"We've, over the past couple of games, had a lot of opportunities to score," Moulson said following practice in St. Paul on Monday. "I think the more you play with the same linemates, the more you get used to them and where each other are. Even if you played with each other before, I think just getting to know each other's tendencies now is important."
The trio has also gotten the chance to know each other on the power play, where they've anchored a top unit that has scored eight goals in eight games. Four of the goals have come from Moulson, two from O'Reilly and one from Okposo. Those three players have also combined for six assists on the man advantage.
What helps them is a shared knowledge of what they're trying to accomplish as a line. Whether or not they're able to execute on a given play, Moulson said, more often than not, they've done a good job of reading off one another with the same goal in mind.
When asked about what has stood out about Okposo's game most so far, both Moulson and O'Reilly brought up his use of size and his strength on the puck.
"I think he's doing a great job of taking it to the net and creating those opportunities he beats a guy down low and creates mini odd-man opportunities down low below the circle," Moulson said.
"He's good at carrying the puck in as well. He's got a lot of assets but I think that's his biggest asset is jus being strong on the puck, making plays, and sometimes it creates offense out of nothing where he can hang on to it and beat the guy and create something."
To see what Moulson is talking about, look at these back-to-back plays from the second period of the Sabres' game against the Minnesota Wild last Thursday. On the first play, Okposo carries the puck at the bottom of the circle, spins around and is able to use his body to ward off Minnesota defenseman Jonas Brodin to create room to reach the net-front.
That attempt was stuffed by Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk, but he made a similar play off of the very next faceoff. This time it was Christian Folin who played victim along the wall as Okposo held strong on the puck and got in alone on the net.
Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said that Okposo had created roughly 15 scoring chances in a three-game stretch prior to this weekend, when he scored once in a win over Florida and twice more in a victory over Winnipeg. With the amount of offense he was creating, perhaps it was inevitable for the pucks to start finding the back of the net.
Moulson said he sees the same thing from the trio as a whole going forward.
"I think each day is an opportunity to create offense the way we want to create it in practice and games," Moulson said. "I think it's coming. I feel like we're right on the verge of having a break of goals in the game."
