1. Last chance
A handful of Sabres are within reach of notable milestones entering this final game.
Tuch, with 35 goals, sits one shy of his career high set in 2022-23. Nineteen of those 35 have come since Feb. 4, and he’s tied with Alex Ovechkin for the NHL lead in goals during that span.
Further, with 110 blocked shots, Tuch needs one to tie the single-season record by a forward: Mathieu Dandenault’s 111 in 2006-07. The statistic has only been recorded since 2005-06, but in those two decades, Tuch’s two-way impact ranks among the best – he’s the only forward with 30 or more goals and 100 or more blocks in a season.
Tage Thompson needs three goals to match his career-best 47 from two seasons ago. He’s already notched a pair of hat tricks… can he manage a third? Thompson also sits one behind William Nylander’s 45 goals for second in the league.
Coach Lindy Ruff has been stuck on 899 career wins for more than a week, now. Can he head into the offseason with an even 900? Only four bench bosses – Scotty Bowman, Joel Quenneville, Paul Maurice and Barry Trotz – have accomplished the feat.
Here are some more marks achievable in Game 82:
- JJ Peterka, with 26 goals, needs two to match his career high from last season.
- Jason Zucker, with 31 assists, needs one to set a new career high.
- Jack Quinn, with 37 points (14+23), needs one to set a new career high.
2. Rick Martin Award
Tuch was announced Wednesday as the winner of the Rick Martin Memorial Award. This marks his third straight year receiving the fan-voted honor, which is presented annually to the player who best embodies what it means to be a Buffalo Sabre.
3. Scouting the Flyers
The Flyers fired head coach John Tortorella on March 27 during a six-game losing streak. Beginning that night, they’ve gone 5-2-1 under interim coach Brad Shaw.
The second of those games came March 29 versus the Sabres, a 7-4 Flyers win. Buffalo led 3-2 halfway through the game thanks to three points (2+1) from Quinn, but Philadelphia stormed back with four unanswered goals.
Buffalo also lost 5-2 in Philadelphia in Nov. 16 and has been outscored a combined 12-6 in two games this season.
Rookie Matvei Michkov is tied for the team lead with 24 goals, including two in that March 27 matchup, but he hasn’t scored in six games since. Travis Konecny has five points (2+3) against Buffalo and 75 (24+51) this season, leading the Flyers for a fourth straight year.
