Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
The 2014-15 season is in the books and Sabreland is much better for it.
It was a season of flux, one that was filled with a wide range of emotions that captured what will be noted as the most divisive season in the history of the franchise. From the demotion of Mikhail Grigorenko to start the season, to the streak in late November/early December, to the franchise-long 14 game losing streak, to the 0-fer in January, to the quest for McEichel and the Arizona Coyotes, to Chris Stewart, Nikita Zadorov, Cody Hodgson, Tyler Myers, Anders Lindback and Mike Weber emotions ran the full gamut. In the end, the only thing left was a 30th place finish and the departure of head coach Ted Nolan and nearly all of his coaching staff with the emotions directed at him this season were more divisive and far-reaching than everything else combined.
A total of 34 skaters and five goalies laced 'em up for Buffalo this season. Nicholas Deslauriers was the only one to play in every game while the departed Joel Armia and goalie Andrey Makarov were the only players to play one game. And if you thought having 39 players play in at least one game was a lot, in 2013-14, there were 39 skaters and six goaltenders who laced 'em up for at least one game.
The parade of talent heading out the door continued again this season as eight players were traded away--Tyler Myers, Drew Stafford, Armia, Jhonas Enroth, Chris Stewart, Brian Flynn, Torrey Mitchell, and Michal Neuvirth--while only two of the five acquired in return--defenseman Zach Bogosian and goalie Anders Lindback--played for the Sabres. Next year will be different as the rebuild is directed towards the build portion of the program with Sabres GM Tim Murray having his own coaching staff in place. Players will come and go, some will be signed, others injured, but there should be a sense of stability within the ranks next year.
Three players that are almost sure bets to not only be on the squad next year are the vets Murray brought in last summer--forwards Brian Gionta and Matt Moulson as well as defenseman Josh Gorges. Gorges was limited to roughly a half a season played, which is probably a good thing as his minus-28 plus/minus may have dipped to record levels. As for Moulson and Gionta, I look at those two vets as older cars taking a little while to warm up.
Moulson made some headway earlier in the season, but didn't see his point-total start increasing significantly until February as he started racking up assists, mainly primary ones. The same could be said for Gionta as it took him to February as well. Nine of his 13 goals came in the last 10 weeks of the season as well as 21 of his 35 points. Gionta had seven points (2+5) in six April games.
The constant this season was Tyler Ennis. Once again he was top-three in points, goals and assists and lead the team with 19 primary assists. Ennis was also top-three in powerplay points, goals and assists.
“I think he’s been having a sensational year,” Nolan said last month. “In particular, the last 10 games or so, his play has gone up another level. Somebody asked me, ‘What’s the ceiling on this kid?’ I’m not too sure what it is. He’s going to get better and better so the future looks very, very bright.”
“He’s certainly [been] a gift to watch,”
Ennis attributes his success to a number of things, but mostly it was Nolan moving him to the wing. "I think I was more struggling at center," he said last week. "It was finding my game in the middle, getting scored on, losing faceoffs. Those things were frustrating me, and it kind of showed. When I went back to the wing, I felt loose, got the confidence back and I was feeling better.
"I'm happy I was able to play both positions. And I’m happy to play left wing and right wing too,” he said. “I had never played right wing until this year and in some ways I like it better than left."
That's a good thing. Should Murray continue with thoughts of Ennis occupying the right wing, he could end up on the top line with one of Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel centering him and Evander Kane on the left side.
Ennis knows the importance of strength down the middle. He excelled playing with two centers who were playing a role one or two steps above their present skill level. "We have to build through the middle. Zemgus [Girgensons] did a great job this year. He was excellent. We’ve found Johan Larsson making a name for himself and then whatever happens through the draft, we have to build through the middle.”
Had Girgensons not been felled by an ankle injury, he was on a pace to hit 20 goals and 20 assists in his second season. Larsson, for his part, took a while to find his game, but once he did things really began to click. After spending his earlier call-ups in a bottom-six role, he grabbed the opportunity that was laid before him after the trade deadline and worked his way to the top line quickly. He had scored five of his six goals and eight of his 10 assists in 18 games post-trade deadline.
That group will be joined by defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen as a part of the Sabres future. Risto got off to a rough start, steadied the ship, but was still inconsistent and still had a lot to learn as his team-worst -32 plus/minus would indicate. But no one in the organization seems all that worried about him. His defensive work is pretty solid and Nolan afforded him the opportunity to work on the powerplay when he put Ristolainen on the point with Ennis.
Ristolainen would finish the season with four goals and five assists in limited time on the powerplay, but maybe more importantly, when the two were on the point later in the year, there was much more and much better puck movement. The new Sabres coach will more than likely take a long, hard look at those two on the powerplay.
One would be remiss not to mention goalie Anders Lindback.
The 6'6" Lindback came from the Dallas Stars in the Enroth trade. Originally he was looked at as the key to a 30th place finish as he sported a 3.71 gaa and .885 sv.% coming over from the Stars. He would play so well after Neuvirth was traded at the deadline that he was being looked at as a villain in the quest for McEichel.
It's just one of the examples of how weird this season was--up is down, bad is good, last is first. Things will return to normal next season and as the Sabres begin their climb and all will either be forgotten or the pangs of the disaster that was the last two season will have dulled considerably.
What's left are the stats.
Buffalo Sabres Individual Stats leaders (month by month):
Points
--October: Drew Stafford, 6; Tyler Ennis, 5; Zemgus Girgensons, Marcus Foligno, 3
--November: Ennis, 11; Girgensons, 10; Moulson, 9
--December: Ennis, 8; Girgensons, Stafford, 7
--January: Stewart, 8; Ennis, 6; Girgensons, 4
--February: Moulson, 9; Stewart, 7; Girgensons, Gionta, Mitchell, 6
--March: Moulson, 10; Ennis, Gionta, Larsson, 9
--Final: Ennis, 46; Moulson, 41; Gionta, 35
--2013-14: Hodgson, 44; Ennis, 43, Stafford, 34
Goals
--October: Ennis, 4; Girgensons, Foligno, 2; Stafford, Cody Hodgson, Torrey Mitchell, Nic Deslauriers, 1
--November: Girgensons, 5; Moulson, 4; Ennis, Stafford, Chris Stewart, Brian Flynn, 3
--December: Girgensons, 4; Moulson, Foligno, 3
--January: Stewart, 4; Ennis, 3; Stafford, Girgensons, Varone, Zadorov, 2
--February: Ennis, Gionta, Mitchell, 3; seven with 2
--March: Ennis, Gionta, Ristolainen, Meszaros, 4
--Final: Ennis, 20; Girgensons, 15; Moulson, Gionta, 13
--2013-14: Ennis, 21; Hodgson, 20; Stafford, 16
Powerplay Goals
--October: Stafford, 1
--November: Ennis, 2; Stafford, Moulson, 1
--December: Ennis, Ristolainen, 2; Stewart, Zadorov, 1
--January: Stewart, 3; Girgensons, Grigorenko, 1
--February: Ennis, Stewart, Myers, Zadorov, 1
--March: Gionta, Ristolainen, 2; Meszaros, Moulson, Ennis, 1
--Final: Ennis, 6; Stewart, 5; Ristolainen, 4
--2013-14: Hodgson, 9; Ennis, Steve Ott, 6
Assists
--October: Stafford, 5; Moulson, 2; Twelve with 1
--November: Ennis, 8; Moulson, Girgensons, Gionta, 5
--December: Ennis, Stafford, 6; Gorges, 5
--January: Stewart, 4; Ennis, Moulson, Flynn, Zadorov, 3
--February: Moulson, 7; Stewart, 5; Girgensons, Zadorov, 4
--March: Moulson, 7; Larsson, 6; Ennis, Gionta, 5
--Final: Moulson, 28; Ennis, 26; Gionta, 22
--2013-14: Christian Ehrhoff, 27; Hodgson, 24, Ennis, 22
Primary Assists
--October: Stafford, Moulson 2; Eight with 1
--November: Ennis, 4; Moulson, Stafford, 3
--December: Ennis, 5; Stafford, Stewart, 4
--January: Moulson, Ennis, Stewart, 3; Flynn, 2
--February: Moulson, Girgensons, Stewart, Zadorov, 3
--March: Moulson, Ennis, Foligno, 4
--Final: Ennis, 19; Moulson, 17; Stewart, 11
Powerplay Assists
--October: Ennis, Tyler Myers, 1
--November: Moulson, 3; Stafford, 2; Ennis, Myers, Ristolainen, 1
--December: Nine with one each
--January: Ennis, 3; Stewart, Zadorov, 2
--February: Moulson, Stewart, 3; Girgensons, Foligno, Ristolainen, 1
--March: Gionta, 4; Ennis, Larsson 2;
--Final: Ennis, 11; Moulson, 7; Gionta, 6
--2013-14: Ehrhoff, 11; Hodgson, Ennis, 10
Plus/Minus
--October: Sam Reinhart, Brian Flynn, Tyson Strachan -1; Girgensons, Deslauriers, Mitchell, Myers -2
--November: Girgensons +7, Nikita Zadorov +5, Gionta +4
--December: Myers +2, Kaleta, Schaller +1
--January (eight or more games): Ennis, Meszaros, -3; Moulson, Stafford, -4
--February (eight or more games): Flynn, +7; Weber, +6; Foligno +4
--March (eight or more games): Larsson, 4; Ennis, 3; Moulson, 2
--Final (30 or more games): Larsson, 0 ; Flynn, -3; Foligno, -5
--2013-14 (30 or more games: Girgensons, -6; Moulson, -8; Flynn, -10
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: Andrej Meszaros -10; Stafford, Andre Benoit -8
--November: Stewart -6, Gorges, Meszazros, Benoit -5
--December: Ristolainen, Zadorov -10; Strachan -9
--January (eight or more games): Stewart, Gorges, -12; Girgensons, 10, Ristolainen, -9
--February (eight or more games): Ennis, Girgensons, Stewart, -4
--March (eight or more games): Weber -12; Strachan -11; Benoit -9
--Final (30 or more games): Ristolainen, -32; Stewart, Strachan, -30
--2013-14 (30 or more games): Weber, -29; Ehrhoff, -27; Ott, Myers, Hodgson, -26
Goalies (YTD)
Jhonas Enroth
--October: 1-5-1 record; 3.11 gaa; .915 save%; 0 shutouts
--November: 5-9-1 record; 3.11 gaa; .914 sv%; 0 shutouts
--December: 11-13-2 record; 3.16 gaa. .908 sv%; 1 shoutout
--January: 11-19-2 record; 3.42 gaa; .899 sv%; 1 shutout
--February (thru the 10th): 13-21-2 record; 3.27 gaa; .903 sv%; 1 shutout
Michal Neuvirth
--October: 1-3-0 record; 3.26 gaa; .910 sv%; 0 shutouts
--November: 3-5-1 record; 2.85 gaa; .920 sv%; 0 shutouts
--December: 3-8-1 record; 3.29 gaa; .909 sv %; 0 shutouts
--January: 3-13-1 record; 3.39 gaa; .907 sv%; 0 shutouts
--February: 6-17-3 record; 2.99 gaa; .918 sv%; 0 shutouts
Matt Hackett
--January: 0-1-0 record; 4.07 gaa; .892 sv%
--February: 0-1-0 record; 4.07 gaa; .892 sv%
--March: 0-4-1 record; 4.32 gaa; .884 sv%
--Final: 0-4-1 record; 4.32 gaa; 884 sv%
Anders Lindback
--March: 2-5-2 record; 2.62 gaa; .926 sv %
--Final: 4-8-2 record; 2.76 gaa; .924 sv%
Andrey Makarov
--April: 0-1-0; 3.00 gaa; .917 sv%
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