Sabres’ Mattias Samuelsson is doing something no one else in the NHL has done this season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Mattias Samuelsson stands alone in one way this NHL season.
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The Buffalo Sabres‘ defenseman has a combination of goals and hits that hasn’t been reached by any other blue-liner yet this season.
The landmarks: 10-plus goals and 90-plus hits.
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Samuelsson joined this club that previously had no members thanks to a pair of goals in the Sabres’ 4-3 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night.
The second goal was a dandy, with Sameuslsson joining the rush down the center of the ice, receiving a pass, then slotting his left-sided shot past the glove of Andrei Vasilevsky.
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In addition to Samuelsson’s 11 goals, he has 23 assists. Both are career-highs by wide margins. Last season’s 14 points had been the most Samuelsson had in a campaign before now, when he already has 34 points.
He does the dirty work, too, with 91 hits.
Maybe even more impressive than the hitting is the shot blocking. Samuelsson now has 112 blocks on the season, which is also his career best.
He had topped 100 hits in each of the past four campaigns (107 high) but never yet been in triple-digits in blocked shots.
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All told, Samuelsson is having the biggest of breakout seasons, and the Sabres are benefiting in a major way.
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