Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-8-2018
The 2017-18 NHL season is over for the Buffalo Sabres and they went out with a whimper going 0-4-0 during April for a final record of 25-45-12. All that's left is locker cleanout on Monday, along with Phil Housley speaking to the media that day, and general manager Jason Botterill addressing the media on Wednesday, before what looks like a busy off season.
As a team, this group of players put on an abysmal performance falling far below even modest expectations. Within that context some individuals, mostly the usual suspects, had their names in the group of monthly leaders on a regular basis.
It begins with Jack Eichel. The 21 yr. old continues to knock on the door of that point/game season as he finished this year with 64 points in 67 games. Eichel put up career numbers across the board and lead the Sabres outright in points and assists (39) and was tied with Sam Reinhart for the team lead in goals with 25. Twenty-three of Eichel's assists were of the primary variety, second only to Ryan O'Reilly on the team.
O'Reilly lead the team with 26 primary assists and powerplay goals with 15. He was second in points (61,) goals (24) and assists (37.) It was a the third year in a row he scored 20+ goals as a Sabre and the third time in his career he hit the 60+ point mark, something he's done twice in his three years with the club.
The aforementioned Reinhart had 25 goals for the first time in his career and hit the 50-point mark for the first time which was good for third on the team behind Eichel and O'Reilly.
According to Sabres PR, this is the first time since the 2011-12 season (Pominville, Vanek, Stafford) that the Sabres had three 50-point players and the Sabres finished with two 25-goal scorers (Eichel and Reinhart) under 23 years of age for the first time since the 1991-92 season (Alexander Mogilny and Donald Audette).
In addition to his usual workload (26:29 ATOI, fourth in the league,) defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen lead the team with 22 powerplay assists and was third on the team with 35 total assists.
For a team with a minus-81 goal differential, it's not surprising to see that the best plus/minus of any player appearing in 40 or more Sabres games was Marco Scandella's minus-8. Rookie Victor Antipin was a minus-9 and Evan Rodrigues clocked in at a minus-10.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the bottom of the plus/minus scale has some frightening numbers. Kyle Okposo's minus-34 was worst on the team and is second worst in the league (Nick Leddy, NYI, minus-40.) Johan Larsson had a minus-30 (eighth-worst in the league) while Eichel and Ristolainen came in at a minus-25 each.
Of note, however, is that Okposo, Eichel and Ristolainen, among others, had their numbers all affected by empty net goals against. The Sabres gave up a league record 22 empty-net goals against (with only six 6v5 goals for) this season eclipsing Colorado's 19 in 2015-16. Here's a breakdown of players on the ice for empty net goals against:
O'Reilly-18
Eichel-17
Ristolainen-17
Kane-13
Pominville-13
Okposo-11
Reinhart-11
Scandella-9
Rodrigues-5
McCabe-3
Girgensons-3
Guhle-3
Wilson-2
Beaulieu-2
Nelson-1
Larsson-1
Mittelstadt-1
Pouliot-1
In addition to those numbers which negatively affect plus/minus, the Sabres gave up 10 short handed goals against (while scoring eight shorthanded goals-for,) which tied them for third most in the league. Eichel, Okposo and Reinhart were on the ice for a team-high eight shorthanded goals-against, O'Reilly seven, Ristolainen and Nathan Beaulieu five.
When adding both empty net and shorthanded goals against, Eichel and O'Reilly totaled 25, Ristolainen 22, Okposo and Reinhart 19 each and Kane 16. The next closest was seven. Although it's not designed to let those players off the hook completely for their atrocious plus/minus ratings, taking those numbers into account does add a little more perspective as to how they ended up there. As for Larsson?
Finally, goalie Robin Lehner did not play in April as he was nursing an injury and he could be done as a Buffalo Sabre. If so Lehner will be ending his career on a low-note with his highest GAA (3.01) and lowest Sv% (.908) in his three-year Sabres career. Backup Chad Johnson went 0-4-0 in April, saw his save percentage drop and his goals-against balloon. If he was looking to stick around next year as Linus Ullmark's backup, should the team go in that direction, he didn't play like he wanted that spot.
Good for Adam Wilcox who finally made it to the NHL. Wilcox came out in relief of Johnson in the season finale last night against the Florida Panthers for his first NHL game. The former sixth-round pick (2011, TBL) did not allow a goal on 14 shots against in 38:39 of action.
Next year promises plenty of new faces as Buffalo has a lot of unrestricted free agents coupled with a number of players who look like they're ready for the big club. Until then, the individual stats portion of the program for the 2017-18 season is complete.
Buffalo Sabres 2017-18 Individual Stats leaders:
Points
--October: Pominville, Kane, Eichel, 12; O'Reilly, 8
--November: Kane, 11; Okposo, 9; O'Reilly, 8
--December: Eichel, 16; Kane, 11; O'Reilly, 8
--January: Eichel, 14; Okposo, 12; Ristolainen, 11
--February: O'Reilly, 12; Reinhart, 10; Ristolainen, Rodrigues , 9
--March: Reinhart, 14; O'Reilly, 11; Eichel, 9
--2017-18: Eichel, 64; O'Reilly, 61; Reinhart, 50
--2016-17: Eichel, 57; O'Reilly, 55; Reinhart, 47
Goals
--October: Pominville, Kane, 6; Eichel, O'Reilly, 4
--November: Kane, 6; Pouliot, 4; Eichel, O'Reilly, Reinhart, Okposo, 3
--December: Eichel, 8; Kane, Okposo, 3; six with 2
--January: Eichel, Reinhart, 5; O'Reilly, 4; Okposo, 3
--February: O'Reilly, 5; Kane, Reinhart, Rodrigues, Wilson, 4; (three with 3)
--March: Reinhart, 9; O'Reilly, 4; Eichel, Pominville, 3
--2017-18: Eichel, Reinhart, 25; O'Reilly 24; Kane, 20
--2016-17: Kane, 28; Eichel, 24; O'Reilly, 20
Powerplay Goals
--October: O'Reilly, 3; Pominville, Kane, Reinhart, 1
--November: O'Reilly, Pouliot, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
--December: Eichel, Kane, Pominville, Rodrigues, 1
--January: O'Reilly, Reinhart, 3; Okposo, 2
--February: O'Reilly, 4; Eichel, Kane, Pominville, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
--March: Reinhart, 5; O'Reilly, 3; Pominville, Okposo, 1
--2017-18: O'Reilly, 15; Reinhart, 12; Okposo, 6
--2016-17: Moulson, 11; Eichel, 10; Reinhart, 9
Assists
--October: Eichel, 8 Pominville, Kane, 6
--November: Okposo, 6; Kane, O'Reilly, 5
--December: Eichel, Kane, 8; O'Reilly, 6; Scandella, 5
--January: Eichel, Okposo, Ristolainen, 9; O'Reilly, 6
--February: O'Reilly, 7; Reinhart, Okposo, Ristolainen, 6
--March: Ristolainen, 8; O'Reilly, 7; Eichel, 6
--2017-18: Eichel, 39; O'Reilly, 37; Ristolainen, 35
--2016-17: Ristolainen, 39; O'Reilly, 35; Eichel, 33
Powerplay Assists
--October: Kane, Ristolainen, 2; six players with 1
--November: Kane, 3; Okposo, 2; three players with 1
--December: Eichel, Ristolainen, 2; Kane, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
--January: Eichel, 7; Ristolainen, 6; Okposo, 4
--February: Ristolainen, 6; Okposo, 5; O'Reilly, 3
--March: Eichel, Ristolainen, 5; O'Reilly, Reinhart, Okposo, Rodrigues 2;
--2017-18: Ristolainen, 22; Eichel, 17; Okposo, 15
--2016-17: Ristolainen, 24; Okposo, O'Reilly, 16; Eichel, 14
Primary Assists
--October: Eichel, 7; O'Reilly, Ristolainen, 4; Kane, Beaulieu, 2
--November: Eichel, 4; O'Reilly, Okposo, 3; four players with 2
--December: Eichel, Kane, O'Reilly, 5; Scandella, 3; McCabe, 2
--January: Okposo, 7; Eichel, O'Reilly, Ristolainen, Scandella, 3
--February: O'Reilly, 6; Reinhart, 5; Okposo, Larsson, Nelson, 3
--March: Ristolainen, 6; O'Reilly, 5; Pominville, 4
--2017-18: O'Reilly, 26; Eichel, 23; Ristolainen, 18
--2016-17: O'Reilly, 23; Reinhart, 22; Eichel, Ristolainen, 19
Plus/Minus
--October: Pominville, +3; Girgensons, Gorges, +1; Pouliot, even
--November: Reinhart, Nolan, Scandella, Antipin, even; Kane, Griffith, Gorges, -1
--December: O'Reilly, +2; Girgensons, Wilson, +1; Larsson, McCabe, even
--January: O'Reilly, +2, Ristolainen, Scandella, McCabe, even
--February: Scandella, +4; Pouliot, Reinhart, Nelson, +3; O'Reilly, +2
--March: Pouliot, +1; Pominville, Rodrigues, -2; Ristolainen, Beaulieu, -3
--2017-18 (min 40 gms.): Pouliot, -8; Antipin, -9; Rodrigues, -10
--2016-17 (min 40 gms.): Carrier, Foligno, O'Reilly -1; Grant, Gorges, Falk, -3
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: O'Reilly, -9; Reinhart, -8; Okposo, -7
--November: O'Reilly, Larsson, -8; McCabe, -7; Beaulieu, -6
--December: Kane, Pominville, -7; Ristolainen, -6; Rodrigues, -5
--January: Girgensons, -7; Eichel, Beaulieu, Falk, -6
--February: Okposo, -10; Ristolainen, -6; Larsson, Wilson, Beaulieu, Antipin, -3
--March: Wilson, -9; Eichel, Reinhart, Nelson, -8; O'Reilly, Larsson, Scandella, Falk -6
--2017-18: Okposo, -34; Larsson, -30; Eichel, Ristolainen, -25
--2016-17: Kulikov, -26; Kane, Bogosian, -17; Eichel, -13
Goalies (composite)
Robin Lehner
--October: 4-2-1; 2.78 GAA; .911 Sv%; 1 shutout
--November: 5-11-2; 2.92; . 906, 1
--December: 9-14-5; 2.74; .915; 1
--January: 11-19-6; 2.85; .912; 3
--February: 13-23-8; 2.95; .910; 3
--March: 14-26-9; 3.01; .908; 3
--2017-18: 14-26-9; 3.01; .908; 3
Chad Johnson
--October: 1-3-1; 4.06 GAA; .879 Sv%; 0 shutouts
--November: 1-4-2; 3.59; .885; 0
--December: 1-6-3; 3.78; .881; 0
--January: 2-8-3; 3.64; .884; 0
--February: 6-10-3; 3.18; .896; 0
--March: 10-13-3; 3.35; .896; 0
--2017-18: 10-17-3; 3.55; .891; 0
Linus Ullmark
--January: 1-0-0; 1.00 GAA; .978 Sv%; 0 shutouts
--March: 1-2-0; 2.00; .935; 0
--2017-18: 1-2-0; 2.00; .935; 0
Adam Wilcox
--2017-18: 0-0-0; 0.00 GAA; 1.000 Sv%; 0 shutouts
Showing posts with label 2017-18 Individual Stats Leaders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2017-18 Individual Stats Leaders. Show all posts
Monday, April 9, 2018
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Buffalo Sabres 2017-18 Individual Stats Leaders--March
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-2-2018
March was the month Sam Reinhart for the Buffalo Sabres. The 2014 second overall pick pretty much owned the month with 14 points (9+5) in 14 games punctuating that performance with a hat trick on the road vs. the league-leading Nashville Predators on Saturday night. Reinhart, who had been forgotten about since the drafting of Jack Eichel and was nearing "bust" status for some early in the season, has put it all together and matched his career high in goals and points with that performance against the Preds.
Other than that, Ryan O'Reilly continued his consistent numbers by posting a four-goal month to reach 20 goals for the third straight season in Buffalo and is now at 57 points on the season which is the fifth year in a row that he'll have reached 55 points or more.
Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen lead the team with eight assists on the month and with one more point in the last four games will hit the 40 point mark for the third straight season while Eichel's five assist night at Nashville propelled him to career highs in assists and points.
It was an inconsistent month for the Sabres as they finished with a 5-8-1 record for the month with a 3-2-0 road record with both of those losses being blowouts. They were awful at home going 2-6-1 and lost by three or more goals all six times including being shut out twice. In all the Sabres were outscored by a 52-33 which reeked havoc on individual plus/minus stats.
Benoit Pouliot lead the team in plus/minus with a plus one and was the only player on the team who appeared in seven or more games to be even or above. Behind him was Jason Pominville and Evan Rodrigues at minus-2 each. At the bottom of the team plus/minus stats was forward Scott Wilson who clocked in at a minus-9 followed by Eichel, Reinhart and defenseman Casey Nelson all of whom were a minus-8.
The goaltending was very poor for the most part although Chad Johnson managed a 4-3-0 mark for the month. However, the Sabres backup saw his goals-against average climb to 3.35 while his save percentage stayed the same at a very sub-par .896. Starter Robin Lehner had only one win on the month and saw his goals-against rise above three goals/game for the first time in his three seasons playing for the Sabres. And for him, that's how it might end as the 26 yr. old may have played his last game in Buffalo.
In March we also saw Pominville rise from the dead. The 35 yr. old veteran winger who is on his second tour in Buffalo got off to a hot start for the Sabres with 12 points (6+6) in his first 12 games. But, from November through February Pominville scored only 12 points (4+8) in his next 52 games while watching his plus/minus plummet from a plus-3 to a minus-15. Last month he managed three goals and four assists with all of those assists being of the primary variety and was one of the 'better' players as he only incurred a minus-2 rating for the month.
There are four more games left in the 2017-18 season. Tonight the Sabres play the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Center and Tuesday they finish the home portion of their program with a game against the 30th place Ottawa Senators. After that they close out the season in Florida with back-to-back against the Florida Panthers on Friday and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
Buffalo Sabres 2017-18 Individual Stats leaders:
Points
--October: Pominville, Kane, Eichel, 12; O'Reilly, 8
--November: Kane, 11; Okposo, 9; O'Reilly, 8
--December: Eichel, 16; Kane, 11; O'Reilly, 8
--January: Eichel, 14; Okposo, 12; Ristolainen, 11
--February: O'Reilly, 12; Reinhart, 10; Ristolainen, Rodrigues , 9
--March: Reinhart, 14; O'Reilly, 11; Eichel, 9
Goals
--October: Pominville, Kane, 6; Eichel, O'Reilly, 4
--November: Kane, 6; Pouliot, 4; Eichel, O'Reilly, Reinhart, Okposo, 3
--December: Eichel, 8; Kane, Okposo, 3; six with 2
--January: Eichel, Reinhart, 5; O'Reilly, 4; Okposo, 3
--February: O'Reilly, 5; Kane, Reinhart, Rodrigues, Wilson, 4; (three with 3)
--March: Reinhart, 9; O'Reilly, 4; Eichel, Pominville, 3
Powerplay Goals
--October: O'Reilly, 3; Pominville, Kane, Reinhart, 1
--November: O'Reilly, Pouliot, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
--December: Eichel, Kane, Pominville, Rodrigues, 1
--January: O'Reilly, Reinhart, 3; Okposo, 2
--February: O'Reilly, 4; Eichel, Kane, Pominville, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
--March: Reinhart, 5; O'Reilly, 3; Pominville, Okposo, 1
Assists
--October: Eichel, 8 Pominville, Kane, 6
--November: Okposo, 6; Kane, O'Reilly, 5
--December: Eichel, Kane, 8; O'Reilly, 6; Scandella, 5
--January: Eichel, Okposo, Ristolainen, 9; O'Reilly, 6
--February: O'Reilly, 7; Reinhart, Okposo, Ristolainen, 6
--March: Ristolainen, 8; O'Reilly, 7; Eichel, 6
Powerplay Assists
--October: Kane, Ristolainen, 2; six players with 1
--November: Kane, 3; Okposo, 2; three players with 1
--December: Eichel, Ristolainen, 2; Kane, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
--January: Eichel, 7; Ristolainen, 6; Okposo, 4
--February: Ristolainen, 6; Okposo, 5; O'Reilly, 3
--March: Eichel, Ristolainen, 5; O'Reilly, Reinhart, Okposo, Rodrigues 2;
Primary Assists
--October: Eichel, 7; O'Reilly, Ristolainen, 4; Kane, Beaulieu, 2
--November: Eichel, 4; O'Reilly, Okposo, 3; four players with 2
--December: Eichel, Kane, O'Reilly, 5; Scandella, 3; McCabe, 2
--January: Okposo, 7; Eichel, O'Reilly, Ristolainen, Scandella, 3
--February: O'Reilly, 6; Reinhart, 5; Okposo, Larsson, Nelson, 3
--March: Ristolainen, 6; O'Reilly, 5; Pominville, 4
Plus/Minus
--October: Pominville, +3; Girgensons, Gorges, +1; Pouliot, even
--November: Reinhart, Nolan, Scandella, Antipin, even; Kane, Griffith, Gorges, -1
--December: O'Reilly, +2; Girgensons, Wilson, +1; Larsson, McCabe, even
--January: O'Reilly, +2, Ristolainen, Scandella, McCabe, even
--February: Scandella, +4; Pouliot, Reinhart, Nelson, +3; O'Reilly, +2
--March: Pouliot, +1; Pominville, Rodrigues, -2; Ristolainen, Beaulieu, -3
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: O'Reilly, -9; Reinhart, -8; Okposo, -7
--November: O'Reilly, Larsson, -8; McCabe, -7; Beaulieu, -6
--December: Kane, Pominville, -7; Ristolainen, -6; Rodrigues, -5
--January: Girgensons, -7; Eichel, Beaulieu, Falk, -6
--February: Okposo, -10; Ristolainen, -6; Larsson, Wilson, Beaulieu, Antipin, -3
--March: Wilson, -9; Eichel, Reinhart, Nelson, -8; O'Reilly, Larsson, Scandella, Falk -6
Goalies (composite)
Robin Lehner
--October: 4-2-1; 2.78 GAA; .911 Sv%; 1 shutout
--November: 5-11-2; 2.92; . 906, 1
--December: 9-14-5; 2.74; .915; 1
--January: 11-19-6; 2.85; .912; 3
--February: 13-23-8; 2.95; .910; 3
--March: 14-26-9; 3.01; .908; 3
Chad Johnson
--October: 1-3-1; 4.06 GAA; .879 Sv%; 0 shutouts
--November: 1-4-2; 3.59; .885; 0
--December: 1-6-3; 3.78; .881; 0
--January: 2-8-3; 3.64; .884; 0
--February: 6-10-3; 3.18; .896; 0
--March: 10-13-3; 3.35; .896; 0
Linus Ullmark
--January: 1-0-0; 1.00 GAA; .978 Sv%; 0 shutouts
--March: 1-2-2; 2.00; .935; 0
March was the month Sam Reinhart for the Buffalo Sabres. The 2014 second overall pick pretty much owned the month with 14 points (9+5) in 14 games punctuating that performance with a hat trick on the road vs. the league-leading Nashville Predators on Saturday night. Reinhart, who had been forgotten about since the drafting of Jack Eichel and was nearing "bust" status for some early in the season, has put it all together and matched his career high in goals and points with that performance against the Preds.
Other than that, Ryan O'Reilly continued his consistent numbers by posting a four-goal month to reach 20 goals for the third straight season in Buffalo and is now at 57 points on the season which is the fifth year in a row that he'll have reached 55 points or more.
Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen lead the team with eight assists on the month and with one more point in the last four games will hit the 40 point mark for the third straight season while Eichel's five assist night at Nashville propelled him to career highs in assists and points.
It was an inconsistent month for the Sabres as they finished with a 5-8-1 record for the month with a 3-2-0 road record with both of those losses being blowouts. They were awful at home going 2-6-1 and lost by three or more goals all six times including being shut out twice. In all the Sabres were outscored by a 52-33 which reeked havoc on individual plus/minus stats.
Benoit Pouliot lead the team in plus/minus with a plus one and was the only player on the team who appeared in seven or more games to be even or above. Behind him was Jason Pominville and Evan Rodrigues at minus-2 each. At the bottom of the team plus/minus stats was forward Scott Wilson who clocked in at a minus-9 followed by Eichel, Reinhart and defenseman Casey Nelson all of whom were a minus-8.
The goaltending was very poor for the most part although Chad Johnson managed a 4-3-0 mark for the month. However, the Sabres backup saw his goals-against average climb to 3.35 while his save percentage stayed the same at a very sub-par .896. Starter Robin Lehner had only one win on the month and saw his goals-against rise above three goals/game for the first time in his three seasons playing for the Sabres. And for him, that's how it might end as the 26 yr. old may have played his last game in Buffalo.
In March we also saw Pominville rise from the dead. The 35 yr. old veteran winger who is on his second tour in Buffalo got off to a hot start for the Sabres with 12 points (6+6) in his first 12 games. But, from November through February Pominville scored only 12 points (4+8) in his next 52 games while watching his plus/minus plummet from a plus-3 to a minus-15. Last month he managed three goals and four assists with all of those assists being of the primary variety and was one of the 'better' players as he only incurred a minus-2 rating for the month.
There are four more games left in the 2017-18 season. Tonight the Sabres play the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Center and Tuesday they finish the home portion of their program with a game against the 30th place Ottawa Senators. After that they close out the season in Florida with back-to-back against the Florida Panthers on Friday and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
Buffalo Sabres 2017-18 Individual Stats leaders:
Points
--October: Pominville, Kane, Eichel, 12; O'Reilly, 8
--November: Kane, 11; Okposo, 9; O'Reilly, 8
--December: Eichel, 16; Kane, 11; O'Reilly, 8
--January: Eichel, 14; Okposo, 12; Ristolainen, 11
--February: O'Reilly, 12; Reinhart, 10; Ristolainen, Rodrigues , 9
--March: Reinhart, 14; O'Reilly, 11; Eichel, 9
Goals
--October: Pominville, Kane, 6; Eichel, O'Reilly, 4
--November: Kane, 6; Pouliot, 4; Eichel, O'Reilly, Reinhart, Okposo, 3
--December: Eichel, 8; Kane, Okposo, 3; six with 2
--January: Eichel, Reinhart, 5; O'Reilly, 4; Okposo, 3
--February: O'Reilly, 5; Kane, Reinhart, Rodrigues, Wilson, 4; (three with 3)
--March: Reinhart, 9; O'Reilly, 4; Eichel, Pominville, 3
Powerplay Goals
--October: O'Reilly, 3; Pominville, Kane, Reinhart, 1
--November: O'Reilly, Pouliot, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
--December: Eichel, Kane, Pominville, Rodrigues, 1
--January: O'Reilly, Reinhart, 3; Okposo, 2
--February: O'Reilly, 4; Eichel, Kane, Pominville, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
--March: Reinhart, 5; O'Reilly, 3; Pominville, Okposo, 1
Assists
--October: Eichel, 8 Pominville, Kane, 6
--November: Okposo, 6; Kane, O'Reilly, 5
--December: Eichel, Kane, 8; O'Reilly, 6; Scandella, 5
--January: Eichel, Okposo, Ristolainen, 9; O'Reilly, 6
--February: O'Reilly, 7; Reinhart, Okposo, Ristolainen, 6
--March: Ristolainen, 8; O'Reilly, 7; Eichel, 6
Powerplay Assists
--October: Kane, Ristolainen, 2; six players with 1
--November: Kane, 3; Okposo, 2; three players with 1
--December: Eichel, Ristolainen, 2; Kane, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
--January: Eichel, 7; Ristolainen, 6; Okposo, 4
--February: Ristolainen, 6; Okposo, 5; O'Reilly, 3
--March: Eichel, Ristolainen, 5; O'Reilly, Reinhart, Okposo, Rodrigues 2;
Primary Assists
--October: Eichel, 7; O'Reilly, Ristolainen, 4; Kane, Beaulieu, 2
--November: Eichel, 4; O'Reilly, Okposo, 3; four players with 2
--December: Eichel, Kane, O'Reilly, 5; Scandella, 3; McCabe, 2
--January: Okposo, 7; Eichel, O'Reilly, Ristolainen, Scandella, 3
--February: O'Reilly, 6; Reinhart, 5; Okposo, Larsson, Nelson, 3
--March: Ristolainen, 6; O'Reilly, 5; Pominville, 4
Plus/Minus
--October: Pominville, +3; Girgensons, Gorges, +1; Pouliot, even
--November: Reinhart, Nolan, Scandella, Antipin, even; Kane, Griffith, Gorges, -1
--December: O'Reilly, +2; Girgensons, Wilson, +1; Larsson, McCabe, even
--January: O'Reilly, +2, Ristolainen, Scandella, McCabe, even
--February: Scandella, +4; Pouliot, Reinhart, Nelson, +3; O'Reilly, +2
--March: Pouliot, +1; Pominville, Rodrigues, -2; Ristolainen, Beaulieu, -3
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: O'Reilly, -9; Reinhart, -8; Okposo, -7
--November: O'Reilly, Larsson, -8; McCabe, -7; Beaulieu, -6
--December: Kane, Pominville, -7; Ristolainen, -6; Rodrigues, -5
--January: Girgensons, -7; Eichel, Beaulieu, Falk, -6
--February: Okposo, -10; Ristolainen, -6; Larsson, Wilson, Beaulieu, Antipin, -3
--March: Wilson, -9; Eichel, Reinhart, Nelson, -8; O'Reilly, Larsson, Scandella, Falk -6
Goalies (composite)
Robin Lehner
--October: 4-2-1; 2.78 GAA; .911 Sv%; 1 shutout
--November: 5-11-2; 2.92; . 906, 1
--December: 9-14-5; 2.74; .915; 1
--January: 11-19-6; 2.85; .912; 3
--February: 13-23-8; 2.95; .910; 3
--March: 14-26-9; 3.01; .908; 3
Chad Johnson
--October: 1-3-1; 4.06 GAA; .879 Sv%; 0 shutouts
--November: 1-4-2; 3.59; .885; 0
--December: 1-6-3; 3.78; .881; 0
--January: 2-8-3; 3.64; .884; 0
--February: 6-10-3; 3.18; .896; 0
--March: 10-13-3; 3.35; .896; 0
Linus Ullmark
--January: 1-0-0; 1.00 GAA; .978 Sv%; 0 shutouts
--March: 1-2-2; 2.00; .935; 0
Saturday, March 3, 2018
Buffalo Sabres 2017-18 Individual Stats Leaders--February
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 3-2-2018
The big news, of course, is that Jack Eichel went down with a high-ankle sprain in Buffalo's 4-2 win at Boston on February 10. The injury could keep the Sabres' leading scorer out for the rest of the season. Should the team doctors give the go, and the team agree that he can finish out the season on the ice, Eichel will get a handful of games to close out 2017-18.
Buffalo ended up winning that game in Boston, despite Eichel being felled early in the first period and the team finished his five games with a 2-2-1 record. After that the Sabres finished the month of February 4-4-1 which included another win vs. Boston and two wins against the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning.
How did they pull it off? It was a total team effort.
Ryan O'Reilly took over the reigns for Buffalo leading the team in scoring (12 points,) goals (5,) assists (7,) and primary assists (6.) In addition he lead the team on the powerplay with four goals and added three assists while also pulling off a plus-2 rating while leading all forwards in time on ice. His sidekick through it all was Sam Reinhart who was second to O'Reilly in points (10,) goals (4,) assists (6,) and primary assists (5.) Reinhart was tied for second overall on the team in plus/minus with a plus-3.
Those were the leaders, but the Sabres got secondary scoring as well, most notably from Evan Rodrigues and Scott Wilson, both of whom had four goals. Rodrigues had a particularly good month adding five assists to the mix for nine points which tied him for third on the team with defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.
Although Ristolainen managed to get the job done on the back end with three goals and six assists from the blueline, his minus-6 rating which was second worst on the team behind Kyle Okposo's ungodly minus-10. Although Okposo did manage a goal and five assists on the powerplay, he recorded only two points 5v5 (1+1.)
Marco Scandella lead the team with a plus-4 rating for the month.
In addition to O'Reilly and Reinhart picking up their pace and Rodrigues finding his groove, defenseman Casey Nelson was a pleasant surprise as head coach Phil Housley continued to feed him minutes. From the February 8 game vs. the New York Islanders whe Housley paired him with Marco Scandella, Nelson skated under 19 minutes only once, in the last game of the month at Tampa. Nelson responded with a goal and five assists (three primary) and finished second on the team behind his partner Scandella with a plus-3 rating.
It was a team effort in scoring as seven players scored three or more goals for Buffalo in February. The previous best was six players in November while the other months were either four (twice) or three.
Between the pipes for Buffalo, the month of February belonged to backup goalie Chad Johnson. The 31 yr. old, who was rumored as possible trade-bait, finished the month with a 4-2-0 record while lowering his goals-against average (from 3.64 to 3.18) and increasing his save-percentage. Of particular note is that his four wins came against the top two teams in the division--Tampa and Boston. In those four games Johnson allowed a cumulative seven goals on 113 shots-against for a save percentage of .938.
Finally, the 2018 NHL Trade Deadline came and went with the Sabres making one move as they sent winger Evander Kane to San Jose for conditional 2nd and 4th round picks plus prospect Daniel O'Regan. Kane lead the team in scoring through October and November and was tied for the team lead in goals (15) to close December. Between January 1 and February 26, the day he was traded, Kane only scored five goals and left the with three consecutive 20-goal seasons.
Fans in Buffalo should root for a match between San Jose and Kane that will lead to a long-term relationship as the conditional 2019 second round pick turns into a 2019 first rounder if he re-signs with the club.
Buffalo Sabres 2017-18 Individual Stats leaders:
Points
--October: Pominville, Kane, Eichel, 12; O'Reilly, 8
--November: Kane, 11; Okposo, 9; O'Reilly, 8
--December: Eichel, 16; Kane, 11; O'Reilly, 8
--January: Eichel, 14; Okposo, 12; Ristolainen, 11
--February: O'Reilly, 12; Reinhart, 10; Ristolainen, Rodrigues , 9
Goals
--October: Pominville, Kane, 6; Eichel, O'Reilly, 4
--November: Kane, 6; Pouliot, 4; Eichel, O'Reilly, Reinhart, Okposo, 3
--December: Eichel, 8; Kane, Okposo, 3; six with 2
--January: Eichel, Reinhart, 5; O'Reilly, 4; Okposo, 3
--February: O'Reilly, 5; Kane, Reinhart, Rodrigues, Wilson, 4; (three with 3)
Powerplay Goals
--October: O'Reilly, 3; Pominville, Kane, Reinhart, 1
--November: O'Reilly, Pouliot, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
--December: Eichel, Kane, Pominville, Rodrigues, 1
--January: O'Reilly, Reinhart, 3; Okposo, 2
--February: O'Reilly, 4; Eichel, Kane, Pominville, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
Assists
--October: Eichel, 8 Pominville, Kane, 6
--November: Okposo, 6; Kane, O'Reilly, 5
--December: Eichel, Kane, 8; O'Reilly, 6; Scandella, 5
--January: Eichel, Okposo, Ristolainen, 9; O'Reilly, 6
--February: O'Reilly, 7; Reinhart, Okposo, Ristolainen, 6
Powerplay Assists
--October: Kane, Ristolainen, 2; six players with 1
--November: Kane, 3; Okposo, 2; three players with 1
--December: Eichel, Ristolainen, 2; Kane, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
--January: Eichel, 7; Ristolainen, 6; Okposo, 4
--February: Ristolainen, 6; Okposo, 5; O'Reilly, 3
Primary Assists
--October: Eichel, 7; O'Reilly, Ristolainen, 4; Kane, Beaulieu, 2
--November: Eichel, 4; O'Reilly, Okposo, 3; four players with 2
--December: Eichel, Kane, O'Reilly, 5; Scandella, 3; McCabe, 2
--January: Okposo, 7; Eichel, O'Reilly, Ristolainen, Scandella, 3
--February: O'Reilly, 6; Reinhart, 5; Okposo, Larsson, Nelson, 3
Plus/Minus
--October: Pominville, +3; Girgensons, Gorges, +1; Pouliot, even
--November: Reinhart, Nolan, Scandella, Antipin, even; Kane, Griffith, Gorges, -1
--December: O'Reilly, +2; Girgensons, Wilson, +1; Larsson, McCabe, even
--January: O'Reilly, +2, Ristolainen, Scandella, McCabe, even
--February: Scandella, +4; Pouliot, Reinhart, Nelson, +3; O'Reilly, +2
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: O'Reilly, -9; Reinhart, -8; Okposo, -7
--November: O'Reilly, Larsson, -8; McCabe, -7; Beaulieu, -6
--December: Kane, Pominville, -7; Ristolainen, -6; Rodrigues, -5
--January: Girgensons, -7; Eichel, Beaulieu, Falk, -6
--February: Okposo, -10; Ristolainen, -6; Larsson, Wilson, Beaulieu, Antipin, -3
Goalies (composite)
Robin Lehner
--October: 4-2-1; 2.78 GAA; .911 Sv%; 1 shutout
--November: 5-11-2; 2.92; . 906, 1
--December: 9-14-5; 2.74; .915; 1
--January: 11-19-6; 2.85; .912; 3
--February: 13-23-8; 2.95; .910; 3
Chad Johnson
--October: 1-3-1; 4.06 GAA; .879 Sv%; 0 shutouts
--November: 1-4-2; 3.59; .885; 0
--December: 1-6-3; 3.78; .881; 0
--January: 2-8-3; 3.64; .884; 0
--February: 6-10-3; 3.18; .896; 0
Linus Ullmark
--January: 1-0-0; 1.00 GAA; .978 Sv%; 0 shutouts
The big news, of course, is that Jack Eichel went down with a high-ankle sprain in Buffalo's 4-2 win at Boston on February 10. The injury could keep the Sabres' leading scorer out for the rest of the season. Should the team doctors give the go, and the team agree that he can finish out the season on the ice, Eichel will get a handful of games to close out 2017-18.
Buffalo ended up winning that game in Boston, despite Eichel being felled early in the first period and the team finished his five games with a 2-2-1 record. After that the Sabres finished the month of February 4-4-1 which included another win vs. Boston and two wins against the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning.
How did they pull it off? It was a total team effort.
Ryan O'Reilly took over the reigns for Buffalo leading the team in scoring (12 points,) goals (5,) assists (7,) and primary assists (6.) In addition he lead the team on the powerplay with four goals and added three assists while also pulling off a plus-2 rating while leading all forwards in time on ice. His sidekick through it all was Sam Reinhart who was second to O'Reilly in points (10,) goals (4,) assists (6,) and primary assists (5.) Reinhart was tied for second overall on the team in plus/minus with a plus-3.
Those were the leaders, but the Sabres got secondary scoring as well, most notably from Evan Rodrigues and Scott Wilson, both of whom had four goals. Rodrigues had a particularly good month adding five assists to the mix for nine points which tied him for third on the team with defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.
Although Ristolainen managed to get the job done on the back end with three goals and six assists from the blueline, his minus-6 rating which was second worst on the team behind Kyle Okposo's ungodly minus-10. Although Okposo did manage a goal and five assists on the powerplay, he recorded only two points 5v5 (1+1.)
Marco Scandella lead the team with a plus-4 rating for the month.
In addition to O'Reilly and Reinhart picking up their pace and Rodrigues finding his groove, defenseman Casey Nelson was a pleasant surprise as head coach Phil Housley continued to feed him minutes. From the February 8 game vs. the New York Islanders whe Housley paired him with Marco Scandella, Nelson skated under 19 minutes only once, in the last game of the month at Tampa. Nelson responded with a goal and five assists (three primary) and finished second on the team behind his partner Scandella with a plus-3 rating.
It was a team effort in scoring as seven players scored three or more goals for Buffalo in February. The previous best was six players in November while the other months were either four (twice) or three.
Between the pipes for Buffalo, the month of February belonged to backup goalie Chad Johnson. The 31 yr. old, who was rumored as possible trade-bait, finished the month with a 4-2-0 record while lowering his goals-against average (from 3.64 to 3.18) and increasing his save-percentage. Of particular note is that his four wins came against the top two teams in the division--Tampa and Boston. In those four games Johnson allowed a cumulative seven goals on 113 shots-against for a save percentage of .938.
Finally, the 2018 NHL Trade Deadline came and went with the Sabres making one move as they sent winger Evander Kane to San Jose for conditional 2nd and 4th round picks plus prospect Daniel O'Regan. Kane lead the team in scoring through October and November and was tied for the team lead in goals (15) to close December. Between January 1 and February 26, the day he was traded, Kane only scored five goals and left the with three consecutive 20-goal seasons.
Fans in Buffalo should root for a match between San Jose and Kane that will lead to a long-term relationship as the conditional 2019 second round pick turns into a 2019 first rounder if he re-signs with the club.
Buffalo Sabres 2017-18 Individual Stats leaders:
Points
--October: Pominville, Kane, Eichel, 12; O'Reilly, 8
--November: Kane, 11; Okposo, 9; O'Reilly, 8
--December: Eichel, 16; Kane, 11; O'Reilly, 8
--January: Eichel, 14; Okposo, 12; Ristolainen, 11
--February: O'Reilly, 12; Reinhart, 10; Ristolainen, Rodrigues , 9
Goals
--October: Pominville, Kane, 6; Eichel, O'Reilly, 4
--November: Kane, 6; Pouliot, 4; Eichel, O'Reilly, Reinhart, Okposo, 3
--December: Eichel, 8; Kane, Okposo, 3; six with 2
--January: Eichel, Reinhart, 5; O'Reilly, 4; Okposo, 3
--February: O'Reilly, 5; Kane, Reinhart, Rodrigues, Wilson, 4; (three with 3)
Powerplay Goals
--October: O'Reilly, 3; Pominville, Kane, Reinhart, 1
--November: O'Reilly, Pouliot, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
--December: Eichel, Kane, Pominville, Rodrigues, 1
--January: O'Reilly, Reinhart, 3; Okposo, 2
--February: O'Reilly, 4; Eichel, Kane, Pominville, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
Assists
--October: Eichel, 8 Pominville, Kane, 6
--November: Okposo, 6; Kane, O'Reilly, 5
--December: Eichel, Kane, 8; O'Reilly, 6; Scandella, 5
--January: Eichel, Okposo, Ristolainen, 9; O'Reilly, 6
--February: O'Reilly, 7; Reinhart, Okposo, Ristolainen, 6
Powerplay Assists
--October: Kane, Ristolainen, 2; six players with 1
--November: Kane, 3; Okposo, 2; three players with 1
--December: Eichel, Ristolainen, 2; Kane, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
--January: Eichel, 7; Ristolainen, 6; Okposo, 4
--February: Ristolainen, 6; Okposo, 5; O'Reilly, 3
Primary Assists
--October: Eichel, 7; O'Reilly, Ristolainen, 4; Kane, Beaulieu, 2
--November: Eichel, 4; O'Reilly, Okposo, 3; four players with 2
--December: Eichel, Kane, O'Reilly, 5; Scandella, 3; McCabe, 2
--January: Okposo, 7; Eichel, O'Reilly, Ristolainen, Scandella, 3
--February: O'Reilly, 6; Reinhart, 5; Okposo, Larsson, Nelson, 3
Plus/Minus
--October: Pominville, +3; Girgensons, Gorges, +1; Pouliot, even
--November: Reinhart, Nolan, Scandella, Antipin, even; Kane, Griffith, Gorges, -1
--December: O'Reilly, +2; Girgensons, Wilson, +1; Larsson, McCabe, even
--January: O'Reilly, +2, Ristolainen, Scandella, McCabe, even
--February: Scandella, +4; Pouliot, Reinhart, Nelson, +3; O'Reilly, +2
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: O'Reilly, -9; Reinhart, -8; Okposo, -7
--November: O'Reilly, Larsson, -8; McCabe, -7; Beaulieu, -6
--December: Kane, Pominville, -7; Ristolainen, -6; Rodrigues, -5
--January: Girgensons, -7; Eichel, Beaulieu, Falk, -6
--February: Okposo, -10; Ristolainen, -6; Larsson, Wilson, Beaulieu, Antipin, -3
Goalies (composite)
Robin Lehner
--October: 4-2-1; 2.78 GAA; .911 Sv%; 1 shutout
--November: 5-11-2; 2.92; . 906, 1
--December: 9-14-5; 2.74; .915; 1
--January: 11-19-6; 2.85; .912; 3
--February: 13-23-8; 2.95; .910; 3
Chad Johnson
--October: 1-3-1; 4.06 GAA; .879 Sv%; 0 shutouts
--November: 1-4-2; 3.59; .885; 0
--December: 1-6-3; 3.78; .881; 0
--January: 2-8-3; 3.64; .884; 0
--February: 6-10-3; 3.18; .896; 0
Linus Ullmark
--January: 1-0-0; 1.00 GAA; .978 Sv%; 0 shutouts
Thursday, February 1, 2018
Buffalo Sabres 2017-18 Individual Stats Leaders--January
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 1-31-2018
After going through a terrible health scare last April and spending months trying to get back to his former self, Buffalo Sabres right winger Kyle Okposo looks as if he's finally gotten his feet under him. Okposo put together a three-game point-streak (1g +3a) bridging the calendar year then went silent for three games.
With the Sabres returning home from a very unsuccessful three-game road trip, head coach Phil Housley did some line juggling and Okposo wound up on Jack Eichel's wing. It proved to be quite the elixir for his scoring woes as he busted out with 10 points (3+7) in eight games. The 29 yr. old finished the month second on the team in scoring for the with 12 points and was tied for the team lead with nine assists. Okposo also lead the Sabres with seven primary assists, far outpacing the rest of the team.
Perhaps more importantly, for those of us viewing the team on a nightly basis, was the way Okposo was playing. Sure, having Eichel as your center is plenty motivation and can up every part of your game, but Okposo looked like he had finally said good-bye to the health scare he was recovering from.
That's good news for him and good news for the team as he's locked into a contract through 2022-23.
Eichel himself had a big month as he continued what he started with in December, either leading or tying for the lead in points, goals and assists. His 30 points in 25 games through the last two months shot him to the top of the Sabres leadearboard and now places him 21st in the league in scoring as of today.
Center Ryan O'Reilly continued his solid, steady improvement after a very rough go of it early in the season. He had four goals and six assists for the club in January while also clipping another two points off of his plus/minus rating. For the second month in a row he lead the team with a plus-2 rating bringing his overall plus/minus down to a minus-13.
The rise of Rasmus Ristolainen marked the month of January as the defenseman tied for the team lead in assists (9) and was third in points with 11. Ristolainen logged his usual top-pairing minutes and was one of three players (Marco Scandella, Jake McCabe) with an even rating that came in second behind O'Reilly in plus/minus.
Buffalo's goaltending took a hit this past month as the duo of Robin Lehner and Chad Johnson were giving up goals by the bushels in the first three weeks. Both managed to stage a comeback as the Sabres went on their first three-game winning streak of the season, but for Lehner the damage had been done as he saw his goal-against rise and his save percentage drop despite recording back-to-back shutouts. He also recorded a career-long 145:15 without allowing a goal. It all added up to a 2-5-1 record for the 26 yr old native of Gothenburg, Sweden.
In January we also saw the season debut of goaltender Linus Ullmark who got the nod on the last game before the Sabres went into their bye-week. Ullmark was superb in net in leading the Sabres to a surprising 3-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
February looks to be a very trying month for the team as 11 of the 14 teams they face are either in or very close to a playoff spot as of today. Also in the mix during the shortest month of the year is the upcoming February 26 NHL trade deadline which almost certainly will see the departure of forward Evander Kane and another player of two (maybe more) from the Sabres lineup.
Kane's stats for the month--12 games, 1 goal, 1 assist, minus-3.
Buffalo Sabres 2017-18 Individual Stats leaders:
Points
--October: Pominville, Kane, Eichel, 12; O'Reilly, 8
--November: Kane, 11; Okposo, 9; O'Reilly, 8
--December: Eichel, 16; Kane, 11; O'Reilly, 8
--January: Eichel, 14; Okposo, 12; Ristolainen, 11
Goals
--October: Pominville, Kane, 6; Eichel, O'Reilly, 4
--November: Kane, 6; Pouliot, 4; Eichel, O'Reilly, Reinhart, Okposo, 3
--December: Eichel, 8; Kane, Okposo, 3; six with 2
--January: Eichel, Reinhart, 5; O'Reilly, 4; Okposo, 3
Powerplay Goals
--October: O'Reilly, 3; Pominville, Kane, Reinhart, 1
--November: O'Reilly, Pouliot, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
--December: Eichel, Kane, Pominville, Rodrigues, 1
--January: O'Reilly, Reinhart, 3; Okposo, 2
Assists
--October: Eichel, 8 Pominville, Kane, 6
--November: Okposo, 6; Kane, O'Reilly, 5
--December: Eichel, Kane, 8; O'Reilly, 6; Scandella, 5
--January: Eichel, Okposo, Ristolainen, 9; O'Reilly, 6
Powerplay Assists
--October: Kane, Ristolainen, 2; six players with 1
--November: Kane, 3; Okposo, 2; three players with 1
--December: Eichel, Ristolainen, 2; Kane, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
--January: Eichel, 7; Ristolainen, 6; Okposo, 4
Primary Assists
--October: Eichel, 7; O'Reilly, Ristolainen, 4; Kane, Beaulieu, 2
--November: Eichel, 4; O'Reilly, Okposo, 3; four players with 2
--December: Eichel, Kane, O'Reilly, 5; Scandella, 3; McCabe, 2
--January: Okposo, 7; Eichel, O'Reilly, Ristolainen, Scandella, 3
Plus/Minus
--October: Pominville, +3; Girgensons, Gorges, +1; Pouliot, even
--November: Reinhart, Nolan, Scandella, Antipin, even; Kane, Griffith, Gorges, -1
--December: O'Reilly, +2; Girgensons, Wilson, +1; Larsson, McCabe, even
--January: O'Reilly, +2, Ristolainen, Scandella, McCabe, even
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: O'Reilly, -9; Reinhart, -8; Okposo, -7
--November: O'Reilly, Larsson, -8; McCabe, -7; Beaulieu, -6
--December: Kane, Pominville, -7; Ristolainen, -6; Rodrigues, -5
--January: Girgensons, -7; Eichel, Beaulieu, Falk, -6
Goalies (composite)
Robin Lehner
--October: 4-2-1; 2.78 GAA; .911 Sv%; 1 shutout
--November: 5-11-2; 2.92; .906, 1
--December: 9-14-5; 2.74; .915; 1
--January: 11-19-6; 2.85; .912; 3
Chad Johnson
--October: 1-3-1; 4.06 GAA; .879 Sv%; 0 shutouts
--November: 1-4-2; 3.59; .885; 0
--December: 1-6-3; 3.78; .881; 0
--January: 2-8-3; 3.64; .884; 0
Linus Ullmark
--January: 1-0-0; 1.00 GAA; .978 Sv%; 0 shutouts
After going through a terrible health scare last April and spending months trying to get back to his former self, Buffalo Sabres right winger Kyle Okposo looks as if he's finally gotten his feet under him. Okposo put together a three-game point-streak (1g +3a) bridging the calendar year then went silent for three games.
With the Sabres returning home from a very unsuccessful three-game road trip, head coach Phil Housley did some line juggling and Okposo wound up on Jack Eichel's wing. It proved to be quite the elixir for his scoring woes as he busted out with 10 points (3+7) in eight games. The 29 yr. old finished the month second on the team in scoring for the with 12 points and was tied for the team lead with nine assists. Okposo also lead the Sabres with seven primary assists, far outpacing the rest of the team.
Perhaps more importantly, for those of us viewing the team on a nightly basis, was the way Okposo was playing. Sure, having Eichel as your center is plenty motivation and can up every part of your game, but Okposo looked like he had finally said good-bye to the health scare he was recovering from.
That's good news for him and good news for the team as he's locked into a contract through 2022-23.
Eichel himself had a big month as he continued what he started with in December, either leading or tying for the lead in points, goals and assists. His 30 points in 25 games through the last two months shot him to the top of the Sabres leadearboard and now places him 21st in the league in scoring as of today.
Center Ryan O'Reilly continued his solid, steady improvement after a very rough go of it early in the season. He had four goals and six assists for the club in January while also clipping another two points off of his plus/minus rating. For the second month in a row he lead the team with a plus-2 rating bringing his overall plus/minus down to a minus-13.
The rise of Rasmus Ristolainen marked the month of January as the defenseman tied for the team lead in assists (9) and was third in points with 11. Ristolainen logged his usual top-pairing minutes and was one of three players (Marco Scandella, Jake McCabe) with an even rating that came in second behind O'Reilly in plus/minus.
Buffalo's goaltending took a hit this past month as the duo of Robin Lehner and Chad Johnson were giving up goals by the bushels in the first three weeks. Both managed to stage a comeback as the Sabres went on their first three-game winning streak of the season, but for Lehner the damage had been done as he saw his goal-against rise and his save percentage drop despite recording back-to-back shutouts. He also recorded a career-long 145:15 without allowing a goal. It all added up to a 2-5-1 record for the 26 yr old native of Gothenburg, Sweden.
In January we also saw the season debut of goaltender Linus Ullmark who got the nod on the last game before the Sabres went into their bye-week. Ullmark was superb in net in leading the Sabres to a surprising 3-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
February looks to be a very trying month for the team as 11 of the 14 teams they face are either in or very close to a playoff spot as of today. Also in the mix during the shortest month of the year is the upcoming February 26 NHL trade deadline which almost certainly will see the departure of forward Evander Kane and another player of two (maybe more) from the Sabres lineup.
Kane's stats for the month--12 games, 1 goal, 1 assist, minus-3.
Buffalo Sabres 2017-18 Individual Stats leaders:
Points
--October: Pominville, Kane, Eichel, 12; O'Reilly, 8
--November: Kane, 11; Okposo, 9; O'Reilly, 8
--December: Eichel, 16; Kane, 11; O'Reilly, 8
--January: Eichel, 14; Okposo, 12; Ristolainen, 11
Goals
--October: Pominville, Kane, 6; Eichel, O'Reilly, 4
--November: Kane, 6; Pouliot, 4; Eichel, O'Reilly, Reinhart, Okposo, 3
--December: Eichel, 8; Kane, Okposo, 3; six with 2
--January: Eichel, Reinhart, 5; O'Reilly, 4; Okposo, 3
Powerplay Goals
--October: O'Reilly, 3; Pominville, Kane, Reinhart, 1
--November: O'Reilly, Pouliot, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
--December: Eichel, Kane, Pominville, Rodrigues, 1
--January: O'Reilly, Reinhart, 3; Okposo, 2
Assists
--October: Eichel, 8 Pominville, Kane, 6
--November: Okposo, 6; Kane, O'Reilly, 5
--December: Eichel, Kane, 8; O'Reilly, 6; Scandella, 5
--January: Eichel, Okposo, Ristolainen, 9; O'Reilly, 6
Powerplay Assists
--October: Kane, Ristolainen, 2; six players with 1
--November: Kane, 3; Okposo, 2; three players with 1
--December: Eichel, Ristolainen, 2; Kane, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
--January: Eichel, 7; Ristolainen, 6; Okposo, 4
Primary Assists
--October: Eichel, 7; O'Reilly, Ristolainen, 4; Kane, Beaulieu, 2
--November: Eichel, 4; O'Reilly, Okposo, 3; four players with 2
--December: Eichel, Kane, O'Reilly, 5; Scandella, 3; McCabe, 2
--January: Okposo, 7; Eichel, O'Reilly, Ristolainen, Scandella, 3
Plus/Minus
--October: Pominville, +3; Girgensons, Gorges, +1; Pouliot, even
--November: Reinhart, Nolan, Scandella, Antipin, even; Kane, Griffith, Gorges, -1
--December: O'Reilly, +2; Girgensons, Wilson, +1; Larsson, McCabe, even
--January: O'Reilly, +2, Ristolainen, Scandella, McCabe, even
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: O'Reilly, -9; Reinhart, -8; Okposo, -7
--November: O'Reilly, Larsson, -8; McCabe, -7; Beaulieu, -6
--December: Kane, Pominville, -7; Ristolainen, -6; Rodrigues, -5
--January: Girgensons, -7; Eichel, Beaulieu, Falk, -6
Goalies (composite)
Robin Lehner
--October: 4-2-1; 2.78 GAA; .911 Sv%; 1 shutout
--November: 5-11-2; 2.92; .906, 1
--December: 9-14-5; 2.74; .915; 1
--January: 11-19-6; 2.85; .912; 3
Chad Johnson
--October: 1-3-1; 4.06 GAA; .879 Sv%; 0 shutouts
--November: 1-4-2; 3.59; .885; 0
--December: 1-6-3; 3.78; .881; 0
--January: 2-8-3; 3.64; .884; 0
Linus Ullmark
--January: 1-0-0; 1.00 GAA; .978 Sv%; 0 shutouts
Monday, January 1, 2018
Buffalo Sabres 2017-18 Individual Stats Leaders--December
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 12-31-2017
With Buffalo and most of the northern part of the country was in a deep freeze through much of December, Jack Eichel of the Buffalo Sabres was heating up in the scoring department. Like the rest of his Sabres teammates, Eichel got off to a cold start in losing back-to-back games to the Pittsburgh Penguins by a combined 9-1 score. But what would follow was a strong 12-game span that saw him collect 15 of his team-leading 16 points overall for the month.
Eichel was held scoreless in three of his last 12 games but collected eights goals and seven of his eight-total assists during that span. He also logged his first career hat trick and was a goal-post away from getting his second hat trick late in the third period at New Jersey against the Devils on Friday. In his last six games of the month, Eichel had seven goals and added four assists.
It should also be noted that for the third month in a row, Eichel was atop the team in primary assists, albeit tied with Evander Kane and Ryan O'Reilly at five each. Of Eichel's 20 total assists on the season, 16 of them have been primary. And also of note, only four (1+3) of his team-leading 35 points has come on the powerplay.
Only Kane and O'Reilly were of note in the scoring department during December, but they pretty much faded into the background as Eichel took over. Kane, who had lead the team in scoring since the second game of the season had an 11-point month (3+8) with five of his assist being primary. However, his goal-production took a dip as it went from six in each of the prior two months down to three in December. Kane also watched as his plus/minus rating took a dive with a minus-7 for the month.
Once again, O'Reilly scored eight points, which is...consistent. Unfortunately for a team as goal-starved as the Sabres are, and with him skating a forward-high 20:27/game, one would hope for a little more in the scoring department. On the positive side, he lead the team in plus/minus last month with a plus-2.
Jason Pominville got off to a very strong start in October with 12 points. Since then, however, he's been looking every bit his 35 years of age as he's managed only two points in each of last two months. He went goal-less throughout November and scored two goals in December. His plus/minus went from plus-3 in October to a minus-2 in November. His minus-7 rating in December was the worst on the team for the month.
Good news for the defense as they finally scored a goal. Jake McCabe broke the drought in Buffalo's 28th game and he would add another five games later. Rasmus Ristolainen also broke through for his first goal of the season in dramatic fashion as he scored the overtime winner vs. the Devils in the last game of the month, which was Game-38.
Robin Lehner has been stout in goal as of late but has gotten little goal-support from the skaters in front of him. Despite seeing his goals-against drop from 2.92 to 2.74 and his save-percentage go up from .906 to .915 his record or the month was a solid, yet unspectacular, 4-3-3. In his three overtime losses, Lehner held the Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues and NY Islanders to two goals through regulation, on the road no-less, but lost in overtime.
But perhaps better than his performance in net has been his quotes about challenges that end up going to Toronto for review. “I guess it’s something in Buffalo waters, you know?," said the goalie via ESPN after a late save in regulation vs. the Islanders was overturned and sent the game to overtime (where NY won.) "I know Toronto already made up their mind it was a goal before they shot the puck. It's just how it works in this League."
In Buffalo's final game vs. New Jersey, a goal by Devils forward Taylor Hall was overturned because the on-ice officials determined he was off side. Because of that reversal, the score remained 3-3 and Buffalo eventually won in overtime on Ristolainen's goal.
Lehner didn't hold back post-game, "See what happens when the refs get to make the call and leave the Toronto guys out of it?" Lehner said. "We get fair results."
Between Eichel, "fair results" and the team trending upward, perhaps we'll see a much better 2018 portion of the season.
That said, have a festive, yet safe, New Year's Eve everyone.
Buffalo Sabres 2017-18 Individual Stats leaders:
Points
--October: Pominville, Kane, Eichel, 12; O'Reilly, 8
--November: Kane, 11; Okposo, 9; O'Reilly, 8
--December: Eichel, 16; Kane, 11; O'Reilly, 8
Goals
--October: Pominville, Kane, 6; Eichel, O'Reilly, 4
--November: Kane, 6; Pouliot, 4; Eichel, O'Reilly, Reinhart, Okposo, 3
--December: Eichel, 8; Kane, Okposo, 3; six with 2
Powerplay Goals
--October: O'Reilly, 3; Pominville, Kane, Reinhart, 1
--November: O'Reilly, Pouliot, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
--December: Eichel, Kane, Pominville, Rodrigues, 1
Assists
--October: Eichel, 8 Pominville, Kane, 6
--November: Okposo, 6; Kane, O'Reilly, 5
--December: Eichel, Kane, 8; O'Reilly, 6; Scandella, 5
Powerplay Assists
--October: Kane, Ristolainen, 2; six players with 1
--November: Kane, 3; Okposo, 2; three players with 1
--December: Eichel, Ristolainen, 2; Kane, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
Primary Assists
--October: Eichel, 7; O'Reilly, Ristolainen, 4; Kane, Beaulieu, 2
--November: Eichel, 4; O'Reilly, Okposo, 3; four players with 2
--December: Eichel, Kane, O'Reilly, 5; Scandella, 3; McCabe, 2
Plus/Minus
--October: Pominville, +3; Girgensons, Gorges, +1; Pouliot, even
--November: Reinhart, Nolan, Scandella, Antipin, even; Kane, Griffith, Gorges, -1
--December: O'Reilly, +2; Girgensons, Wilson, +1; Larsson, McCabe, even
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: O'Reilly, -9; Reinhart, -8; Okposo, -7
--November: O'Reilly, Larsson, -8; McCabe, -7; Beaulieu, -6
--December: Kane, Pominville, -7; Ristolainen, -6; Rodrigues, -5
Goalies (composite)
Robin Lehner
--October: 4-2-1; 2.78 GAA; .911 Sv%; 1 shutout
--November: 5-11-2; 2.92; .906, 1
--December: 9-14-5; 2.74; .915; 1
Chad Johnson
--October: 1-3-1; 4.06 GAA; .879 Sv%; 0 shutouts
--November: 1-4-2; 3.59; .885; 0
--December: 1-6-3; 3.78; .881; 0
With Buffalo and most of the northern part of the country was in a deep freeze through much of December, Jack Eichel of the Buffalo Sabres was heating up in the scoring department. Like the rest of his Sabres teammates, Eichel got off to a cold start in losing back-to-back games to the Pittsburgh Penguins by a combined 9-1 score. But what would follow was a strong 12-game span that saw him collect 15 of his team-leading 16 points overall for the month.
Eichel was held scoreless in three of his last 12 games but collected eights goals and seven of his eight-total assists during that span. He also logged his first career hat trick and was a goal-post away from getting his second hat trick late in the third period at New Jersey against the Devils on Friday. In his last six games of the month, Eichel had seven goals and added four assists.
It should also be noted that for the third month in a row, Eichel was atop the team in primary assists, albeit tied with Evander Kane and Ryan O'Reilly at five each. Of Eichel's 20 total assists on the season, 16 of them have been primary. And also of note, only four (1+3) of his team-leading 35 points has come on the powerplay.
Only Kane and O'Reilly were of note in the scoring department during December, but they pretty much faded into the background as Eichel took over. Kane, who had lead the team in scoring since the second game of the season had an 11-point month (3+8) with five of his assist being primary. However, his goal-production took a dip as it went from six in each of the prior two months down to three in December. Kane also watched as his plus/minus rating took a dive with a minus-7 for the month.
Once again, O'Reilly scored eight points, which is...consistent. Unfortunately for a team as goal-starved as the Sabres are, and with him skating a forward-high 20:27/game, one would hope for a little more in the scoring department. On the positive side, he lead the team in plus/minus last month with a plus-2.
Jason Pominville got off to a very strong start in October with 12 points. Since then, however, he's been looking every bit his 35 years of age as he's managed only two points in each of last two months. He went goal-less throughout November and scored two goals in December. His plus/minus went from plus-3 in October to a minus-2 in November. His minus-7 rating in December was the worst on the team for the month.
Good news for the defense as they finally scored a goal. Jake McCabe broke the drought in Buffalo's 28th game and he would add another five games later. Rasmus Ristolainen also broke through for his first goal of the season in dramatic fashion as he scored the overtime winner vs. the Devils in the last game of the month, which was Game-38.
Robin Lehner has been stout in goal as of late but has gotten little goal-support from the skaters in front of him. Despite seeing his goals-against drop from 2.92 to 2.74 and his save-percentage go up from .906 to .915 his record or the month was a solid, yet unspectacular, 4-3-3. In his three overtime losses, Lehner held the Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues and NY Islanders to two goals through regulation, on the road no-less, but lost in overtime.
But perhaps better than his performance in net has been his quotes about challenges that end up going to Toronto for review. “I guess it’s something in Buffalo waters, you know?," said the goalie via ESPN after a late save in regulation vs. the Islanders was overturned and sent the game to overtime (where NY won.) "I know Toronto already made up their mind it was a goal before they shot the puck. It's just how it works in this League."
In Buffalo's final game vs. New Jersey, a goal by Devils forward Taylor Hall was overturned because the on-ice officials determined he was off side. Because of that reversal, the score remained 3-3 and Buffalo eventually won in overtime on Ristolainen's goal.
Lehner didn't hold back post-game, "See what happens when the refs get to make the call and leave the Toronto guys out of it?" Lehner said. "We get fair results."
Between Eichel, "fair results" and the team trending upward, perhaps we'll see a much better 2018 portion of the season.
That said, have a festive, yet safe, New Year's Eve everyone.
Buffalo Sabres 2017-18 Individual Stats leaders:
Points
--October: Pominville, Kane, Eichel, 12; O'Reilly, 8
--November: Kane, 11; Okposo, 9; O'Reilly, 8
--December: Eichel, 16; Kane, 11; O'Reilly, 8
Goals
--October: Pominville, Kane, 6; Eichel, O'Reilly, 4
--November: Kane, 6; Pouliot, 4; Eichel, O'Reilly, Reinhart, Okposo, 3
--December: Eichel, 8; Kane, Okposo, 3; six with 2
Powerplay Goals
--October: O'Reilly, 3; Pominville, Kane, Reinhart, 1
--November: O'Reilly, Pouliot, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
--December: Eichel, Kane, Pominville, Rodrigues, 1
Assists
--October: Eichel, 8 Pominville, Kane, 6
--November: Okposo, 6; Kane, O'Reilly, 5
--December: Eichel, Kane, 8; O'Reilly, 6; Scandella, 5
Powerplay Assists
--October: Kane, Ristolainen, 2; six players with 1
--November: Kane, 3; Okposo, 2; three players with 1
--December: Eichel, Ristolainen, 2; Kane, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
Primary Assists
--October: Eichel, 7; O'Reilly, Ristolainen, 4; Kane, Beaulieu, 2
--November: Eichel, 4; O'Reilly, Okposo, 3; four players with 2
--December: Eichel, Kane, O'Reilly, 5; Scandella, 3; McCabe, 2
Plus/Minus
--October: Pominville, +3; Girgensons, Gorges, +1; Pouliot, even
--November: Reinhart, Nolan, Scandella, Antipin, even; Kane, Griffith, Gorges, -1
--December: O'Reilly, +2; Girgensons, Wilson, +1; Larsson, McCabe, even
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: O'Reilly, -9; Reinhart, -8; Okposo, -7
--November: O'Reilly, Larsson, -8; McCabe, -7; Beaulieu, -6
--December: Kane, Pominville, -7; Ristolainen, -6; Rodrigues, -5
Goalies (composite)
Robin Lehner
--October: 4-2-1; 2.78 GAA; .911 Sv%; 1 shutout
--November: 5-11-2; 2.92; .906, 1
--December: 9-14-5; 2.74; .915; 1
Chad Johnson
--October: 1-3-1; 4.06 GAA; .879 Sv%; 0 shutouts
--November: 1-4-2; 3.59; .885; 0
--December: 1-6-3; 3.78; .881; 0
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Buffalo Sabres 2017-18 Individual Stats Leaders--November
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 11-30-2017
I haven't had this easy of a time gathering stats since last November. The Sabres didn't do much scoring this November as they only scored 26 goals or an average of two per game, although the usual suspects were at the top of the list.
Once again, Evander Kane topped Buffalo scorers with 11 points. Kane's six goals lead the team for the month, matching his total from October, while his five assists were second on the team. Ryan O'Reilly also showed some consistency in the points department with another eight points (4+4) for the month.
It was good to see Kyle Okposo take some strides forward in the scoring department. Okposo admittedly struggled through the early part of the season but began pulling himself out of the muck with some hard work and a refusal to succumb to the pressures of not producing. He was second on the team in points (9) and lead the team with six assists while also netting his first three goals of the season.
Buffalo not only had trouble scoring, they also had big problems keeping the puck out of their own net. Starter Robin Lehner saw his goals-against rise and his save-percentage fall while struggling all month to a 1-9-1 record. The Sabres allowed 41 goals for the month and came out a minus-15 in goal differential for the 13 games played in November.
That minus-15 differential reeked havoc on individual plus/minus for the team...again. On the positive side, Four players--Sam Reinhart, Jordan Nolan, Marco Scandella and Victor Antipin--came away with an even plus/minus rating while O'Reilly, for the second month in a row, had the worst rating amongst Sabres. O'Reilly was a minus-9 in October and was a minus-8 in November to total a team-worst minus-17 this season. Johan Larsson also had a minus-8 for the month bringing his overall plus/minus to a minus-13 which is second-worst on the team.
Jack Eichel leads the team in assists with 12 and is tied for second in goals with seven. Eleven of his 12 assists have been primary and he once again lead the team this month with four primary assists.
We'd get into powerplay stats except that they only scored four powerplay goals this month (on 36 powerplays.) All four powerplay goals were scored by different players.
December begins tomorrow and the Sabres begin the third month of the season with a home-and-home vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins Friday and Saturday.
Buffalo Sabres 2017-18 Individual Stats leaders:
Points
--October: Pominville, Kane, Eichel, 12; O'Reilly, 8
--November: Kane, 11; Okposo, 9; O'Reilly, 8
Goals
--October: Pominville, Kane, 6; Eichel, O'Reilly, 4
--November: Kane, 6; Pouliot, 4; Eichel, O'Reilly, Reinhart, Okposo, 3
Powerplay Goals
--October: O'Reilly, 3; Pominville, Kane, Reinhart, 1
--November: O'Reilly, Pouliot, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
Assists
--October: Eichel, 8 Pominville, Kane, 6
--November: Okposo, 6; Kane, O'Reilly, 5
Powerplay Assists
--October: Kane, Ristolainen, 2; six players with 1
--November: Kane, 3; Okposo, 2; three players with 1
Primary Assists
--October: Eichel, 7; O'Reilly, Ristolainen, 4; Kane, Beaulieu, 2
--November: Eichel, 4; O'Reilly, Okposo, 3; four players with 2
Plus/Minus
--October: Pominville, +3; Girgensons, Gorges, +1; Pouliot, even
--November: Reinhart, Nolan, Scandella, Antipin, even; Kane, Griffith, Gorges, -1
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: O'Reilly, -9; Reinhart, -8; Okposo, -7
--November: O'Reilly, Larsson, -8; McCabe, -7; Beaulieu, -6
Goalies (composite)
Robin Lehner
--October: 4-2-1; 2.78 GAA; .911 Sv%; 1 shutout
--November: 5-11-2; 2.92; .906, 1
Chad Johnson
--October: 1-3-1; 4.06 GAA; .879 Sv%; 0 shutouts
--November: 1-4-2; 3.59; .885; 0
I haven't had this easy of a time gathering stats since last November. The Sabres didn't do much scoring this November as they only scored 26 goals or an average of two per game, although the usual suspects were at the top of the list.
Once again, Evander Kane topped Buffalo scorers with 11 points. Kane's six goals lead the team for the month, matching his total from October, while his five assists were second on the team. Ryan O'Reilly also showed some consistency in the points department with another eight points (4+4) for the month.
It was good to see Kyle Okposo take some strides forward in the scoring department. Okposo admittedly struggled through the early part of the season but began pulling himself out of the muck with some hard work and a refusal to succumb to the pressures of not producing. He was second on the team in points (9) and lead the team with six assists while also netting his first three goals of the season.
Buffalo not only had trouble scoring, they also had big problems keeping the puck out of their own net. Starter Robin Lehner saw his goals-against rise and his save-percentage fall while struggling all month to a 1-9-1 record. The Sabres allowed 41 goals for the month and came out a minus-15 in goal differential for the 13 games played in November.
That minus-15 differential reeked havoc on individual plus/minus for the team...again. On the positive side, Four players--Sam Reinhart, Jordan Nolan, Marco Scandella and Victor Antipin--came away with an even plus/minus rating while O'Reilly, for the second month in a row, had the worst rating amongst Sabres. O'Reilly was a minus-9 in October and was a minus-8 in November to total a team-worst minus-17 this season. Johan Larsson also had a minus-8 for the month bringing his overall plus/minus to a minus-13 which is second-worst on the team.
Jack Eichel leads the team in assists with 12 and is tied for second in goals with seven. Eleven of his 12 assists have been primary and he once again lead the team this month with four primary assists.
We'd get into powerplay stats except that they only scored four powerplay goals this month (on 36 powerplays.) All four powerplay goals were scored by different players.
December begins tomorrow and the Sabres begin the third month of the season with a home-and-home vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins Friday and Saturday.
Buffalo Sabres 2017-18 Individual Stats leaders:
Points
--October: Pominville, Kane, Eichel, 12; O'Reilly, 8
--November: Kane, 11; Okposo, 9; O'Reilly, 8
Goals
--October: Pominville, Kane, 6; Eichel, O'Reilly, 4
--November: Kane, 6; Pouliot, 4; Eichel, O'Reilly, Reinhart, Okposo, 3
Powerplay Goals
--October: O'Reilly, 3; Pominville, Kane, Reinhart, 1
--November: O'Reilly, Pouliot, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
Assists
--October: Eichel, 8 Pominville, Kane, 6
--November: Okposo, 6; Kane, O'Reilly, 5
Powerplay Assists
--October: Kane, Ristolainen, 2; six players with 1
--November: Kane, 3; Okposo, 2; three players with 1
Primary Assists
--October: Eichel, 7; O'Reilly, Ristolainen, 4; Kane, Beaulieu, 2
--November: Eichel, 4; O'Reilly, Okposo, 3; four players with 2
Plus/Minus
--October: Pominville, +3; Girgensons, Gorges, +1; Pouliot, even
--November: Reinhart, Nolan, Scandella, Antipin, even; Kane, Griffith, Gorges, -1
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: O'Reilly, -9; Reinhart, -8; Okposo, -7
--November: O'Reilly, Larsson, -8; McCabe, -7; Beaulieu, -6
Goalies (composite)
Robin Lehner
--October: 4-2-1; 2.78 GAA; .911 Sv%; 1 shutout
--November: 5-11-2; 2.92; .906, 1
Chad Johnson
--October: 1-3-1; 4.06 GAA; .879 Sv%; 0 shutouts
--November: 1-4-2; 3.59; .885; 0
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Buffalo Sabres 2017-18 Individual Stats Leaders--October
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 10-31-2017
As a 3-7-2 record would indicate, there are a lot of dark areas with the stats, most notably in the plus/minus column and the goalie numbers.
Second-line center Ryan O'Reilly got off to a very rough start as he had zero goals and only two assists through the first six games. In the final six games of the month he hit the scoresheet for three goals and added two more assists. Good for him that he was scoring but when you score all three of your goals on the powerplay and you're playing around 20 minutes per game, lack of 5v5 scoring is going to kill your plus/minus. Which is exactly what happened as O'Reilly had a team worst minus-9 rating for the opening month of the season.
Forward Sam Reinhart had similar problems in that he had a second-worst, minus-8 rating, with his scoring woes bringing that down. Reinhart, who started out as a third line center, was moved to wing and is now back at center, just isn't scoring as he only has four points (2+2) on the season with a goal and an assists coming on the powerplay.
As of late the team has gotten better with the on-ice product in that they're playing a more disciplined game, but they're very inconsistent and it's taken it's toll on both goalies. Starter Robin Lehner has reached respectability with a 2.78 goals-against average and .911 save percentage after a horrendous start. Unfortunately for backup Chad Johnson, he can't say the same. Despite Johnsons being hung out on numerous occasions, a 4.09 GAA and .879 Sv% are unacceptable.
On the bright side, the Sabres are being carried by one line on offense. Jack Eichel centering Evander Kane and Jason Pominville (for the most part) has by far been Buffalo's best, most consistent line and it's not surprising that all three lead the team in points with 12. Kane and Pominville both lead the Sabres with six goals apiece while Eichel leads Buffalo with eight assists.
The interesting part of Eichel's eight assists is that seven of them have been primary assists with the big recipient of those feeds being Pominville (4.) Eichel also fed Kane twice for goals and set up Zemgus Girgensons for his only goal of the season.
Pominville has been quite the surprise for the Sabres. The 34 yr. old winger came over with Marco Scandella from Minnesota with the Wild dubbing him and his $5 million salary as a must if Buffalo wanted Scandella. Most thought Pominville would be somewhat of a necessary evil in obtaining a top-three defenseman but no one thought he's come in and have this much of an impact in the scoring department. He also leads the team in plus/minus with a plus-3.
The biggest problem with the Sabres is secondary scoring. Pominville, Kane Eichel and O'Reilly account for 20 Sabres goals while the rest of the team have scored nine total with only Reinhart, Benoit Pouliot and rookie Justin Bailey lighting the lamp twice. As mentioned, Girgensons has one goal as do Johan Larsson and Seth Griffith.
Buffalo is off until Thursday when they travel to Arizona to take on the Coyotes, who won their first game of the season last night and are in Detroit to finish off a road trip tonight.
According to Paul Hamilton, Housley had these lines and defense pairings at practice today:
Buffalo Sabres 2017-18 Individual Stats leaders:
Points
--October: Pominville, Kane, Eichel, 12; O'Reilly, 8
Goals
--October: Pominville, Kane, 6; Eichel, O'Reilly, 4
Powerplay Goals
--October: O'Reilly, 3; Pominville, Kane, Reinhart, 1
Assists
--October: Eichel, 8 Pominville, Kane, 6
Powerplay Assists
--October: Kane, Ristolainen, 2; six players with 1
Primary Assists
--October: Eichel, 7; O'Reilly, Ristolainen, 4; Kane, Beaulieu, 2
Plus/Minus
--October: Pominville, +3; Girgensons, Gorges, +1; Pouliot, even
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: O'Reilly, -9; Reinhart, -8; Okposo, -7
Goalies (composite)
Robin Lehner
--October: 4-2-1; 2.78 GAA; .911 Sv%; 1 shutout
Chad Johnson
--October: 1-3-1; 4.06 GAA; .879 Sv%; 0 shutout
As a 3-7-2 record would indicate, there are a lot of dark areas with the stats, most notably in the plus/minus column and the goalie numbers.
Second-line center Ryan O'Reilly got off to a very rough start as he had zero goals and only two assists through the first six games. In the final six games of the month he hit the scoresheet for three goals and added two more assists. Good for him that he was scoring but when you score all three of your goals on the powerplay and you're playing around 20 minutes per game, lack of 5v5 scoring is going to kill your plus/minus. Which is exactly what happened as O'Reilly had a team worst minus-9 rating for the opening month of the season.
Forward Sam Reinhart had similar problems in that he had a second-worst, minus-8 rating, with his scoring woes bringing that down. Reinhart, who started out as a third line center, was moved to wing and is now back at center, just isn't scoring as he only has four points (2+2) on the season with a goal and an assists coming on the powerplay.
As of late the team has gotten better with the on-ice product in that they're playing a more disciplined game, but they're very inconsistent and it's taken it's toll on both goalies. Starter Robin Lehner has reached respectability with a 2.78 goals-against average and .911 save percentage after a horrendous start. Unfortunately for backup Chad Johnson, he can't say the same. Despite Johnsons being hung out on numerous occasions, a 4.09 GAA and .879 Sv% are unacceptable.
On the bright side, the Sabres are being carried by one line on offense. Jack Eichel centering Evander Kane and Jason Pominville (for the most part) has by far been Buffalo's best, most consistent line and it's not surprising that all three lead the team in points with 12. Kane and Pominville both lead the Sabres with six goals apiece while Eichel leads Buffalo with eight assists.
The interesting part of Eichel's eight assists is that seven of them have been primary assists with the big recipient of those feeds being Pominville (4.) Eichel also fed Kane twice for goals and set up Zemgus Girgensons for his only goal of the season.
Pominville has been quite the surprise for the Sabres. The 34 yr. old winger came over with Marco Scandella from Minnesota with the Wild dubbing him and his $5 million salary as a must if Buffalo wanted Scandella. Most thought Pominville would be somewhat of a necessary evil in obtaining a top-three defenseman but no one thought he's come in and have this much of an impact in the scoring department. He also leads the team in plus/minus with a plus-3.
The biggest problem with the Sabres is secondary scoring. Pominville, Kane Eichel and O'Reilly account for 20 Sabres goals while the rest of the team have scored nine total with only Reinhart, Benoit Pouliot and rookie Justin Bailey lighting the lamp twice. As mentioned, Girgensons has one goal as do Johan Larsson and Seth Griffith.
Buffalo is off until Thursday when they travel to Arizona to take on the Coyotes, who won their first game of the season last night and are in Detroit to finish off a road trip tonight.
According to Paul Hamilton, Housley had these lines and defense pairings at practice today:
Buffalo Sabres 2017-18 Individual Stats leaders:
Points
--October: Pominville, Kane, Eichel, 12; O'Reilly, 8
Goals
--October: Pominville, Kane, 6; Eichel, O'Reilly, 4
Powerplay Goals
--October: O'Reilly, 3; Pominville, Kane, Reinhart, 1
Assists
--October: Eichel, 8 Pominville, Kane, 6
Powerplay Assists
--October: Kane, Ristolainen, 2; six players with 1
Primary Assists
--October: Eichel, 7; O'Reilly, Ristolainen, 4; Kane, Beaulieu, 2
Plus/Minus
--October: Pominville, +3; Girgensons, Gorges, +1; Pouliot, even
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: O'Reilly, -9; Reinhart, -8; Okposo, -7
Goalies (composite)
Robin Lehner
--October: 4-2-1; 2.78 GAA; .911 Sv%; 1 shutout
Chad Johnson
--October: 1-3-1; 4.06 GAA; .879 Sv%; 0 shutout
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