Buffalo Sabres 2019-20 Team Stats--February

Sabres month by month record: 

October  9-2-2

November  3-8-3 

December  5-7-2
January  5-5-0

February  7-6-1

Any hope of a playoff run was pretty much dashed as the Buffalo Sabres dropped their first three games of a four-game road-trip. Buffalo general manager Jason Botterill gave his team a little push at the trade deadline but it was too little, too late. Whether that ultimately costs him his job after three years is yet to be determined but when this team needed him to pull the trigger on a deal that would help them get back on track, or at least possibly pull them out of a funk, he faltered. The only thing he could have come up with was shipping out defenseman Marco Scandella for a fourth round pick and sending that pick to the Calgary Flames for forward Michael Frolik.

In hindsight Scandella turned out to be the wrong defenseman to trade as he really turned his game around as an anchor on the third pairing. In addition to that, he seemed to really help 20 yr. old d-partner Henri Jokiharju navigate the rigors of the NHL and on many occasions they were the team's best pairing. Scandella's +9 rating when he was trade was tops amongst defensemen and second only to Jack Eichel's +10. Jokiharju went from a +1 skating mostly beside Scandella to a minus-4 rating after the two games this weekend. 

Defense, goaltending and the penalty kill have definitively contributed to the Sabres falling off of a cliff, not so much record-wise as the pulled off a .500 record, but those three areas failed them when they needed them most. You just can't give up three powerplay goals on three opportunities to the worst powerplay team in the league, like the did against the Ottawa Senators the first game out of the All-Star break. Nor can you give up four goals to the basement-feeding Detroit Red Wings in a 4-3 shootout loss or seven goals against the Senators after taking a 2-0 lead and looking like you're in command. 

If you look at the overall stats for the Sabres, their goaltending looks as if it held up. However, when the team needed saves they just weren't there and on more than one occasion they, along with a defense that looked confused and out of position, were overwhelmed and buried underneath a barrage of goals. Something is not right there as their goals-against/game, and shots-against/game are where they've been all year, which isn't saying a lot. However, they've improved their high-danger shots against which is somewhat contradictory to their goals-against remaining steady.

Special teams has been killing the Sabres this year with, now, the NHL's worst penalty kill and an 18th-ranked powerplay. For those who say special teams don't matter because most of the game is played 5v5, ask head coach Ralph Krueger what he thinks about that statement. On numerous occasions this year dating back to the Global Series in November, Krueger has mentioned losing the special teams battle after losses.

When three areas like defense, goaltending and the PK are in shambles, Krueger needs to take a serious look at what assistant coach Steve Smith has been doing with his defense-corps. He may not be the cause, but it doesn't look as if he has any answers either. Krueger and Smith have a history which can add subjectivity into the equation, but we just can't discount how poorly some of the players have performed in their own zone.

Far be it for this blogger to call for anyone's head, but Smith's schemes really need to be looked at as objectively as possible.


Buffalo Sabres 2018-19 Team Stats (League Rankings)...(Leader):

Wins

--October:  9 (T-1st)
--November:  12 (T-20th)...(BOS, WSH 19)

--December:  17 (T-25th)...(WSH 27)
--January:  22 (T-25th)...(WSH 35)
--February:  29 (25th)...(TBL 41)

--2018-19: 33 (26th)...(TBL 62)
--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: 2nd...(BOS)

--November: 4th...(BOS)

--December: 6th...(BOS)
--January:  6th...(BOS)
--February:  6th... (BOS)

--2018-19: 6th...(TBL)
--2017-18: 8th...(TBL)
--2016-17: 8th...(MTL)
--2015-16: 7th...(FLA)
--2014-15: 8th...(MTL)
--2013-14: 8th...(BOS)


Eastern Conference Standing

--October: 3rd...(WSH)

--November:  10th...(BOS)

--December:  13th...(WSH)

--January:  14th...(WSH)
--February:  13th...(BOS)

--2018-19: 13th...(TBL)
--2017-18: 16th...(TBL)
--2016-17: 15th...(WSH)
--2015-16: 14th...(WSH)
--2014-15: 16th...(NYR)
--2013-14: 16th...(BOS)


League standing/Points

--October: 3rd/20...(WSH/21)

--November:  20th/29...(BOS/43)

--December:  25th/41...(WSH/59)

--January:  25th/51...(WSH/75)
--February:  T-24th/66...(BOS/94)

--2018-19: 27th/76...(TBL 128)
--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: .769 (2nd)…(BOS .833)

--November:  .537 (18th)...(BOS .796)

--December:  .500 (25th)...(WSH .720)

--January:  .500 (25th)...(WSH .721)
--February:  .508 (25th)...(BOS .712)

--2018-19: .463 (27th)...(TBL .780)
--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: +11 (6th)…(VAN +17)

--November:  -4 (20th)...(BOS +34)

--December:  -10 (25nd)...(BOS +33)

--January:  -12 (T-25th)...(WSH, COL +36)
--February:  -17 (24th)...(BOS +51)

--2018-19: -45 (26th)...(TBL +103)
--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: 3.31 (11th)…(NSH 4.08)

--November:  2.85 (20th)...(COL 3.73)

--December:  2.93 (19th)...(COL 3.60)

--January:  2.88 (20th)...(FLA 3.67)
--February:  2.88 (21st)...(TOR 3.52)

--2018-19: 2.70 (23rd)...(TBL 3.89)
--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: 30.2 (23rd)…(LAK 36.2)

--November:  31.1 (17th)...(MTL 35.0)

--December:  30.5 (22nd)...(MTL 35.5)

--January:  29.4 (27th)...(MTL 34.8)
--February:  29.2 (30th)...(VGK 34.3)

--2018-19: 32.9 (8th)...(CAR 34.4)
--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)

High-Danger Chances For

--October:  100 (T-15th)...(MTL 124)

--November:  207 (21st)...(CAR 267)

--December:  311 (25th)...(VGK 425)

--January:  371 (29th)...(VGK 517)

--February:  502 (26th)...(MTL 662)

--2018-19:  686 (20th)...(CAR 900)

--2017-18:  581 (31st)...(NYR 822)

--2016-17:  683 (14th)...(PIT 826)

--2015-16:  598 (25th)...(DAL 793)

--2014-15:  573 (28th)...(NYI 949)

--2013-14:  570 (24th)...(NYR 835)

5v5 Goals 

--October: 27 (13th)…(NSH 37)

--November:  54 (T-10th)...(COL 68)

--December:  81 (T-15th)...(COL 100)
--January:  95 (22nd)...(TOR, TBL 125)
--February:  126 (20th)...(TOR 157)

--2018-19: 154 (21st)...(TOR 206)
--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: 29.8% (2nd)…(BOS 30.9)

--November:  17.8 (17th)...(EDM 32.5)

--December:  17.6 (21st)..(EDM 30.2)
--January:  19.6 (18th)...(EDM 29.4)
--February:  19.6 (18th)...(EDM 29.3)

--2018-19: 19.5% (16th)...(TBL 28.2)
--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: 2.46 (6th)…(BOS 2.00)

--November:  3.00 (T-16th)...(BOS 2.26)

--December:  3.17 (T-20th)...(BOS 2.41)
--January:  3.12 (T-20th)...(BOS 2.48)
--February:  3.12 (23rd)...(BOS 2.42)

--2018-19: 3.27 (24th)...(NYI 2.33)
--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: 33.5 (26th)…(PHI 28.3)

--November:  32.3 (22nd)...(LAK 28.4)

--December:  31.5 (14th)...(LAK 28.2)
--January:  31.4 (15th)...(LAK 28.8)
--February:  31.1 (14th)...(PHI 28.5)

--2018-19: 33 (23rd)...(CGY 28.1)
--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)

High-Danger Chances Against

--October:  108 (22nd)...(NJD 64)

--November: 221 (15th)...(MIN 168) 

--December:  320 (10th)...(CBJ 268)

--January:  401 (8th)...(MIN 329)

--February:  531 (9th)...(MIN 412)

--2018-19:  728 (19th)...(MIN 603)

--2017-18:  670 (11th)...(DAL 583)

--2016-17:  683 (20th)...(MIN 540)

--2015-16:  629 (13th)...(NSH 502)

--2014-15:  790 (30th)...(MIN 520)

--2013-14:  758 (28th)...(NJD 454)

Penalty Kill

--October: 79.5% (20th)…(SJS 90.4

--November:  74.7 (29th)...(SJS 91)

--December:  73.8 (28th)...(SJS 87.8)
--January:  74.2 (T-27th)...(SJS 86.9)
--February:  74.3 (31st)...(SJS 86.3)

--2018-19: 80.9% (12th)...(TBL 85.0)
--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: 47.8 (25th)…(PHI 57.6)

--November:  46.3 (31st)...(PHI 53.9)

--December:  45.4 (31st)...(PHI 54.6)
--January:  45.8 (31st)...(VAN 54.0)
--February:  45.8 (31st)...(PHI 54.6)

--2018-19: 47.9 (T-27th)...(PHI 54.7)
--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)