LOS ANGELES – JJ Peterka was drenched in sweat and still on the ice Monday afternoon while most of his Buffalo Sabres teammates were on their way to the hotel for a pregame nap.
Peterka wasn’t flashing his signature smile, nor did he appear frustrated. He quietly listened to the instructions of Don Granato’s assistant coaches, then took his place in front of the net to battle with fellow healthy scratch Jacob Bryson to try to score on Ukko-Pekka Luukonen.
The latest chapter in Peterka’s rookie season wasn’t an enjoyable one for the skilled, 21-year-old winger. He was assigned to a seat in the press box Monday night, rather than joining his teammates for a game against the Los Angeles Kings.
“I think the chances have been there,” Peterka said in a somber tone, “but I just can’t bury them right now. I can’t stick my head in the sand. I have to keep my head up and keep going.”
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No one involved with the Sabres expected Peterka and fellow rookie winger Jack Quinn to have a seamless transition to the NHL. Both have made remarkable plays, but they’ve endured through some difficult games. Granato has sat one of the two at times throughout the season to alleviate pressure and provide a different development opportunity. The strategy has helped both as they learn to use their strengths to score against better competition.
Neither Peterka nor Quinn have produced at the rate they did in Rochester last season. Peterka has seven goals and 19 points in 49 games, while Quinn entered Monday with eight goals and 20 points in 44 games. This is what their teammates and bosses expected, though. And they’ve been important, impactful players on a contending team.
When the rookie forwards made the roster out of training camp, Sabres captain Kyle Okposo stressed to both that they’ll need to “learn on the fly.” Opportunity needed to be earned, and they had to develop while competing for ice time on a club with playoff aspirations.
“It's hard,” Okposo acknowledged in the visitors’ dressing room. “We knew kind of the year that we were going to have, or we thought that we would have. We were going to be accelerated as opposed to last year. We talked about it, like, ‘You guys are gonna have to learn on the fly. It's not going to be like, you know, we're going to be a bottom-feeder team, and you guys are gonna have a year to just develop and it's all going to be roses.
“We hoped that we were going to be playing in important games, and they've done a really good job. It's not easy to be a rookie in this league and be able to get up for 82 games. Especially after the start that they had, and then all of a sudden, people are keying on them, and they know what's coming. And it's a tough league, you've got to figure out how to be ready every night. Those guys have definitely been up and down. But I really love the progress that both of them are making.”
Quinn was brimming with excitement as the Sabres were preparing for their first game after the All-Star break. Time away from the rink allowed him to recover from the physical and mental grind. He was optimistic with the progress he made, particularly on defense, and wanted to show that lessons learned throughout the first half would translate to consistent performances.
Even a difficult finish to the first half wasn’t enough to demoralize Quinn. He has two goals and six points with a minus-2 rating while averaging 13:25 of ice time across his last 24 games. But there was one moment in Minnesota before the break that perfectly illustrated his development in the NHL.
Quinn, 21, isn’t going to forecheck the way that Alex Tuch or Tage Thompson can. For Quinn, strong defensive plays are made through smart positioning on the ice. When Quinn intercepted a clearing attempt against the Wild, then circled around the offensive zone before firing the puck past goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, the Sabres rookie saw firsthand how he needs to earn chances in the NHL.
There are few freebies at this level. Attention to detail is a must. Film study with coaches has been an important teaching tool for Quinn.
“I would say it’s definitely something I’ve been working on all year,” he said following practice Sunday in Los Angeles. “My defensive game has gotten a lot better. I think just learning to trust my instincts has been important. Reading if the guy is going to go up to the point, then jump in. I think it's something that I noticed when I'm playing good defensively and anticipating, picking off passes, and being in the middle of the ice, I'm actually getting a lot more chances offensively, which is kind of my game.
"Just doing it in that game against Minnesota, it’s something I know that I can do, but scoring on that play reaffirms it and it’s encouraging. It’s going to happen more and more, hopefully.”
According to Evolving-Hockey.com, among rookies to appear in at least 40 games, Quinn ranks first in on-ice expected goals for percentage and third in on-ice shot quality per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 He’s also eighth in individual shot quality, which illustrates that he’s getting to scoring areas to threaten the opposing goalie.
Ahead of the Sabres’ three-game road trip in California, Granato changed his forward lines to put Dylan Cozens between Tuch and Jeff Skinner. Quinn skated next to Peyton Krebs and Zemgus Girgensons at the morning skate Monday. The changes should have been expected, and the rookies’ former line was an example that a different look was needed.
Over their last 19 games together, Quinn, Peterka and Cozens were on the ice together for only two goals scored by Buffalo in 5-on-5 situations. They’ve been creating chances but not converting. Peterka, for example, has four assists in his last 20 games, but he has 30 shots on goal during that span.
For the season, Peterka ranks seventh among all qualifying rookies in individual shot quality. He’s still making exceptional plays with the puck, but there have been times he has tried to force a pass that's led to a turnover. Quinn has made similar mistakes.
“I think they've had what you would expect from such young players,” said Sabres General Manager Kevyn Adams. “There's times where you're like, 'Wow, that was pretty special,' then times where they've had dips. Donny and I talk every day about this. That's why there's been times where we've pulled them out of the lineup, take a break, reset, you know, get your mind sharp again. But big picture, I'm really excited. I think those kids are going to be tremendous players. They fit in the group. They're dynamic in different ways.”
Admittedly, Peterka has been too hard on himself at times. He won’t allow himself to take pride in the progress he has made since training camp started. His play away from the puck has been far better than it was in training camp. On offense, Peterka is learning how to get open for his linemates. He’s earning time and space in areas where he can score. On defense, he has backchecked and understood his responsibilities.
Patience is a virtue that Peterka is beginning to understand. Defensemen are far better in the NHL than the American Hockey League. They know how to quickly kill plays and force turnovers. And opponents are keying on Peterka and Quinn by finishing their checks on the rookie forwards at every opportunity. Quinn said that it's "great" for him and Peterka to experience that at such a young age.
Granato doesn’t want Peterka or Quinn to use their youth and inexperience as an excuse, though. People often use the phrase “rookie wall” to describe the physical and mental toll that an 82-game schedule can have on young players, but Granato wants the duo to understand that it’s always going to be difficult at this level and stressed that they must continue to develop while playing an important role on the Sabres.
“I don’t give myself any time to think about what I’ve done well,” said Peterka. “I want to score every game. I want to do it right now. But I think kind of realizing that it’s going to take a while to develop into a really good player in this league. I guess just give myself a little bit more time.”
