Pilut adjusted on the fly in win over Panthers

All things considered, Thursday turned out to be a pretty good day for Lawrence Pilut.
Pilut left Buffalo's morning skate knowing he'd back in the lineup after sitting out two games as a healthy scratch. He was named to the AHL All-Star Classic in the afternoon, then tallied his fourth NHL assist as part of a plus-3 night in the Sabres' 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers.
That's not to say any of it came easy. The rookie defenseman used his time off to watch and learn from his teammates, part of his continued education in learning the North American game. His coach was pleased with the way he responded after exhibiting rust early against in his return.

"I think he can make some really quick adjustments in his game," Phil Housley said. "Early in the game … he had the puck and he was just waiting there, guys were closing on him. As the game wore on, he knew he had to move the puck quicker.
"It's a smaller ice surface, there's bigger players out there, it's tighter. There's not a lot of space out there, especially in these tight games. Those things he's learning through his development. I think he did a good job recognizing that early in the game, then he started moving the puck quicker."
One ability Pilut has displayed throughout his short tenure in Buffalo is his ability to create shot lanes from the blue line, which he exhibited again on Sam Reinhart's goal in the third period against Florida. Pilut wound up and shot between the legs of an oncoming defender, placing it in a good spot for Reinhart to connect with a deflection.

Of Pilut's four assists, three have come on shots from the point. He exhibited patience in setting up a Johan Larsson goal against Los Angeles on Dec. 11, hesitating on his initial windup after spotting Larsson cutting in from the left:

Pilut shimmied at the blue line to create a lane for this Jack Eichel redirect against Philadelphia on Dec. 8:

"I think I've just got my mind into it, just trying to find those small lanes all the time," Pilut said. "I've got my moves that I make up there on the blue line. I just try to use those and find those lanes all the time. That's part of my game and I've got to keep doing that."
Pilut says he's embraced the internal competition on the Sabres roster, which currently features eight healthy defensemen who have all played meaningful minutes at one point or another this season. A ninth defenseman, Casey Nelson, is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
He was honored by the recognition as an AHL All-Star, one of two Amerks selected along with former defense partner Zach Redmond. That said, like any player, his goal is to remain in Buffalo for the long haul.
Thursday was a step in the right direction.
"It was good to see him get a little bit of swagger back," Housley said.

Thompson picking up play on defense

Tage Thompson has seen an uptick in ice time in recent games, skating a season-high 16:19 against the New York Islanders on Monday before turning in his third-highest total (15:26) against the Panthers on Thursday. He tallied five shots in both games and broke through with a goal against Florida.
Although Thompson's shot is his primary weapon, Housley said the increase in responsibility had more to do with the 21 year old's development on the defensive end.
"I think he's just developed and matured in a way where now he's going into battles, he knows how to use his body and strength to get his body over the puck or guard and protect the puck," Housley said. "It just seems like the last 10 games, he's been able to use that leverage to create separation.
"I've really liked the way he's used his speed off the wing and the way he attacks the game. There's another element in his game, especially his D-zone awareness. Early in the season I think he was losing his man. He's taken ownership in that and developed a really good defensive game right now where he's reliable and trustworthy."

Friday's practice

Vladimir Sobotka took a maintenance day after skating a season-high 20:27 against the Panthers. Scott Wilson served as a placeholder between Thompson and Conor Sheary, while the rest of the lineup remained the same form the win on Thursday:
53 Jeff Skinner - 71 Evan Rodrigues - 23 Sam Reinhart
43 Conor Sheary - 20 Scott Wilson - 72 Tage Thompson
81 Remi Elie - 37 Casey Mittelstadt - 29 Jason Pominville
49 C.J. Smith - 22 Johan Larsson - 21 Kyle Okposo
19 Jake McCabe - 55 Rasmus Ristolainen
24 Lawrence Pilut - 4 Zach Bogosian
6 Marco Scandella - 26 Rasmus Dahlin
82 Nathan Beaulieu - 48 Matt Hunwick
40 Carter Hutton
35 Linus Ullmark