Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-9-2018
It's early April and for the seventh consecutive season the Monday after the regular season ends means locker cleanout day for the Buffalo Sabres. Their 62 points on a 25-45-12 record once again placed them last in the league.
Below are five years of team stats for this team as the organization decided that tanking for a top pick was the route they were going to take. For two seasons the Sabres were set up to be at the bottom of the league and sure enough, they ended up there in a big way. Although the NHL Lottery dropped them to second overall in both drafts they got their top picks in Sam Reinhart (2014) and Jack Eichel (2015.)
What the Sabres have been unable to do in the three seasons since the "Jack Eichel-era" began was ditch those losing ways. Buffalo showed massive year-over-year progress in Eichel's first season, but the wheels began to fall off in 2016-17. General Manger Tim Murray and head coach Dan Bylsma were both dismissed and the team brought in a new GM in Jason Botterill and a new coach in Phil Housley.
Despite being rookies in their new found positions there was a lot of optimism with the hiring of Botterill and Housley, but that soon obliterated by an 0-4-1 start which included two embarrassing blowout losses and a 3-7-2 month of October. The slow start turned into a train wreck and Sabres were out of it by Thanksgiving. They wouldn't have a decent month until February when they went 6-6-2.
In looking over the team stats from the past five seasons, not a lot has changed. They still can't seem to score as they've never placed higher than 24th in the league in goals-for. Five-on-five goals are even worse as the Sabres have never finished higher than 28th.
If you can't score goals as a team it's best you stop them and Buffalo spent three seasons near the bottom of the league in that category finishing in last place every time. They had two good seasons under Bylsma where they finished 15th and 19th overall in goals-against. Those two seasons also showed their best goal differential of -21 in 2015-16 and -36 in 2016-17.
Housley has been preaching a "shot-mentality" all season and the team did well in averaging 31.2 shots/game which ranked 20th in the league. Shooting the puck hasn't been a problem since the tank years as the Sabres finished in the middle of the league under Bylsma's two seasons.
Bylsma also had Buffalo's powerplay cranking. After spending the two tank seasons at or near the bottom of the league they went to 12th in 2015-16 and all the way up to first in 2016-17. However, that lone bright spot in an otherwise dreadful stat page was destroyed early in the season as the Sabres fell to 30th through the first half of the season before they rebounded to finish 20th overall.
There's a heaviness to the numbers below and a reciprocal value that has the players struggling under the weight of losing for so many years while the lack of overall talent has kept those numbers down leading to even more losing.
The Buffalo Sabres will have another high pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, but as we've seen from a number of teams recently, most notably the Edmonton Oilers but not to dismiss the Florida Panthers (2011-14) or the Colorado Avalanche (2009-13 plus No. 4 overall in 2017,) high picks don't necessarily mean immediate success.
Edmonton busted their cycle of losing two years after drafting the heir to Sidney Crosby as the best player in the game in Connor McDavid. Yet, after making it to the second round last season, they fell back to a more familiar spot in the lower third of the league. The Avalanche finished dead last by a wide margin last year but made the playoffs this season with a couple of their top-two picks leading the way. And while the Panthers missed the playoffs for the second year running, they didn't miss by much as their team continues to mature with three, top-three draft picks leading the way.
Botterill has a lot of work to do heading into this off season. His and Housley's first season was an unmitigated disaster which more than likely was unintended. The second year GM has been trying to change the culture of the organization and he's got the Rochester Americans headed in the right direction which is a much easier task than changing it at the NHL level.
For most, if not all, off Buffalo's unrestricted free agents today represents the last day they'll be in the Sabres locker room. And for anyone outside of, maybe three players--Eichel, Brendan Guhle and Casey Mittelstadt--the possibility is there that they could also be clearing out their lockers in Buffalo for the last time.
That's what losing does. It demands change.
Today the players and Housley will speak and on Wednesday Botterill will have his end of season presser. Despite one of the worst seasons in Sabres history, many believe that he has a plan and we'll here more of that as he's grilled by the local media.
Until next season, here's the final 2017-18 team stats for Buffalo.
Buffalo Sabres Team Stats (League Rankings)...(Leader):
Wins
--October: 3 (T-29th)...(STL, TBL, 10)
--November: 6 (T-29th)...(TBL, STL, TOR, 17)
--December: 10 (29th)...(TBL, 28)
--January: 14 (29th)...(TBL, 34)
--February: 20 (30th)...(TBL, 43)
--March: 25 (31st)...(TBL, 52)
--2017-18: 25 (31st)...(TBL, 54)
--2016-17: 33 (25th)...(WSH, 55)
--2015-16: 35 (23rd)...(WSH, 56)
--2014-15: 23 (30th)...(ANA, 49)
--2013-14: 21 (30th)...(BOS, 54)
Atlantic Division Standing
--October: 8th...(TBL)
--November: 8th...(TBL)
--December: 8th...(TBL)
--January: 8th...(TBL)
--February: 8th...(TBL)
--March: 8th...(BOS)
--2017-18: 8th...(TBL)
--2016-17: 8th...(MTL)
--2015-16: 7th...(FLA)
--2014-15: 8th...(MTL)
--2013-14: 8th...(BOS)
Eastern Conference Standing
--October: 16th...(TBL)
--November: 16th...(TBL)
--December: 16th...(TBL)
--January: 16th...(TBL)
--February: 16th (TBL)
--March : 16th (BOS)
--2017-18: 16th...(TBL)
--2016-17: 15th...(WSH)
--2015-16: 14th...(WSH)
--2014-15: 16th...(NYR)
--2013-14: 16th...(BOS)
League standing/Points
--October: 29th/8...(TBL/21)
--November: T-30th/16...(TBL/36)
--December: 30th/28...(TBL/58)
--January: 30th/37...(TBL/71)
--February: 30th/51...(TBL/90)
--March: 31st/62...(NSH/111)
--2017-18: 31st/62...(NSH/117)
--2016-17: 26th/78...(WSH/118)
--2015-16: 23rd/81...(WSH/120)
--2014-15: 30th/54...(NYR/113)
--2013-15: 30th/52...(BOS/117)
Points Percentage
--October: .333 (30th)...(STL, TBL/.808)
--November: .320 (30th)...(TBL/.720)
--December: .368 (30th)...(TBL/ .763)
--January: .370 (30th)...(VGK/ .714)
--February: .398 (30th)...(TBL/.703)
--March: .397 (31tst)...(NSH / 712)
--2017-18: .378 (31st)...(NSH, .713)
--2016-17: .476 (26th)...(WSH, .720)
--2015-16: .494 (23rd)...(WSH, .732)
--2014-15: .329 (30th)...(NYR, .689)
--2013-14: .317 (30th)...(BOS, .713)
Goal Differential
--October: -15 (30th)...(TBL, +17)
--November: -30 (30th)...(TBL, +25)
--December: -42 (30th)...(TBL, +51)
--January: -51 (30th)...(TBL, +48)
--February: -54 (30th)...(TBL, +56)
--March: -73 (31st)...(BOS, +61)
--2017-18: -81 (31st)...(TBL, +60)
--2016-17: -36 (24th)...(WSH, +81)
--2015-16: -21 (20th)...(WSH, +59)
--2014-15 -113 (30th)...(NYR, +60)
--2013-14: -91 (30th)...(BOS, +84)
Goals/Game
--October: 2.42 (29th)...(TBL, 4.08)
--November: 2.20 (31st)...(NYI, 3.67)
--December: 2.21 (31st)...(TBL, 3.74)
--January: 2.30 (31st)...(TBL, 3.48)
--February: 2.39 (31st)...(TBL, 3.50)
--March: 2.38 (31st)...(TBL, 3.54)
--2017-18: 2.41 (31st)...(TBL, 3.54)
--2016-17: 2.43 (24th)...(PIT, 3.39)
--2015-16: 2.43 (25th)...(DAL, 3.23)
--2014-15: 1.87 (30th)...(TBL, 3.16)
--2013-14: 1.83 (30th)...(ANA, 3.21)
Shots/Game
--October: 31.5 (17th)...(MTL, 38)
--November: 30.9 (20th)...(CAR, 35.7)
--December: 30.9 (19th)...(PIT, 34.9)
--January: 30.9 (21st)...(FLA, 34.6)
--February: 30.7 (23rd)...(CHI, 34.7)
--March: 31.0 (23rd)...(FLA, 34.6)
--2017-18: 31.2 (20th)...(FLA, 34.4)
--2016-17: 30.4 (15th)...(PIT, 33.5)
--2015-16: 29.5 (17th)...(PIT, 33.2)
--2014-15: 24.2 (30th)...(CHI, 33.9)
--2013-14: 26.3 (30th)...(SJS, 34.8)
5v5 Goals
--October: 18 (19th)...(CLB, 28)
--November: 37 (29th)...(TOR, 66)
--December: 55 (29th)...(TOR, 92)
--January: 71 (31st)...(NYI, 118)
--February: 90 (31st)...(TOR, 153)
--March: 112 (31st)...(TBL, 183)
--2017-18: 119 (31st)...(TBL, 196)
--2016-17: 126 (28th)...(MIN, 187)
--2015-16: 121 (28th)...(DAL, 167)
--2014-15: 110 (29th)...(TBL, 181)
--2013-14: 96 (30th)...(ANA, 190)
Powerplay
--October: 14.3% (23rd)...(DAL, 30.8)
--November: 12.8 (30th)...(TBL, 27.4)
--December: 12.4 (30th)...(TBL, 25.7)
--January: 16.2 (26th)...(PIT, 26.7)
--February: 17.4 (25th)...(PIT, 27)
--March: 18.3 (22nd)...(PIT, 26.4)
--2017-18: 19.1 (20th)...(PIT, 26.2)
--2016-17: 24.5 (1st)
--2015-16: 18.9 (12th)...(ANA, 23.1)
--2014-15: 13.4 (30th)...(WSH, 25.3)
--2013-14: 14.1 (29th)...(PIT, 23.4)
Goals-against/Game
--October: 3.58 (27th)...(LAK, 2.00)
--November: 3.36 (28th)...(SJS, 2.17)
--December: 3.29 (28th)...(LAK, 2.33)
--January: 3.30 (28th)...(LAK, 2.42)
--February: 3.22 (26th)...(LAK, 2.47)
--March: 3.31 (29th)...(LAK, 2.44)
--2017-18: 3.39 (29th)...(LAK, 2.46)
--2016-17: 2.82 (19th)...(WSH, 2.16)
--2015-16: 2.62 (15th)...(ANA, 2.29)
--2014-15: 3.28 (29th)...(MTL, 2.24)
--2013-14: 2.96 (25th)...(LAK, 2.05)
Shots against/Game
--October: 32.5 (19th)...(SJS, 28.7)
--November: 31.2 (T-11th)...(SJS, 28.7)
--December: 32.4 (23rd)...(CAR, 29.6)
--January: 32.6 (24th)...(CAR, 29.2)
--February: 32.4 (22nd)...(CAR, 28.9)
--March: 32.7 (23rd)...(CAR, 28.7)
--2017-18: 32.7 (23rd)...(CAR, 28.9)
--2016-17: 34.3 (30th)...(LAK, 25.9)
--2015-16: 30.6 (22nd)...(NSH, 27.3)
--2014-15: 35.6 (30th)...(LAK, 27.0)
--2013-14: 34.3 (28th)...(NJD, 25.5)
Penalty Kill
--October: 82.5% (11th)...(LAK, 93.0)
--November: 81.1 (13th)...(LAK, 89.5)
--December: 81.9 (12th)...(LAK, 87.1)
--January: 78.6 (23rd)...(LAK, 86.2)
--February: 79.4 (20th)...(SJS, 84.4)
--March: 78.2 (23rd)...(LAK, 85.1)
--2017-18: 77.9 (22nd)...(LAK, 85.0)
--2016-17: 77.6 (25th)...(BOS, 85.7
--2015-16: 82.6 (9th)...(ANA, 87.2)
--2014-15: 75.1 (30th)...(MIN, 86.3)
--2013-14: 81.4 (20th)...(NJD, 86.4)
Faceoff Percentage
--October: 50.4% (18th)...(OTT, 53.9)
--November: 51.4 (11th)...(PHI, 53.0)
--December: 51.2 (9th)...(WPG, 52.8)
--January: 51.1 (11th)...(PHI, 52.9)
--February: 51.2 (9th)...(CAR, 53.6)
--March: 51.7 (6th)...(CAR, 54.0)
--2017-18: 51.5 (7th)...(CAR, 54.1)
--2016-17: 49.6 (17th)...(ANA, 54.7)
--2015-16: 49.4 (21st)...(ARI, 54.7)
--2014-15: 44.9 (30th)...(BOS, 53.6)
--2013-14: 46.8 (29th)...(NSH, 53.1)
No comments:
Post a Comment