Camp Notebook | Keys to a Sabres power-play turnaround

Assistant coach Seth Appert went to work this offseason on the Buffalo Sabres' power play.

Last season, Buffalo's man advantage converted at 18.8 percent, 24th best in the NHL. With help from the analytics department and Sam Ventura, the Sabres’ vice president of hockey strategy and research, Appert dissected the film and data to examine what Buffalo’s power play did poorly in 2024-25, what successful teams did well and how to apply those lessons to the upcoming season.

The top unit of Jason Zucker, Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Josh Norris and Rasmus Dahlin has already shown promise this preseason, setting up a one-timer goal for Thompson during Saturday’s game versus Detroit. And on Wednesday, Dahlin slashed through Pittsburgh’s penalty kill with a breathtaking end-to-end rush.

With his behind-the-scenes work, Appert intends to give that talented group every opportunity to work its magic.

“I think when players have clarity – clarity of purpose, collectively, but also clarity of what is available against this opponent that night – now, their skill, their creativity can start to take over,” Appert told Sabres.com. “I believe that predictability and structure can lead to creativity and speed.”

“… I liked the end of last season, in terms of the power play, and I like the process and the work they’re putting in in the preseason to give ourselves a chance to be a successful unit together.”

As Appert and the Sabres see it, here are the biggest keys to improvement on the man advantage this season.

Start strong

An 0-for-22 start left the 2024-25 Sabres playing catch-up before the calendar hit November. From Dec. 21-on, however, with Zucker stabilizing things from his net-front position and Dahlin returning from his back injury, the power play operated at a middle-of-the-pack 22.6 percent.

“I think confidence and momentum on the power play are huge, and I think that they earned some of that in the last 50 games last year,” Appert said. “So, they’re coming in probably in a better spot than we started the year before, from that perspective.”

“Outwork the penalty kill”

Ask around the Sabres’ room, and this is the big one.

Tuch: “I think our willingness to just work and try to outwork the penalty kill has been a lot better than it was last year.”

Dahlin: “You’ve got to have a 5-on-5 mentality; you’ve got to battle out there and do everything quick.”

Zucker: “There’s times when power plays can get lulled into, ‘We’ve got an extra guy, so it’s just gonna be easy.' And PKs, obviously, are known to work pretty damn hard. So, you have to have that mentality of outworking them.”

Appert: “A lot of times, the power play can go in with the mindset of making plays. Anytime your focus is on making plays, instead of just competing and executing and habits, you’re setting yourself up for a lack of success.”

Appert elaborated how winning puck battles extends shifts and catches tired penalty killers out of position. From there, the power play can really do some damage.

“We looked at the best teams in the league: 70-plus percent of their power-play goals weren’t on pretty, set plays,” he said. “Those are the ones that you see on the highlights, but they’re usually off of recoveries and loose puck scrums.”

Josh Norris

The first puck battle comes at the faceoff dot, and the Sabres expect a healthy Norris to provide a big boost there. As a team last season, Buffalo won 50.1 percent of its power-play draws, 25th best in the league. Norris, meanwhile, has won 53.6 percent of faceoffs in his power-play career – 55.1 percent last season.

He’s also a proven threat on the man advantage, having scored 16 times in 2021-22. Since the beginning of that season, among the 265 players with more than 300 power-play minutes, Norris’ 3.18 goals per 60 minutes rank 12th. Last season, his six power-play goals would’ve ranked third on the Sabres behind Zucker (11) and Thompson (7).

Appert also praised Norris for his “presence and poise with the puck,” and he sees the 26-year-old, like Zucker, having a calming effect on the entire unit.

“Just holding onto the puck and trying to make the right play every time and not forcing it if you don’t have to,” said Norris, who's experienced in both the right flank and bumper positions. “So, I think that’s definitely something that I can contribute with.”

“It’s been good to work with him on our low plays, and he thinks the game really well,” added Zucker. “He’s a really skilled player, and I think he’s going to be a huge asset for us.”

Keep it consistent

Coach Lindy Ruff has repeated throughout training camp that the best power-play units stick together for much of the season, and Appert and the players agree. But if they aren’t producing, at what point does persistence become stubbornness?

“It’s obviously one of those things where you need chemistry on the power play, and sometimes that can take a little bit to get together,” Thompson said. “I think if you’re rotating units pretty frequently, it might be tough to find a groove, but it’s kind of a fine line, too. If you’re with a group for a while and you’re not getting it done, obviously things need to change.”

Ruff and Co. have indicated that, assuming good health, the group of Zucker, Thompson, Tuch, Norris and Dahlin will get an extended shot at making Buffalo’s top power-play unit a weapon once again. So far, they’ve looked up to the task.

“It’s a mix of having chemistry, knowing exactly where your guys are and filling spots when guys are in the wrong spot,” Dahlin said. “Combined with hard work, that’s when good things happen.”