Let's be honest for a second. Which team would you want to see pull off an incredible run: the Toronto Maple Leafs and their bitter fans or the Buffalo Sabres, a team that's been starved for playoff success for decades? For many people, the choice is obvious: you'd go with Buffalo.
Players like Alex Tuch, Tage Thompson, and Rasmus Dahlin have left people wanting a Stanley Cup in Buffalo. While that sounds nice as long as Vegas is eliminated, people are just annoyed by the Maple Leafs and their fans (especially in Buffalo and Montreal). Stanley Cup, you say?
But let's talk about Tuch for a second. Fans will remember him as one of the pieces involved in the Jack Eichel trade years ago. He was meant to be bartered for a game-changing center that would win the Golden Knights a Stanley Cup.
Eichel serves his purpose, while Tuch remained in no-man's land in Buffalo... that is, until now. The Sabres finally made the Stanley Cup playoffs and have a 3-1 lead on the Boston Bruins heading into Tuesday's slate of games. But how has the Original Misfit done for himself with Buffalo? Well, let's just say that he's leading the charge.
How Alex Tuch is doing with the Buffalo Sabres this postseason
Entering Tuesday's slate of games, Tuch has three goals and three assists in four games. That includes two multi-point games where he notched a goal and an assist. In fact, the Sabres have won every game that the Original Misfit scored in, making him... an important factor!
This has been a surprise for the winger, who saw modest postseason success while with the Golden Knights. He scored 19 goals and 14 assists during his 66-game playoff residency, making him a role player. But that role has expanded during his time with Buffalo.
Sure, there might've been an empty-net goal thrown into the mix. However, Tuch has done his damage through sniping and pouncing on loose pucks. In turn, the Sabres are one game away from doing something that Upstate New York has longed for: move further into the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Believe it or not, Vegas Golden Knights fans should root for Alex Tuch and the Sabres to go far
Yes, I know there might've been some jilted lovers in chicken wing land that wanted to see Jack Eichel fail. The Golden Knights' centerpiece had a horrible falling-out with his former team, leading fans to turn on him suddenly. But he got the surgery—and the prize—that he wanted.
Therefore, it's time to let bygones be bygones with the Sabres. This team is exciting to watch, carrying a litany of thrilling young scorers and incredible blue liners with them. Tuch is one of those fantastic goal scorers, leading Buffalo to higher heights.
That should be enough reason for anybody, including hockey fans in Las Vegas, to root for the Sabres. Tuch has found a second wind in his newer home and is suddenly becoming one of the most important contributors to his club. That should also inspire fans to see him succeed.
Will it happen? Hey, anything can happen. Golden Knights fans can attest to that, considering that Vegas won the Pacific Division after firing their Stanley Cup-winning head coach. I guess you can say that the story's made... for a Misfit.
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