Don Granato is no Lindy Ruff when it comes to changing forward lines. The former Sabres' coach was notorious for doing that from period to period, let alone from game to game.
Granato isn't a serial line flipper but tried to jolt some quiet offensive players in Friday's shootout loss to Washington, and he said he isn't afraid to try different combinations the rest of the season.
Granato flipped Dylan Cozens (no goals in 12 games) and Alex Tuch (one goal in 17) during the second period and moved Peyton Krebs from wing to center to join Tuch and Vinnie Hinostroza. Cozens moved to wing with Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner.
Equipped with untapped potential and a fiery competitiveness, Cozens has used his position on the ice and in the dressing room to be a catalyst for change in the organization.
"I kind of can get my way with it and just adjust on the fly," Krebs said Saturday in LECOM Harborcenter about moving from wing to center. "It's just pretty much the difference between being more in the middle of the ice to kind of more perimeter on wing. But at the end of the day, you're still coming back five tight."
Changing a young player like Krebs from wing to center during a game was an interesting move. Krebs, with six goals and eight assists since joining the Sabres in November as part of the Jack Eichel trade, had two huge scoring chances on Colin Miller feeds but was unable to convert.
"I wish I could definitely go back and grab those a second try. Millsy made some good plays there," Krebs said. "I'd be worried if I wasn't getting opportunities, but I'm getting those opportunities. Those are gonna go in if I keep doing that."
Granato put the lines back together at practice Saturday, although he said it's no sure thing they'll stay that way. While Krebs said the switch was no big deal because he's done it plenty of times in his career at other levels, Granato cast a wary eye on it.
"I was concerned in the sense of, 'OK, I gotta watch this,' " Granato said. "The hope is he can integrate, move right to center and pick up. And I thought he did. And that's what we need in the future. We need that moving forward. Ahead in our franchise a year from now, do you know if these guys can do that? Wow, that's a major, major plus."
Granato said he feels Tuch is pressing offensively but reminded the winger of his shootout winner Wednesday night against Pittsburgh.
Ovechkin got his 41st goal of the season – and 771st of his career – to tie the game with 3:13 left in the second period and then beat Dustin Tokarski on a neat backhand in the third round of a shootout as the Capitals pulled out a 4-3 victory.
"I talked to Tuch this morning and said, 'That's not a demotion when you switch lines. Krebs and Vinnie Hinostroza are two unbelievable hockey players,' " Granato said. "'That switch is not made out of any thought of punishment or anything like that. It's just we're in a game.' They all need to be able to play, be comfortable playing with each other."
The Sabres are working their lines over the final 18 games to see what combinations they have, and knowing they probably have to make room next season for top draft picks Jack Quinn and JJ Peterka.
"We know that Tuch, Skinner and Thompson work," Granato said. "We're not just going to settle for that. We're going to look for better, better, better all the time. And these guys need to do that as well. So I don't want things to get too comfortable. There's no reason for that. Our future is going to be dealing with uncomfortable if we want to be successful.
"Not that we're going to create chaos, but I do feel that we should be tweaking things and moving things around just to see what we have."
Krebs on his viral video
Krebs had a good laugh Saturday when asked about the video clip inside the Sabres' locker room used by TNT prior to Wednesday's game against Pittsburgh. It showed a full-throated Krebs standing in the middle of the room announcing the night's starting lineup in rapid fire as his teammates quickly applauded each name.
Players were identified by nicknames for forwards Zemgus Girgensons, Kyle Okposo and Cody Eakin, as well as defenseman Jacob Bryson and Mattias Samuelsson. Krebs ended the 10-second clip by exhorting "We got 'Andy' in the cage" to remind the room that veteran Craig Anderson was starting in goal.
"My first time doing it was in Calgary. When we win, the same guy does it," Krebs explained. "I didn't do it very well. I mumbled a few names and had to 'up' my game for the next game. So what you guys saw there was me upping my game.
"I'm not nervous to go up and chat and say stuff like that and get get the boys fired up. There's no egos in our room and makes it easy just to be yourself."
Peyton Krebs was jacked. Remember, this is a new player. Just acquired in November. All in. https://t.co/JdKvlTtCeg
— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) March 24, 2022
Last stop to the Frozen Four
Four Sabres prospects have their NCAA regional final games Sunday, a win-or-go-home matchup with a berth in the Frozen Four on the line. Both games are on ESPN2.
At 4 p.m., Minnesota tries to parlay its overtime victory over defending national champion UMass into a Frozen Four berth when it plays Western Michigan in Worcester, Mass. Defenseman Ryan Johnson and forward Aaron Huglen are the Sabres' prospects on the Gophers' roster, and Huglen got an assist on the winning goal against UMass.
At 6:30, No. 1 overall pick Owen Power and goalie Erik Portillo will lead top-seeded Michigan against Quinnipiac in Allentown, Pa. Power had two assists in Friday's 5-3 regional semifinal win over American International College. AIC was the champion of Atlantic Hockey, the league that includes Canisius and Niagara.
The winners advance to the Frozen Four, April 7 and 9 at TD Garden in Boston. Losses Sunday by Michigan or Minnesota would spring Sabres General Manager Kevyn Adams into action to try to get Power and Johnson signed to their entry-level contracts.
Around the boards
• Center Cody Eakin and defenseman Colin Miller sat out practice on maintenance days. Granato said he expected both to be available in New York. The coach did not confirm a starting goaltender.
• This is a difficult back-to-back for the Sabres. They have lost five straight to the Rangers in New York, including the 5-4 loss on Nov. 21 that came on a goal by Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren with one second left, and are 1-7-1 in their last nine games against New York overall.
The trip wraps Monday in Chicago and the Sabres are 0-7-3 in their last 10 visits to the United Center, where they have not played since Nov. 17, 2019. The last time they beat the Blackhawks on the road was Jan. 10, 2007. Buffalo is 1-11-4 overall in the last 16 meetings vs. Chicago.
