DetDannyWilliams
02-09-2014, 07:00 PM
“This is really good for me,” Pysyk said Saturday prior to the Rochester Amerks’ 5-1 loss to Grand Rapids in First Niagara Center. “Sitting around for two weeks during the Olympics and jumping right back into NHL action would be a little tough for a younger guy so this is the right thing for me. It’s good to keep playing hockey.”
The Sabres took advantage of special rules about shuttling young players to the minors to give Pysyk more AHL seasoning – and six games during the NHL’s Olympic break.
Pysyk, 22, has played 42 games for the Sabres this year, with his bizarre overtime-winning goal against Phoenix and five assists accounting for his six points. He played more than 20 minutes in 18 of those games, and his minus-11 rating belies the way most observers feel he’s played defensively. The Sabres, of course, score so little that plus-minus numbers are heavily skewed this season.
In the AHL, Pysyk has six assists and a plus-5 rating in 10 games. He’s on the Amerks’ shutdown pair along with Brayden McNabb, and it seems pretty likely one or both of them could wind up in Buffalo soon after the Olympics.
Pysyk, who was not on the ice for any goals Saturday, said the Sabres have given him no indication about their post-Olympic plans. They simply said to be ready for lots of ice time in the AHL and he’s gotten that on special teams, including key work at the point on the power play.
“They told me to just go down and work on consistency, play a heavier game and protect the puck a little more than I had been,” Pysyk said. “One of the big plusses of being here is getting those chances on the power play and penalty kill. It’s been great.”
http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/sabres-nhl/pysyk-finding-his-game-with-amerks-20140209
The Sabres took advantage of special rules about shuttling young players to the minors to give Pysyk more AHL seasoning – and six games during the NHL’s Olympic break.
Pysyk, 22, has played 42 games for the Sabres this year, with his bizarre overtime-winning goal against Phoenix and five assists accounting for his six points. He played more than 20 minutes in 18 of those games, and his minus-11 rating belies the way most observers feel he’s played defensively. The Sabres, of course, score so little that plus-minus numbers are heavily skewed this season.
In the AHL, Pysyk has six assists and a plus-5 rating in 10 games. He’s on the Amerks’ shutdown pair along with Brayden McNabb, and it seems pretty likely one or both of them could wind up in Buffalo soon after the Olympics.
Pysyk, who was not on the ice for any goals Saturday, said the Sabres have given him no indication about their post-Olympic plans. They simply said to be ready for lots of ice time in the AHL and he’s gotten that on special teams, including key work at the point on the power play.
“They told me to just go down and work on consistency, play a heavier game and protect the puck a little more than I had been,” Pysyk said. “One of the big plusses of being here is getting those chances on the power play and penalty kill. It’s been great.”
http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/sabres-nhl/pysyk-finding-his-game-with-amerks-20140209