Strbak, Geary showed defensive chemistry during series with Canisius

For defensive pairings, communication on the ice is important.

Sabres development coach Zach Redmond knows this as well as anybody after 13 professional seasons in the NHL, AHL, and DEL, including three games for Buffalo and 183 with Rochester.

That is why Redmond communicates with the prospects he oversees as much as possible, talking to them before or after every game, including Michigan State defensemen Maxim Strbak (second round, 2023) and Patrick Geary (sixth round, 2024).

Strbak and Geary are not only defensive partners to start their sophomore seasons with the Spartans – they’re also housemates, meaning they’re communicating around the clock.

“It’s a unique situation,” Redman said. “You're going to the same university, and you're drafted by the same professional team. So, your path looks very similar and the fact that they're getting some on-ice chemistry and off-ice chemistry, I think that goes deeper than maybe even more than what meets the eye.”

While Strbak and Geary have a lot of similarities, they differ in their playstyles. They put their chemistry on display this past weekend for a pair of games against Canisius University at LECOM Harborcenter, both Michigan State wins.

While Geary is a self-described traditional defenseman, Strbak can play the puck in both zones and runs the point on the top power-play unit at Michigan State. He had a pair of assists in the Spartans' 4-1 win on Saturday.

As a defensive pair, their contrasting styles helps them play off of each other.

“That’s kind of why I think we work together, because we know where we always are on the ice,” Geary said. “Like, if he's going up for a rush, I stay back, there's no point in making us both go up there. He just brings like a smart (approach). He’s heavy, he's big boy, he plays strong defense, but also, he can move on the blue line.”

Despite Geary’s insistence that Max is the dominant offensive player, Geary’s ability to move the puck up the ice from the defensive zone helps to create offense on the other end. This ability was showcased in the opening game against Canisius on Friday, a 3-0 win.

Geary passed the puck up the ice to Shane Vansaghi, a play that set up Tanner Kelly getting an opportunity in front of the net for the Spartans’ first goal of the game, giving Geary his first assist of the year after notching eight last season.

“He knows what he is. He takes pride in the type of player he is,” Redmond said. “He knows being tough defensively, being physical when he can and moving pucks and defending reliably will be what he needs to do to get to that next level. He's totally accepting of that role and that's who he is.”

Facing a Canisius team that Strbak said “brought the energy,” it was necessary that the pair of prospects were able to showcase why the Sabres drafted them in the first place – their defensive ability.

Despite the Golden Griffins best efforts to penetrate the Michigan State defense, they were unable to find the back of the net in due part to the Spartans defense allowing just 15 shots.

“I think for the two of them, especially as a pairing, they're exactly what you want as a coach as far as these guys taking pride in shutting down the other team's best players,” Redmond said.

On top of their ability to play stand-up defense, playing the puck and keeping their assignments in check, Strbak (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) and Geary (6-foot-1, 191 pounds) use their frames to their advantage. Both players described each other as liking to use their bodies to check players.

“Watch how these guys play. We picked them for a reason,” Redmond said. “They fit into the culture that we're trying to cultivate, and they fit into the city, and I think they’re some players that fans will love to have their jerseys just with how they work, how they compete. They show up every night and they care.”