard next to John Klingberg. Is that starting to change? He’s been more noticeable offensively (beyond just the slick pass to Jamie Benn several nights ago) ever since being stapled next to Tanev; to the point where he actively looks faster. It’s an illusion, sure, but still feels tangible.
I don’t know what the endgame here is — I don’t think he’s secretly a puck mover, but like Nils Lundkvist, he can operate a little like a play finisher — but I’m reminded of Jamie Oleksiak, who found his stride as soon as he stopped being the physical stay-at-home defender his coaches wanted him to be. I’m not saying Lindell is Danny Trejo in the romantic lead, but it’ll be interesting to see if this part of his game develops further.
The Buffalo perspective
The Sabres are doing everything right, IMO. Well, in the context of starting off by doing everything wrong. They’ve been drafting well, they’re run well, and while Don Granato’s system may be questionable, he understands development, and has shown no fear challenging his young players in the spaces they prefer. And yet it’s all amounted to pretty much nothing. So what now?
Keep going. Injuries (it was good to see Jack Quinn back) and the funky Devon Levi situation sunk the chances of what is fundamentally a better team than at least one or two teams in the East who are about to make the playoffs. They’ll be fine as long as they don’t overreact. “Doesn’t everyone say that every year?” Obviously. But I don’t think anything is broken in their process. And I think Tage Thompson’s defensive development will bear fruit in very short order.
That first round matchup
While Winnipeg beat Nashville (well, Hellebyuck that is — that Jets performance was one of the worst I’ve seen from a team all year, which means I have my popcorn ready for the Bowness interview), the Predators still earned a point. Nashville has a relatively easy schedule, as does LA. Meanwhile Vegas has Edmonton, Minnesota, Colorado, Chicago, and Anaheim next. Some layups and some not layups. This makes Vegas Dallas’ frontrunner for the first round.
However, if there’s any real change it’ll be whether Vegas knocks out LA for that third spot, putting the Kings into the second wild card. Obviously, there’s no certainty, but LA is only one point ahead as of this writing, so the Kings’ performance tonight (currently tied 1-1 with Anaheim) could have far-reaching consequences.
I get the ‘concern’ from Stars fans because well, that’s the correct response. But if Dallas can beat Vegas in the first round, how much better do you feel about their chances versus everyone else? Just saying.
I know it’s just rumination on a rationalization to find a positive to having Vegas in the first round rather than they and the McDavids fighting out a long series but… could it be better to get them early before Stone returns and Hertle gets comfy and fully integrates? It’s a reach but the thoughts on this are bouncing around in my head the last couple days.
Danny Trejo should be a romantic lead.