Practice Report | Zucker among NHL leaders in high-danger goals

LAS VEGAS – Lindy Ruff had flashbacks to a former Buffalo Sabres goal scorer as he watched Jason Zucker earn a hat trick in Colorado on Thursday.

Zucker scored all three of his goals from the blue paint – a recurring theme this season for the 32-year-old, who ranks among the NHL’s leaders in high-dangers goals scored.

“A little bit of Thomas Vanek in a couple of the goals where he just knows where to be and where to tip it,” Ruff said.

Zucker joined the Sabres on a one-year contract this past summer with the belief that he was still capable of thriving in an offensive role after scoring 14 goals and 32 points in 69 games split between Arizona and Nashville last season.

His third goal on Thursday was his 14th this season, matching his 2023-24 total in 30 fewer games. His seven power-play goals have already matched a career high that he last reached 2019-20.

Ruff, who coached against Zucker plenty throughout the forward’s 13 seasons prior to this one, spoke after practice on Friday about what he’s grown to appreciate about the veteran’s game.

“When you get around him, you start to figure out a lot more things,” Ruff said. “I think his presence around the net front, the blue paint, the power-play goals he scored. … I really think that he has skated well, probably better than I expected from watching him last year. He must be feeling (it)."

Zucker has been a regular on the top power-play unit since early in the season and has spent more time of late on the top line at even strength, where he remained for practice at T-Mobile Arena on Friday alongside Dylan Cozens and Tage Thompson.

Thompson had the primary assists on all two of Zucker’s goals against the Avalanche – the first a deflection of a Thompson pass to the crease and the second a rebound off a Thompson shot.

NHL Edge defines the high-danger area as the blue paint and the ice directly in front of it. Zucker has scored 12 goals from that area this season, tied for ninth in the league and four off the lead shared by Gabriel Vilardi and Leon Draisaitl.

“He’s at his best when he’s just going to the net,” Thompson said. “He’s real strong on the puck and he’s got a good finishing ability around the crease there. I thought his game was great last night.”

Here’s more from Friday’s practice in Las Vegas.

Friday’s practice lines

News and notes

1. The Sabres unpacked their disappointing overtime loss to the Avalanche, which they led 5-3 prior to allowing two 6-on-5 goals against late in regulation.

The lesson, Ruff said, was to stay aggressive, particularly when the other team’s net is empty.

“We dealt with it this morning again,” Ruff said. “We went through it piece by piece. And I think if you show good players too much respect, they’re going to make good plays. I thought from the drop of the puck, we should have been sprinting places. We should have been sprinting to the point, making them make the next play.

“… I mean, we’re good with pressure penalty killing. When you’re 5-on-6, you’re penalty killing. I thought we had one guy go and then we had four guys that kind of hesitated. It opened up opportunities for them to make a play.”

2. Ruff moved Thompson to the wing alongside Cozens and Zucker against the Avalanche in an effort to free Thompson up for more shooting opportunities. Thompson entered Thursday on a four-game assist streak but had combined for four shots in those contests.

Thompson continued to facilitate against Colorado, assisting on all three Zucker goals, but also tied for the team lead with four shots.

“We got him on the wing and the thinking was maybe to try to free him up to skate a little bit more, where he’s not working down low,” Ruff said. “I really thought that line really skated well.”

Practice sound

Up next

The Sabres conclude their four-game road trip against the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday. Coverage on MSG begins at 9:30 p.m. with puck drop scheduled for 10.