BUFFALO, N.Y. -- If you look in the right places, you can see some bright spots with this Buffalo Sabres team.
That's not easy to do with a team buried at the bottom of the standings and heading toward its 14th straight postseason miss. Based on where expectations were at the beginning of the season, this Sabres team has been a colossal disappointment.
Buffalo's dominant 7-3 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday doesn't change any of that. The recent three-game winning streak with the pressure off doesn't provide many clues about what this team will look like when the puck drops next October. We've all learned that by now. Changes need to happen regardless of how this final string of games plays out.
But what was encouraging about the Sabres' win is that a few young players who could be important next season stepped up. Let's take a look at a few of those bright spots.
I don't think it's hyperbole to suggest Jiri Kulich could develop into a star-level player for the Sabres. At the beginning of the season, it wasn't a given that Kulich would be in the NHL. And it definitely wasn't a given that he would be centering the top line with Tage Thompson on the right wing. But that's where he is now, and Thursday was one of his best games. He scored two goals, had six shot attempts and four shots on net. The Sabres had 84 percent of expected goals when he was on the ice at five-on-five.
Kulich's shot was on full display in this game. Both goals were the result of what Sabres coach Lindy Ruff called "elite shooting." On his first goal, Kulich wasn't in a perfect shooting position but still got a hard shot off. The second goal was a rocket that's become commonplace for Kulich. He's second on the team in goals per 60 minutes of ice time at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick. He now has 14 goals and is third among rookies in goals per 60 at five-on-five.
He plays the game fast both because of his speed and his smarts away from the puck. That was supposed to be the area of his game that needed the most work, but Ruff has trusted him at center with important minutes. The Sabres probably shouldn't bank on a 21-year old Kulich being their top-line center next season, but he looks like a capable top-six player with a high ceiling.
"He plays well on both sides of the puck and that's why we get offense, we get the puck back," Thompson said. "He's been making really smart puck decisions and not forcing anything. He's keeping it simple."
Jacob Bernard-Docker wasn't the main attraction in the Sabres' trade-deadline deal with the Ottawa Senators, but he's making a strong early impression. He had two assists against the Jets and then a goal against the Senators, but he shrugged off the point production and said his main focus is being hard to play against. He showed that against the Penguins on Thursday, blocking two shots and crushing Connor Dewar with a huge hit that sparked a fight. He didn't win the fight, but Bernard-Docker opened Ruff's eyes.
"He showed he was hungry every shift," Ruff said. "I really liked his game. I liked the fact that he ate a couple of pucks for us. A couple of big blocks, a heck of a hit. A good hit before the fight. His tensity around the puck has been real good. He is hungry. He's pushing guys to say, 'I want to be part of this. I've got my opportunity and I want to prove I can stay in the lineup.'"
It's too early to say that Bernard-Docker will be a fixture in Buffalo's lineup next season. But he's clearly provided a spark and looks like he has something to prove. That's an attitude the Sabres could use more of.
The Sabres were without Josh Norris (mid-body), Jordan Greenway (lower body) and Jason Zucker (personal) in this game. That opened up a lot of opportunities for other players, and it meant Zach Benson was once again playing on the top line with Thompson and Kulich. That's been an interesting fit. Benson's offensive game hasn't blossomed in the NHL yet, but some of that has to do with the role he's played.
Ruff noted that the way Benson can make plays down low helps him get different chances than other players in the Sabres' top six. He's competitive on the forecheck, changes direction quickly and has the instincts to be a playmaker once he gets the puck.
The Sabres earn 59 percent of scoring chances when Benson and Thompson are on the ice together at five-on-five this season. Benson has already become a reliable defensive player and one of Buffalo's most competitive forwards. He needs to get faster and develop a harder shot, but he's also showing he's already capable of creating offense in different ways. Benson's fit in the top six makes sense because his skill set is different from what the Sabres have up there.
Isak Rosen and Tyson Kozak are also getting early auditions. Kozak had a goal and an assist in this game and is starting to settle into a role playing alongside Beck Malenstyn. His goal was a perfect example of what he does well: He crashed the net hard and got a rebound on Malenstyn's shot.
Rosen, meanwhile, got his first NHL point on a head-up assist. This was Rosen's best game in the NHL, as he had three individual scoring chances and the assist.