Published by hockeybuzz.com, 2-7-2018
If you're a fan of extreme emotional swings, then last night's Anaheim Ducks/Buffalo Sabres game may have suited your fancy. From the Sabres Zemgus Girgensons scoring a shorthanded goal to open the game to Anaheim's Adam Henrique scoring the winner in overtime, the high's and lows for those in attendance at KeyBank Center and those in Sabreland watching
Girgensons goal was a strong effort that saw him take a shot on goal then drive hard with a follow-up that banked in off of former Sabres goalie Ryan Miller. It was Girgensons' seventh goal of the season and the Sabres sixth shortie of the season, tying them for third in the league. However, the Ducks Rikard Rakell would tie the game early in the second period as his five-hole backhand was initially stopped, but trickled through a sliding Robin Lehner whose right pad pushed it in the net.
The teams traded goals and left the second period tied 2-2.
Then midway through the third period, Lehner scored on a tip off a shot from Ryan O'Reilly. Unfortunately for Buffalo, it was in their own net. With a scramble going on just outside the crease in front of Lehner and the Ducks packed in tight, O'Reilly tried to do what he's done hundreds of times throughout his career, get out of trouble by dumping the puck behind the net. The initial reaction was that his dump went top-shelf behind Lehner. Upon replay, O'Reilly's clearing rode up Lehner's stick and into their own goal.
Yet, redemption was on the horizon as O'Reilly scored the game-tying goal with Lehner pulled and only 14.5 seconds to play sending what was left of the crowd in a frenzy.
The stage was set in overtime for a dramatic win.
At 1:15 into overtime, Sabres d-man Rasmus Ristolainen had the puck in his own zone and had his eyes on a streaking Jack Eichel headed up-ice with tons of open space. But he missed him by 10 feet and the Ducks gained possession. Less than a minute later Henrique whistled a wrister by Lehner from just inside the Sabres blueline.
Such was the night for Buffalo. And such is overtime.
It's amazing that a team with the likes of Eichel and O'Reilly, Ristolainen and Evander Kane are now 3-9 in overtime. Similarly, it was hard to believe that a team that finished first-overall on the powerplay last year would sink to 30th for the majority of this season.
The Sabres powerplay was abhorrent early in the season and may have cost them some valuable points along the way. As of late they've gotten their act together as evidenced by a beautiful play last night with the man advantage. O'Reilly won the draw and the other four Sabres all touched the puck with Sam Reinhart making a tip pass to a wide open Eichel who scored his 21st of the season. Last year Eichel scored 10 of his 24 goals on the powerplay this year he has only three.
The Sabres corrected that as of late. Prior to a road date in Edmonton last month, the Sabres were ranked 30th converting on a paltry 20 of 123 chances (14.0%.) They've scored on seven of 20 opportunities since (35%) and are 26th in the league at 16.6%. Granted, Buffalo is only 2-3-1 since beating Edmonton, but at least it's one aspect of the game that they've improved considerably upon.
In addition to the nine games Buffalo has lost in overtime this season, the Sabres have lost one in the shootout, another eight games by one goal and on nine occasions Buffalo was down by one goal in the third period with the goalie pulled, but allowed at least one empty net goal. In essence the Sabres were in 27 one-goal games when you add in the games they gave up an empty-netter.
They're 14-29-10 on the season with 38 points.
*****
Ristolainen is the goat of the game last night despite the fact that nearly a minute transpired between his missed pass and Anaheim's goal. No doubt Henrique's shot was quick, hard and accurate, and yes the three Sabres surrounding him--Eichel, Reinhart and Ristolainen--could have taken away more space, but that's a shot from far out that normally is stopped and Lehner should have had that one.
Puck possession is key in overtime, but puck retrieval, when the opportunity arises, is even more important. In the :51 between Ristolainen's egregious overshoot of Eichel and Henrique's goal, the Sabres had two opportunities to get the puck back and both involved Reinhart. The first one he lost a battle with Ryan Kessler who fanned on a shot in the circle to the right of Lehner and on the second one he was outsmarted by Jakob Silfverberg along the wall in the Buffalo zone.
Ristolainen's missed pass/turnover was pretty bad, but if you want to bail out your teammate, sometimes ya gotta work a little harder.
*****
Defenseman Casey Nelson continues to impress. He has all the tools--skating, stickwork, hockey sense and puck-moving ability--that Housley wants out of his defensemen. In nine games this year Nelson has an assist and is a minus-3 but doesn't look out of place at all.
With Zach Bogosian out and Jake McCabe's status uncertain after going down to injury last night, Nelson should be up for an extended look which is good for him and good for the team.
*****
Girgensons short-handed goal was his second in three games and his second of the season. The "Latvian Locomotive" had one shortie in 2013-14 and lead the team with three in 2014-15. Under Dan Bylsma the following two seasons, Girgesnsons did not have a shorthanded goal. His six goals on the season in 48 games places him one behind his seven goals in each of the last two seasons (71 and 75 games, respectively.)
Thursday, February 8, 2018
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Wounded Ducks. Can the Sabres take it to 'em tonight?
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 2-6-2018
The Anaheim Ducks are going to be in a foul mood when they hit the ice at KeyBank Center tonight. Their matchup with the Buffalo Sabres is the final game of their five-game road trip which started out well, but deteriorated. The Ducks started the trip out with a convincing 3-1 win at Boston against the Bruins then proceeded to drop the next three games in Canada to Ottawa (overtime,) Montreal (5-2) and Toronto (7-4 last night.)
Starting goalie John Gibson has been out since leaving the game against the Bruins in the third period and in his stead 37 yr. old backup Ryan Miller, a name Sabres fans are most familiar with, has been manning the pipes. Unfortunately for Miller, things haven't gone swimmingly since taking over. Outside the overtime loss where he stopped 30 of 32 shots, Miller allowed four goals on seven shots vs. the Canadiens before getting yanked and was on the ice for six of the seven goals-against vs. the Leafs last night (one empty-netter.) Miller's stat-line on the year: 6-4-5, 2.67 GAA, .915 Sv% and it looks as if he'll get the start tonight against his old team.
On another note, in today's Ducks/Sabres preview, the Associated Press called Anaheim's three-game swing through Canada "an abject disaster" while also noting that Corey Perry "was elevated from the fourth line back to the top unit for Monday's loss" against Toronto "and he responded with a season-best four assists."
The Ducks head to Buffalo to face a Sabres team that is not very good at home as they've dropped three straight and have the second-worst home record (Arizona) in the league at 6-15-3. Buffalo has only 14 overall wins this season and their 37 points are only slightly better than the tank teams of 2013-15 at this stage of the season. To say the Sabres have been struggling would be an understatement and the reasons why vary with each passing game.
The latest issue for Buffalo involves accountability, something that's been plaguing them for the better part of a decade. "A lack of player leadership and accountability were among the criticisms which led to the Buffalo Sabres cleaning house in April," wrote the Associated Press' John Wawrow yesterday. "Very little has changed 10 months into the Sabres’ new regime of general manager Jason Botterill and coach Phil Housley in overseeing a team that ranks last in the Eastern Conference and 30th overall."
Last April, of course, is when owners Terry and Kim Pegula sat with then GM Tim Murray looking for answers as to why the team had so many disconnects leading to a disappointing season. Apparently Murray had no answers and both he and head coach Dan Bylsma were shown the door.
Things have gotten decidedly worse for the Sabres this season under a rookie GM and rookie coach and although there has been some turnover in the roster, many of the same 'key' players are still on the team in the same roles. Talent and speed, or the lack there of with either, is an obvious problem at this point, but the lack of accountability amongst the players seems to be coming to the fore.
"When you only have 14 wins, there’s a lot of areas that need to be addressed. One of those is culture, and we’ve got to continue to find a way to change it,” said Housley to the gathered media yesterday. "We all have to change. And that’s something I’m continuing to learn throughout the season.”
Goalie Robin Lehner was quite vociferous last season concerning his teammates not buying into what was being preached by Bylsma as was veteran defenseman Josh Gorges. "Collectively, do we have enough guys that say, ’82 games this year, did I do things the right way?’” Gorges told The AP. “Obviously, where we are right now, that answer is no.”
With the trade deadline nearing, changes are in the offing for this team. Both Lehner and Gorges could very well be joining forward Evander Kane as trade pieces for futures. All of them are free agents with Lehner being restricted.
The trade deadline is February 26, less than three weeks away, and the Sabres have 11 games to play before then. Tonight they should be facing a very ornery Ducks squad who come into KeyBank wounded while riding a 37 yr. old goalie playing in back-to-back games. Will they be able to take advantage of it?
We shall see.
Tonight's projected lineup based upon reports from today's morning skate:
Girgensons-Eichel-Reinhart
Kane-O'Reilly-Okposo
Wilson-Rodrigues-Pominville
Pouliot-Josefson-Nolan
Scandella-Ristolainen
McCabe-Falk
Beaulieu-Nelson
Lehner looks to get the start in net for Buffalo.
The Anaheim Ducks are going to be in a foul mood when they hit the ice at KeyBank Center tonight. Their matchup with the Buffalo Sabres is the final game of their five-game road trip which started out well, but deteriorated. The Ducks started the trip out with a convincing 3-1 win at Boston against the Bruins then proceeded to drop the next three games in Canada to Ottawa (overtime,) Montreal (5-2) and Toronto (7-4 last night.)
Starting goalie John Gibson has been out since leaving the game against the Bruins in the third period and in his stead 37 yr. old backup Ryan Miller, a name Sabres fans are most familiar with, has been manning the pipes. Unfortunately for Miller, things haven't gone swimmingly since taking over. Outside the overtime loss where he stopped 30 of 32 shots, Miller allowed four goals on seven shots vs. the Canadiens before getting yanked and was on the ice for six of the seven goals-against vs. the Leafs last night (one empty-netter.) Miller's stat-line on the year: 6-4-5, 2.67 GAA, .915 Sv% and it looks as if he'll get the start tonight against his old team.
On another note, in today's Ducks/Sabres preview, the Associated Press called Anaheim's three-game swing through Canada "an abject disaster" while also noting that Corey Perry "was elevated from the fourth line back to the top unit for Monday's loss" against Toronto "and he responded with a season-best four assists."
The Ducks head to Buffalo to face a Sabres team that is not very good at home as they've dropped three straight and have the second-worst home record (Arizona) in the league at 6-15-3. Buffalo has only 14 overall wins this season and their 37 points are only slightly better than the tank teams of 2013-15 at this stage of the season. To say the Sabres have been struggling would be an understatement and the reasons why vary with each passing game.
The latest issue for Buffalo involves accountability, something that's been plaguing them for the better part of a decade. "A lack of player leadership and accountability were among the criticisms which led to the Buffalo Sabres cleaning house in April," wrote the Associated Press' John Wawrow yesterday. "Very little has changed 10 months into the Sabres’ new regime of general manager Jason Botterill and coach Phil Housley in overseeing a team that ranks last in the Eastern Conference and 30th overall."
Last April, of course, is when owners Terry and Kim Pegula sat with then GM Tim Murray looking for answers as to why the team had so many disconnects leading to a disappointing season. Apparently Murray had no answers and both he and head coach Dan Bylsma were shown the door.
Things have gotten decidedly worse for the Sabres this season under a rookie GM and rookie coach and although there has been some turnover in the roster, many of the same 'key' players are still on the team in the same roles. Talent and speed, or the lack there of with either, is an obvious problem at this point, but the lack of accountability amongst the players seems to be coming to the fore.
"When you only have 14 wins, there’s a lot of areas that need to be addressed. One of those is culture, and we’ve got to continue to find a way to change it,” said Housley to the gathered media yesterday. "We all have to change. And that’s something I’m continuing to learn throughout the season.”
Goalie Robin Lehner was quite vociferous last season concerning his teammates not buying into what was being preached by Bylsma as was veteran defenseman Josh Gorges. "Collectively, do we have enough guys that say, ’82 games this year, did I do things the right way?’” Gorges told The AP. “Obviously, where we are right now, that answer is no.”
With the trade deadline nearing, changes are in the offing for this team. Both Lehner and Gorges could very well be joining forward Evander Kane as trade pieces for futures. All of them are free agents with Lehner being restricted.
The trade deadline is February 26, less than three weeks away, and the Sabres have 11 games to play before then. Tonight they should be facing a very ornery Ducks squad who come into KeyBank wounded while riding a 37 yr. old goalie playing in back-to-back games. Will they be able to take advantage of it?
We shall see.
Tonight's projected lineup based upon reports from today's morning skate:
Girgensons-Eichel-Reinhart
Kane-O'Reilly-Okposo
Wilson-Rodrigues-Pominville
Pouliot-Josefson-Nolan
Scandella-Ristolainen
McCabe-Falk
Beaulieu-Nelson
Lehner looks to get the start in net for Buffalo.
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Strike while the iron's hot with Robin Lehner
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 2-5-2018
Buffalo Sabres starting goaltender Robin Lehner has emerged from a deep slump that hit him hard last month. Lehner was yanked after allowing four goals on 19 shots in the 7-1 Dallas Stars rout over the Sabres back on January 20, his fourth poor outing in five appearances, but since then he's been a wall. In his last four games Lehner has allowed three goals on 123 shots (.976 save percentage) which includes back-to-back shutouts in the midst of going a career-best 145:15 without allowing a goal.
Yet, thanks to the team in front of him, he's only 2-2-0 during that stretch.
Word from our insiders is that Lehner's name has not come up at the foot of Washington St. when it comes to the team moving him. The 26 yr. old veteran of 205 NHL games is a pending restricted free agent who carries a $4 million cap-hit, which is very manageable when prorated for the remainder of the season. Lehner's starting ability and his manageable pro-rated cap-hit might be very appealing to a team looking for a rental goalie.
For a while now, there have been two teams said to be looking at goaltenders for the stretch run and beyond--the Chicago Blackhawks and NY Islanders. The Hawks lost Corey Crawford indefinitely back in December and their backup goalies have struggled with inconsistency as of late. Chicago is 3-5-2 in their last 10 and they're five points out of the last wild card spot in the Western Conference with four teams to jump.
The New York Islanders are right on the precipice of the second wild card spot in the East and are said to be desperate to not only make the playoffs, but also make a deep run to help entice franchise center John Tavares to re-sign this off season. Starter Jaroslav Halak has had a tough go of it this season, and although he seems to have turned it around, they may still have some question marks with him in net while backup Thomas Greiss has seen his numbers take a precipitous drop this season (3.94 goals-against average, .883 Sv%.) Add it all up and the Islanders are on the playoff buble scoring an NHL third-best 3.28 goals/game but giving up an NHL-worst 3.60 goals/game.
NHL.com added another interesting twist to the goalie market when they wrote that the surging Pittsburgh Penguins might want to upgrade their backup goalie situation. Starter Matt Murray is a two-time Cup-winning goalie who has struggled somewhat this season but has established himself as a money goalie come playoff time. The Pens are presently in third place in the Metropolitan Division and are chasing a bit of history as they're trying to become the first team since the 1980-83 NY Islanders to win three straight Stanley Cups.
Twenty-two year old Tristian Jarry has been solid, if somewhat inconsistent, in a backup role for the Pens after getting the call from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton back in November and yo-yoing a bit since while Casey DeSmith shows promise (5-3-0 record, 2.23 GAA, .926 Sv%) albeit in a very small sample size. So it does make sense that Pittsburgh might be in the market for a veteran backup.
Two names have consistently been mentioned as goalies who could be on the move between now and the February 26 trade deadline are Lehner and Detroit starter Petr Mrazek. Carolina veteran Cam Ward (a Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe winner) has also been mentioned but has taken back the starting role for a Hurricanes' team with designs on a playoff push.
The case for Lehner to any of these teams is rather simple. In Buffalo he's needed to play a near perfect game to get a win as the Sabres are the lowest scoring team in the league (2.25 g/gm.) Lehner has an 11-20-6 record with those 20 losses being the most in the league and has a 2.80 goals-against average that's 20th in the league amongst goalies playing in 30 or more games. He's faced 1140 shots (14th-most) and his .914 Sv% is 13th in the league amongst goalies playing in 30 or more games.
All three of the Islanders (3rd,) Penguins (11th) and Blackhawks (13th) are in the upper portion of the league in scoring while the Blackhawks have the league's 18th best GAA (2.77.) As mentioned the Islanders are last in team goals-against while the Penguins rank 21st (2.98.)
What does this all mean?
Not much if the Sabres aren't going to move Lehner, but if they are (and I really think they will pull the trigger) then those are three teams who may be interested in his services at this time.
Buffalo won't be asking (or receiving) the moon for Lehner in a trade, but a second rounder or mid-level prospect might not be out of the question either. The Islanders have two firsts and two seconds (courtesy the Calgary Flames) in the upcoming draft so a second-rounder wouldn't kill them. The Pittsburgh Penguins have a second-round pick but are missing a third and their own fourth in the draft. They're also said to be looking for bottom-six center depth, of which the Sabres have some.
The Chicago Blackhawks don't have a second round pick but they might have a couple of mid-level d-prospects in Lucas Carlsson or Carl Dahlstrom that might be of interest to the Sabres.
The trade deadline is inching nearer and as has been the case for a while, Sabres GM Jason Botterill is said to be listening to offers for every one of his NHL player's not named Jack Eichel. So it's safe to assume that includes Lehner.
Buffalo Sabres starting goaltender Robin Lehner has emerged from a deep slump that hit him hard last month. Lehner was yanked after allowing four goals on 19 shots in the 7-1 Dallas Stars rout over the Sabres back on January 20, his fourth poor outing in five appearances, but since then he's been a wall. In his last four games Lehner has allowed three goals on 123 shots (.976 save percentage) which includes back-to-back shutouts in the midst of going a career-best 145:15 without allowing a goal.
Yet, thanks to the team in front of him, he's only 2-2-0 during that stretch.
Word from our insiders is that Lehner's name has not come up at the foot of Washington St. when it comes to the team moving him. The 26 yr. old veteran of 205 NHL games is a pending restricted free agent who carries a $4 million cap-hit, which is very manageable when prorated for the remainder of the season. Lehner's starting ability and his manageable pro-rated cap-hit might be very appealing to a team looking for a rental goalie.
For a while now, there have been two teams said to be looking at goaltenders for the stretch run and beyond--the Chicago Blackhawks and NY Islanders. The Hawks lost Corey Crawford indefinitely back in December and their backup goalies have struggled with inconsistency as of late. Chicago is 3-5-2 in their last 10 and they're five points out of the last wild card spot in the Western Conference with four teams to jump.
The New York Islanders are right on the precipice of the second wild card spot in the East and are said to be desperate to not only make the playoffs, but also make a deep run to help entice franchise center John Tavares to re-sign this off season. Starter Jaroslav Halak has had a tough go of it this season, and although he seems to have turned it around, they may still have some question marks with him in net while backup Thomas Greiss has seen his numbers take a precipitous drop this season (3.94 goals-against average, .883 Sv%.) Add it all up and the Islanders are on the playoff buble scoring an NHL third-best 3.28 goals/game but giving up an NHL-worst 3.60 goals/game.
NHL.com added another interesting twist to the goalie market when they wrote that the surging Pittsburgh Penguins might want to upgrade their backup goalie situation. Starter Matt Murray is a two-time Cup-winning goalie who has struggled somewhat this season but has established himself as a money goalie come playoff time. The Pens are presently in third place in the Metropolitan Division and are chasing a bit of history as they're trying to become the first team since the 1980-83 NY Islanders to win three straight Stanley Cups.
Twenty-two year old Tristian Jarry has been solid, if somewhat inconsistent, in a backup role for the Pens after getting the call from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton back in November and yo-yoing a bit since while Casey DeSmith shows promise (5-3-0 record, 2.23 GAA, .926 Sv%) albeit in a very small sample size. So it does make sense that Pittsburgh might be in the market for a veteran backup.
Two names have consistently been mentioned as goalies who could be on the move between now and the February 26 trade deadline are Lehner and Detroit starter Petr Mrazek. Carolina veteran Cam Ward (a Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe winner) has also been mentioned but has taken back the starting role for a Hurricanes' team with designs on a playoff push.
The case for Lehner to any of these teams is rather simple. In Buffalo he's needed to play a near perfect game to get a win as the Sabres are the lowest scoring team in the league (2.25 g/gm.) Lehner has an 11-20-6 record with those 20 losses being the most in the league and has a 2.80 goals-against average that's 20th in the league amongst goalies playing in 30 or more games. He's faced 1140 shots (14th-most) and his .914 Sv% is 13th in the league amongst goalies playing in 30 or more games.
All three of the Islanders (3rd,) Penguins (11th) and Blackhawks (13th) are in the upper portion of the league in scoring while the Blackhawks have the league's 18th best GAA (2.77.) As mentioned the Islanders are last in team goals-against while the Penguins rank 21st (2.98.)
What does this all mean?
Not much if the Sabres aren't going to move Lehner, but if they are (and I really think they will pull the trigger) then those are three teams who may be interested in his services at this time.
Buffalo won't be asking (or receiving) the moon for Lehner in a trade, but a second rounder or mid-level prospect might not be out of the question either. The Islanders have two firsts and two seconds (courtesy the Calgary Flames) in the upcoming draft so a second-rounder wouldn't kill them. The Pittsburgh Penguins have a second-round pick but are missing a third and their own fourth in the draft. They're also said to be looking for bottom-six center depth, of which the Sabres have some.
The Chicago Blackhawks don't have a second round pick but they might have a couple of mid-level d-prospects in Lucas Carlsson or Carl Dahlstrom that might be of interest to the Sabres.
The trade deadline is inching nearer and as has been the case for a while, Sabres GM Jason Botterill is said to be listening to offers for every one of his NHL player's not named Jack Eichel. So it's safe to assume that includes Lehner.
Monday, February 5, 2018
Zero is no hero. Plus, Botterill's trade deadline plight.
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 2-4-2018
For those of us old enough to remember Schoolhouse Rock, zero "is a wonderful thing" says the voice-over, "in fact, zero is my hero."
A zero in sports is good if it represents points against, obviously not so good if it's the number of points you score. Last night the Buffalo Sabres put up the big goose egg in a 1-0 lost to the St. Louis Blues. It was they fifth time this season the Sabres have been shutout, which includes scoring zero goals for a franchise record three games in a row from November 25-December 1.
Zero also represents the number of wins they've had in their last four home games, as in the Sabres are on a four-game losing streak at KeyBank Center.
Goalie Robin Lehner, who had back-to-back shutouts in western Canada last month, and has three on the season, was close to sending the game to overtime but Blues defenseman Carl Gunnarsson broke a 0-0 tie with just over five minutes in the third period. The Sabres came close to tying it late, but in a game of inches, "unfortunately they get a bar and in," said Lehner to the media postgame, "and we get a bar and out."
For those counting, it will be zero playoff appearnces for the club since 2011, a span of six (soon to be seven) seasons and without a playoff appearance, it will soon be zero playoff series wins since 2007, a span of 11 years.
It's no wonder that attendance at KeyBank Center is dwindling dramatically reaching points not seen since the early 2000's when team ownership was in turmoil.
And probably the saddest part of it for this once proud franchise is that the youth, the future fans in Sabreland, are begging to get turned off. I was talking to a coach last night of seven and eight year olds who said that many of those kids have zero interest in the Buffalo Sabres.
Which, speaks for itself.
*****
Perhaps owners Terry and Kim Pegula, along with team president will finally get the message that their plan is in shambles right now with no near-term end in sight.
It's not their fault that they had two general managers fritter away loads of cash on albatross contracts with too much term for overrated players, but they should take the blame for not having a hockey man run the hockey operations. If they want to be in complete control, fine, it's their franchise, but this is the results they've gotten to this point.
The hiring of Jason Botterill to be the general manager looks to be a good hire at this juncture, which is less than a year in to his tenure. Botterill played in the league for years and spent a number of years as an assistant/associate general manager in one of the best organizations in hockey, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
However, he still is a first time GM and the lifting he'll have to do to get this thing back on track may be more than anyone thought. He did some work in the off season that hasn't gone as planned, and honestly, not much has, but he did do well at the draft last year in jumping on a prime prospect that dropped to him at eighth-overall. We won't see the rest of his 2018 selections for at least a couple of years or so, but Casey Mittelstadt looks like he might make the jump after only one year at the University of Minnesota.
The next big step for Botterill is the upcoming February 26 trade deadline.
Word on the street is that the Sabres have had the 'For Sale' sign up for months with everyone save for Jack Eichel (and possibly Rasmus Ristolainen) available. The big thing for him will be getting a return for his pending unrestricted free agents, the most sought after being winger Evander Kane.
Kane is in the final year of a six year contract with a $5.25 million cap-hit. The 26 yr. old veteran of nearly 550 NHL games has 64 goals in 187 games for the Sabres (.342 goals/game,) with only seven of those goals coming on the powerplay. However, a hot start has turned extremely cold for Kane right now as he has zero goals in his last 12 games, only two in his last 21.
NHL general managers interested in Kane as a rental already know what he brings to the table and streakiness in scorers isn't all that new. But what remains problematic is his off-ice/locker room reputation.
Kane's reputation precedes him. Despite being clean off the ice, the recent spat between Buffalo defenseman Justin Falk and Kane where Falk called him "selfish" may have continued to put him in a bad light in the locker room. While talking with an amateur scout from an Atlantic Division team last night, the first thing that came out of his mouth concerning Kane was off-ice/locker room concerns. Although he conceded that Kane's on-ice play is excellent, that reputation will hurt the Sabres return for him in a trade.
Botterill also has UFA's with very little perceived value as role players on playoff-bound team. Forward Benoit Pouliot and defenseman Josh Gorges may or may not be of interest to other teams while two-time Cup-winner Jordan Nolan (LA Kings) may have lost some of his grinding effectiveness as the speed of the NHL increased.
Oddly enough, Lehner, a restricted free agent this summer, might garner some serious interest from team in or around the playoff mix, but so far rumors have the Sabres not shopping him.
Regardless of whether Botterill can move any or all of his pending free agents, the return, outside of possibly Kane, won't be much. But at least it will be something which is better than nothing.
For those of us old enough to remember Schoolhouse Rock, zero "is a wonderful thing" says the voice-over, "in fact, zero is my hero."
A zero in sports is good if it represents points against, obviously not so good if it's the number of points you score. Last night the Buffalo Sabres put up the big goose egg in a 1-0 lost to the St. Louis Blues. It was they fifth time this season the Sabres have been shutout, which includes scoring zero goals for a franchise record three games in a row from November 25-December 1.
Zero also represents the number of wins they've had in their last four home games, as in the Sabres are on a four-game losing streak at KeyBank Center.
Goalie Robin Lehner, who had back-to-back shutouts in western Canada last month, and has three on the season, was close to sending the game to overtime but Blues defenseman Carl Gunnarsson broke a 0-0 tie with just over five minutes in the third period. The Sabres came close to tying it late, but in a game of inches, "unfortunately they get a bar and in," said Lehner to the media postgame, "and we get a bar and out."
For those counting, it will be zero playoff appearnces for the club since 2011, a span of six (soon to be seven) seasons and without a playoff appearance, it will soon be zero playoff series wins since 2007, a span of 11 years.
It's no wonder that attendance at KeyBank Center is dwindling dramatically reaching points not seen since the early 2000's when team ownership was in turmoil.
And probably the saddest part of it for this once proud franchise is that the youth, the future fans in Sabreland, are begging to get turned off. I was talking to a coach last night of seven and eight year olds who said that many of those kids have zero interest in the Buffalo Sabres.
Which, speaks for itself.
*****
Perhaps owners Terry and Kim Pegula, along with team president will finally get the message that their plan is in shambles right now with no near-term end in sight.
It's not their fault that they had two general managers fritter away loads of cash on albatross contracts with too much term for overrated players, but they should take the blame for not having a hockey man run the hockey operations. If they want to be in complete control, fine, it's their franchise, but this is the results they've gotten to this point.
The hiring of Jason Botterill to be the general manager looks to be a good hire at this juncture, which is less than a year in to his tenure. Botterill played in the league for years and spent a number of years as an assistant/associate general manager in one of the best organizations in hockey, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
However, he still is a first time GM and the lifting he'll have to do to get this thing back on track may be more than anyone thought. He did some work in the off season that hasn't gone as planned, and honestly, not much has, but he did do well at the draft last year in jumping on a prime prospect that dropped to him at eighth-overall. We won't see the rest of his 2018 selections for at least a couple of years or so, but Casey Mittelstadt looks like he might make the jump after only one year at the University of Minnesota.
The next big step for Botterill is the upcoming February 26 trade deadline.
Word on the street is that the Sabres have had the 'For Sale' sign up for months with everyone save for Jack Eichel (and possibly Rasmus Ristolainen) available. The big thing for him will be getting a return for his pending unrestricted free agents, the most sought after being winger Evander Kane.
Kane is in the final year of a six year contract with a $5.25 million cap-hit. The 26 yr. old veteran of nearly 550 NHL games has 64 goals in 187 games for the Sabres (.342 goals/game,) with only seven of those goals coming on the powerplay. However, a hot start has turned extremely cold for Kane right now as he has zero goals in his last 12 games, only two in his last 21.
NHL general managers interested in Kane as a rental already know what he brings to the table and streakiness in scorers isn't all that new. But what remains problematic is his off-ice/locker room reputation.
Kane's reputation precedes him. Despite being clean off the ice, the recent spat between Buffalo defenseman Justin Falk and Kane where Falk called him "selfish" may have continued to put him in a bad light in the locker room. While talking with an amateur scout from an Atlantic Division team last night, the first thing that came out of his mouth concerning Kane was off-ice/locker room concerns. Although he conceded that Kane's on-ice play is excellent, that reputation will hurt the Sabres return for him in a trade.
Botterill also has UFA's with very little perceived value as role players on playoff-bound team. Forward Benoit Pouliot and defenseman Josh Gorges may or may not be of interest to other teams while two-time Cup-winner Jordan Nolan (LA Kings) may have lost some of his grinding effectiveness as the speed of the NHL increased.
Oddly enough, Lehner, a restricted free agent this summer, might garner some serious interest from team in or around the playoff mix, but so far rumors have the Sabres not shopping him.
Regardless of whether Botterill can move any or all of his pending free agents, the return, outside of possibly Kane, won't be much. But at least it will be something which is better than nothing.
Sunday, February 4, 2018
Sabres singin' the KeyBank blues as St. Louis comes to town
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 2-3-2018
The Buffalo Sabres have been simply abysmal at home this season. There's no other way to put it. Not only are they a paltry 6-14-3 so far at KeyBank Center, they've been blown out in four of those games by a combined 24-7 score. The Sabres have lost their last three at home, and are 1-4-0 at KeyBank Center since the calendar turned to 2018.
It's not a very good situation to be as eight of their remaining 13 games in February are at home and they just can't seem to get it right in front of their fans.
Tonight's matchup against the St. Louis Blues will be the third game of a five-game homestand and comes against a team that they're 1-7-2 against in their last 10 (2-8-0 at home.) St. Louis sits third in the Central Division and have won five of their last seven games. The two teams met back in December with the Blues coming out on to 3-2 in overtime.
Buffalo will be without forward Johan Larsson who was suspended two games for a crosscheck that rode up the shoulder and into the face of Florida Panthers forward Vincent Trochek. Even though he'd never faced disciplinary action before, the NHL's Department of Player Safety laid a suspension on him. Here's the video and explanation from the NHL:
The Buffalo Sabres have been simply abysmal at home this season. There's no other way to put it. Not only are they a paltry 6-14-3 so far at KeyBank Center, they've been blown out in four of those games by a combined 24-7 score. The Sabres have lost their last three at home, and are 1-4-0 at KeyBank Center since the calendar turned to 2018.
It's not a very good situation to be as eight of their remaining 13 games in February are at home and they just can't seem to get it right in front of their fans.
Tonight's matchup against the St. Louis Blues will be the third game of a five-game homestand and comes against a team that they're 1-7-2 against in their last 10 (2-8-0 at home.) St. Louis sits third in the Central Division and have won five of their last seven games. The two teams met back in December with the Blues coming out on to 3-2 in overtime.
Buffalo will be without forward Johan Larsson who was suspended two games for a crosscheck that rode up the shoulder and into the face of Florida Panthers forward Vincent Trochek. Even though he'd never faced disciplinary action before, the NHL's Department of Player Safety laid a suspension on him. Here's the video and explanation from the NHL:
"My intention was not to cross-check him in the head," Larsson told the gathered media in KeyBank Center yesterday. "I was trying to go for cross-checking him in the shoulder, chest, and the stick got up in his face."
And as for the verdict handed down, Larson said today, "I was kind of surprised I got two games. The guy didn't get hurt or anything. I was a little surprised, but you can't do anything."
He will not appeal the ruling.
With Larsson missing, it looks like forward Evan Rodrigues looks to get the not at center on the third line. Rodrigues, who has seven points (2g + 5a) in 22 games with Buffalo this year, was a healthy scratch against Florida.
Defenseman Nathan Beaulieu has been out of the lineup since going to the ice hard in Calgary after a fight with Flames forward Curtis Lazar. He could be back in the lineup tonight. Meanwhile, defenseman Casey Nelson has been drawing praise from Sabres Phil Housley. "I really like the way Casey's playing," said the coach to the media yesterday. "I think he moves the puck really well, he's defending really well, his gaps are really tight. That's why he remains in the lineup. It's always nice to have a right-hand shot as well.
"You look at his shots from the point, he finds ways to get pucks through to the net. He's uncanny in that way."
For posterity's sake, a list of Sabres home records dating back to their bankruptcy season:
2017-18: 6-14-3
2016-17: 20-15-6
2015-16: 16-19-6
2014-15: 14-22-5
2013-14: 13-21-7
2012-13: 11-10-3 (NHL lockout shortened season)
2011-12: 21-12-8
2010-11: 21-16-4 (the last time the Sabres made the playoffs)
2009-10: 25-10-6 (finished 1st in Northeast Division)
2008-09: 23-15-3
2007-08: 20-15-6
2006-07: 28-10-3 (President's Trophy, Eastern Conference Finals)
2005-06: 27-11-3 (Eastern Conference Finals)
2004-05: NHL Lockout
2003-04: 21-13-4-3 (owner Tom Golisano's first year)
2002-03: 18-16-5-2 (bankruptcy, team run by the NHL)
"You look at his shots from the point, he finds ways to get pucks through to the net. He's uncanny in that way."
For posterity's sake, a list of Sabres home records dating back to their bankruptcy season:
2017-18: 6-14-3
2016-17: 20-15-6
2015-16: 16-19-6
2014-15: 14-22-5
2013-14: 13-21-7
2012-13: 11-10-3 (NHL lockout shortened season)
2011-12: 21-12-8
2010-11: 21-16-4 (the last time the Sabres made the playoffs)
2009-10: 25-10-6 (finished 1st in Northeast Division)
2008-09: 23-15-3
2007-08: 20-15-6
2006-07: 28-10-3 (President's Trophy, Eastern Conference Finals)
2005-06: 27-11-3 (Eastern Conference Finals)
2004-05: NHL Lockout
2003-04: 21-13-4-3 (owner Tom Golisano's first year)
2002-03: 18-16-5-2 (bankruptcy, team run by the NHL)
Saturday, February 3, 2018
Buffalo Sabres 2017-18 Team Stats--January
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 2-1-2018
The Buffalo Sabres began 2018 with an overtime loss to the NY Rangers in the 10th annual Bridgestone Winter Classic at Citi Field. From thence they went on a four-game losing streak and proceeded to drop six of seven. And it wasn't just the fact that six losses were pinned on them, it was also how they lost. The Sabres got thumped three times by a combined 20-7 vs. the Minnesota Wild, Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars with the Stars game being a humiliating 7-1 loss.
Had it not been for a western Canada road trip where they went 3-0-0 in wins over the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks by a combined 11-1 score, January could've gotten even uglier.
When all was said and done Buffalo finished the month 4-7-1.
From a defensive standpoint, the Sabres goaltending took a hit as their 3.30 goals-against average dipped slightly below the 2014-15 tank season (3.28.) Add that poor goaltending performance to a team that's still last in the league in goals-for (2.30/game) and you get manic swings producing a paltry, yet somewhat surprising record for the month.
There was a definitive change in special teams production last month as the powerplay picked up but the penalty kill took a step back. After leading the league in powerplay efficiency last season the Sabres took a dive to second-last and they weren't able to dig out of it until this past month. Buffalo went 11/41 in January with the man advantage (26.8%) and moved from 30th to 26th overall.
That, however, was off-set by their penalty kill which took a precipitous drop from 12th to 23rd overall. The Sabres allowed 10 goals on 31 kills (67.7%) in January bringing their overall kill rate from 81.9% down to 78.6%.
Other than that, it was status quo for the team--last in the division, last in the Eastern Conference, 30th in the league and 30th in goal differential (-51.)
The trade deadline is coming up and a quick note. Sparse rumors have been floating around concerning Buffalo goalie Robin Lehner. After getting shelled through much of the first three weeks of January, Lehner was able to string together back-to-back shutouts against the Oilers and Canucks. Only three teams have worse goaltending than Buffalo. Two of them--the Arizona Coyotes and Ottawa Senators--are firmly planted at or near the bottom of the league with the Sabres. The other is the NY Islanders.
The Islanders have the worst goalie tandem in the league in Jaroslav Halak and Thomas Greiss yet are only one point out of a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, mainly because they're averaging a third-best 3.27 goals/game.
Isles forward John Tavares is coming up on free agency this summer and they have an extra first and second round pick (via Calgary) in the upcoming NHL Draft. One of those picks (a second rounder) may be used to upgrade goaltending in an attempt to make the playoffs and hopefully have an impact in the post season.
Just some food for thought.
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)
--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)
--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)
--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)
--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)
--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)
--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)
--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)
--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)
--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)
--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)
--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)
--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)
--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)
--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)
The Buffalo Sabres began 2018 with an overtime loss to the NY Rangers in the 10th annual Bridgestone Winter Classic at Citi Field. From thence they went on a four-game losing streak and proceeded to drop six of seven. And it wasn't just the fact that six losses were pinned on them, it was also how they lost. The Sabres got thumped three times by a combined 20-7 vs. the Minnesota Wild, Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars with the Stars game being a humiliating 7-1 loss.
Had it not been for a western Canada road trip where they went 3-0-0 in wins over the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks by a combined 11-1 score, January could've gotten even uglier.
When all was said and done Buffalo finished the month 4-7-1.
From a defensive standpoint, the Sabres goaltending took a hit as their 3.30 goals-against average dipped slightly below the 2014-15 tank season (3.28.) Add that poor goaltending performance to a team that's still last in the league in goals-for (2.30/game) and you get manic swings producing a paltry, yet somewhat surprising record for the month.
There was a definitive change in special teams production last month as the powerplay picked up but the penalty kill took a step back. After leading the league in powerplay efficiency last season the Sabres took a dive to second-last and they weren't able to dig out of it until this past month. Buffalo went 11/41 in January with the man advantage (26.8%) and moved from 30th to 26th overall.
That, however, was off-set by their penalty kill which took a precipitous drop from 12th to 23rd overall. The Sabres allowed 10 goals on 31 kills (67.7%) in January bringing their overall kill rate from 81.9% down to 78.6%.
Other than that, it was status quo for the team--last in the division, last in the Eastern Conference, 30th in the league and 30th in goal differential (-51.)
The trade deadline is coming up and a quick note. Sparse rumors have been floating around concerning Buffalo goalie Robin Lehner. After getting shelled through much of the first three weeks of January, Lehner was able to string together back-to-back shutouts against the Oilers and Canucks. Only three teams have worse goaltending than Buffalo. Two of them--the Arizona Coyotes and Ottawa Senators--are firmly planted at or near the bottom of the league with the Sabres. The other is the NY Islanders.
The Islanders have the worst goalie tandem in the league in Jaroslav Halak and Thomas Greiss yet are only one point out of a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, mainly because they're averaging a third-best 3.27 goals/game.
Isles forward John Tavares is coming up on free agency this summer and they have an extra first and second round pick (via Calgary) in the upcoming NHL Draft. One of those picks (a second rounder) may be used to upgrade goaltending in an attempt to make the playoffs and hopefully have an impact in the post season.
Just some food for thought.
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)
--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)
--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)
--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)
--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)
--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)
--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)
--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)
--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)
--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)
--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)
--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)
--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)
--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)
--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)
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
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