Sabres Stars Shine on Olympic Stage: Dahlin & Thompson Lead the Way
Both Buffalo Sabres Olympians, Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thompson, enjoyed successful outings on Saturday, contributing to wins for Team Sweden and Team USA respectively. Dahlin’s Sweden defeated Slovakia 5-3, although Thompson’s USA topped Denmark 6-3.
Dahlin’s Dominant Performance for Sweden
In a back-and-forth first period, Sweden and Slovakia traded goals. Dahlin then assisted on a goal by Adrian Kempe in the second period, giving Sweden a 2-1 lead. Elias Pettersson added a pair of goals to extend Sweden’s advantage to 5-2 before Slovakia scored a late goal.
Through three games, Dahlin has been a key offensive contributor, registering one goal and three assists for a total of four points. This places him fourth in overall Olympic scoring. Notably, Dahlin was initially credited with two assists against Italy, but one was later removed after a review of the play.
Dahlin is seeing significant ice time, logging 24:27 in the game against Slovakia, which was the most among all Swedish players. This represents an increase in usage compared to his role in the 4-Nations Faceoff.
Sweden finished Group B play tied with Finland and Slovakia at 2-1-0, but was placed third due to goal differential in head-to-head matchups between the three teams.
Thompson Faces Lineup Challenges with Team USA
Tage Thompson had several opportunities on the United States power play, with numerous shots being blocked or deflected. However, concerns have been raised regarding his ice time and deployment by Team USA coach Mike Sullivan.
Sullivan has been giving significant playing time to J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck, despite questions about their suitability for the team. This has resulted in Thompson’s ice time being reduced, reaching a team-low of 9:12 in the game against Denmark. The inclusion of Miller and Trocheck is reportedly influenced by the relationship between Rangers GM Chris Drury and Team USA GM Bill Guerin.
Critics argue that players like Jason Robertson, Cole Caufield, Alex DeBrincat, and Alex Tuch would be more impactful additions to the lineup, and that Clayton Keller deserves more playing time.
Team USA will conclude their round robin play on Sunday against Germany.
The Power Play Puzzle: Olympic Success vs. Sabres Struggles
Both Dahlin and Thompson have found success on the power play during the Olympics, scoring power play goals for their respective teams. This raises questions about the Buffalo Sabres’ inconsistent power play performance this season, which currently ranks 16th in the league at 20.1%.
The Sabres have shown recent improvement, scoring a power-play goal in each of their final six games leading into the Olympic break, after only recording 28 power-play goals in the previous 51 games. However, it remains to be seen if this is a sustainable trend.
FAQ
What is Rasmus Dahlin’s current Olympic point total?
Rasmus Dahlin has one goal and three assists for four points in three Olympic games.
How much ice time did Tage Thompson receive in Team USA’s game against Denmark?
Tage Thompson played 9:12 in Team USA’s game against Denmark, the lowest ice time on the team.
What is the Buffalo Sabres’ current power play percentage?
The Buffalo Sabres are currently 16th in the NHL with a power play percentage of 20.1%.
Where did Team Sweden finish in Group B?
Team Sweden finished third in Group B, tied with Finland and Slovakia but behind them in goal differential.
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