Casey Mittelstadt breaks out of slump with first goal in November - Buffalo News

Casey Mittelstadt insists he never worried.

The 21-year-old has scored goals during each level in his career and this recent slump included some encouraging moments. However, Mittelstadt expressed a blend of relief and excitement following his goal Friday night in a 6-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Mittelstadt tipped Marco Scandella's shot past Leafs goalie Michael Hutchinson during the second period in KeyBank Center. The goal was Mittelstadt's fourth of the season and first in 17 games, a stretch dating back to a 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 19.

Mittelstadt had only 13 shots on goal during that scoring drought, five of which occurred Monday at Tampa Bay, and had not recorded an assist since Oct. 16. The former eighth overall draft pick never doubted his skill, though.

One simple reminder kept him confident amid another difficult stretch in the National Hockey League.

"Obviously, it’s been tough," Mittelstadt said. "There have been quite a few chances, especially in the last four or five games. Keep going, keep working on it, and I think the biggest thing for me is to remember why you got here and stick to it. Eventually it’s going to go. Hopefully they come in bunches."

The goal to end the slump wasn't a remarkable display of skill, a fact Mittelstadt laughed about after the game. One motion with his stick deflected the puck into the net for a 3-2 lead with 7:52 remaining in the second period.

Sabres coach Ralph Krueger never doubted Mittelstadt's ability and defended the young forward's play over the past two weeks. During his postgame news conference Friday, Krueger reminded the media that Mittelstadt faced a steep learning curve this season.

After all, learning a new defensive system is difficult for centers, particularly those with less NHL experience. There is more responsibility at the position and even Marcus Johansson, 29, is still adjusting to playing in the middle of the ice under Krueger.

Krueger has attempted to unburden Mittelstadt by moving him to the wing over the past two weeks. The Sabres are thin at center since Evan Rodrigues is out with a lower-body injury, however, playing on the outside over the past two weeks seems to have benefited Mittelstadt.

Mittelstadt scored 12 goals among 25 points in 77 games as a rookie last season.

"He works really hard to be a responsible two-way player and it’s taken away from his offense, I believe," Krueger said of Mittelstadt. "Now that he has more comfort defensively we expect that offensive side. … Still a project who, like a lot of our young players, is going to be exciting to watch grow."

Missing Babcock

Ralph Krueger did not have the opportunity to face his longtime friend Mike Babcock during this weekend home-and-home rivalry matchup. Babcock, who was fired as coach of the Leafs on Nov. 20, worked alongside Krueger for Team Canada during the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Krueger served as consultant for Babcock's coaching staff, and the tournament ended with a gold medal for Canada in Sochi, Russia. Krueger expressed disappointment when asked about Babcock's firing last week in Boston and revealed to the media Friday that he and his friend had spoken about this potential matchup during the summer.

"In the game of hockey there are no surprises," Krueger said. "Expect the unexpected all the time. We would have loved this back-to-back here. We were texting about it quite a bit through the summer and now it's not to be, but I think as coaches we're conditioned to do the best we can with the day we have today and we also accept surprises."

Miller returns

Defenseman Colin Miller, who was arguably the club's top offseason acquisition, was in the Sabres' lineup for only the third time in nine games. Miller finished with a minus-2 rating and one shot on goal in 13:30 against the Leafs.

The 27-year-old was inserted into the lineup because Krueger decided to use seven defensemen for the fourth time in six games. Miller, though, was forced to play on the left side, a challenge considering he's a right-handed shot.

Krueger explained he views Miller as a valuable option there, but the move does require an adjustment.

"We actually like Colin’s game on the left side," Krueger said. "We see him as a real option there. ... Learning to play [the left side] against the top players in the league is an adjustment, but we like the way Colin has been working on that and we see him as a strong option."

The Sabres acquired Miller from Vegas in June in exchange for a second-round draft pick in 2021 and a fifth-round draft pick in 2022. He is one of seven healthy defensemen on Buffalo's roster.

Penalty shot

Sabres rookie center Rasmus Asplund came within inches of scoring his first career goal, on a penalty shot no less. The 21-year-old was awarded the opportunity with 0.9 seconds remaining in regulation when he was tripped from behind on a drive to the net.

Leafs goalie Michael Hutchinson stopped Asplund's backhanded shot.

"I just thought that was a time and place to try something cool, so that’s what I tried," Asplund said.

Rare air

With his goal in the second period Friday, Victor Olofsson joined Gilbert Perreault (1970-71) and Richard Martin (1971-72) as the only Sabres players to be the first rookies in the NHL with 10 goals.

Olofsson, 24, has 10 goals among 20 points in 26 games this season. He extended his point streak to six games and has 10 points in his last 11 games.

Dea, Lazar out

Krueger opted to scratch forwards Curtis Lazar and Jean-Sebastien Dea.

Lazar, 24, has been a scratch in two of the past three games. Dea, meanwhile, has appeared in one of three games since being recalled from the Rochester Americans.

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