Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-1-2018
It was a helluva way to end the month of March for the Buffalo Sabres. Although seven goals and four powerplay goals in one game at this time of year doesn't move the needle too much, the Sabres can take heart in knowing that they defeated the Nashville Predators,the best team in the league, on the road by a 7-4 score and showed a little resiliency in the process.
The Sabres powerplay was nothing short of fantastic last night as they scored on four of nine powerplays which moved their season percentage up almost a full point. Buffalo went into the game scoring on 40 of 232 powerplay opportunities (17.2%) and left with 44 PPG on 241 opportunities (18.3%.) Buffalo scored three powerplay goals last night during a five minute major penalty handed out to the Preds Scotty Hartnell for boarding Victor Antipin, who left the ice on a stretcher, and they went from a 4-3 deficit to a 6-4 lead.
Buffalo had the No. 1 powerplay unit last season but got off to a rough start in 2017-18. And they compounded their ineptitude by allowing a league high (tied with the NY Islanders) six shorthanded goals.
Scoring goals has been a serious problem for the Sabres dating back years and this season is no different as they remain dead last in the league averaging 2.38 goals/game. Buffalo has not finished higher that 24th in goals-for the past four years and they're certainly not going to match that this season.
If you're not scoring goals, you better be preventing them and the Sabres haven't done well at that either. Buffalo's team goals-against averaged is 3.31 ranking them 29th in the league.
Put it all together and Buffalo is a 31st place team with a 25-41-12 record (62 points) and a league worst minus-73 goal differential.
There are only four more games left in the season and the Sabres are well on their way to a last place finish for the third time in five seasons. On the bright side of that equation, Buffalo has been stocking their roster with high draft picks and they'll have at least a top-four pick at this year's draft should they finish in last place.
Until then...
Buffalo Sabres Team Stats (League Rankings)...(Leader):
Wins
--October: 3 (T-29th)...(STL, TBL, 10)
--November: 6 (T-29th)...(TBL, STL, TOR, 17)
--December: 10 (29th)...(TBL, 28)
--January: 14 (29th)...(TBL, 34)
--February: 20 (30th)...(TBL, 43)
--March: 25 (31st)...(TBL, 52)
--2016-17: 33 (25th)...(WSH, 55)
--2015-16: 35 (23rd)...(WSH, 56)
--2014-15: 23 (30th)...(ANA, 49)
--2013-14: 21 (30th)...(BOS, 54)
Atlantic Division Standing
--October: 8th...(TBL)
--November: 8th...(TBL)
--December: 8th...(TBL)
--January: 8th...(TBL)
--February: 8th...(TBL)
--March: 8th...(BOS)
--2016-17: 8th...(MTL)
--2015-16: 7th...(FLA)
--2014-15: 8th...(MTL)
--2013-14: 8th...(BOS)
Eastern Conference Standing
--October: 16th...(TBL)
--November: 16th...(TBL)
--December: 16th...(TBL)
--January: 16th...(TBL)
--February: 16th (TBL)
--March : 16th (BOS)
--2016-17: 15th...(WSH)
--2015-16: 14th...(WSH)
--2014-15: 16th...(NYR)
--2013-14: 16th...(BOS)
League standing/Points
--October: 29th/8...(TBL/21)
--November: T-30th/16...(TBL/36)
--December: 30th/28...(TBL/58)
--January: 30th/37...(TBL/71)
--February: 30th/51...(TBL/90)
--March: 31st/62...(NSH/111)
--2016-17: 26th/78...(WSH/118)
--2015-16: 23rd/81...(WSH/120)
--2014-15: 30th/54...(NYR/113)
--2013-15: 30th/52...(BOS/117)
Points Percentage
--October: .333 (30th)...(STL, TBL/.808)
--November: .320 (30th)...(TBL/.720)
--December: .368 (30th)...(TBL/ .763)
--January: .370 (30th)...(VGK/ .714)
--February: .398 (30th)...(TBL/.703)
--March: .397 (31tst)...(NSH / 712)
--2016-17: .476 (26th)...(WSH, .720)
--2015-16: .494 (23rd)...(WSH, .732)
--2014-15: .329 (30th)...(NYR, .689)
--2013-14: .317 (30th)...(BOS, .713)
Goal Differential
--October: -15 (30th)...(TBL, +17)
--November: -30 (30th)...(TBL, +25)
--December: -42 (30th)...(TBL, +51)
--January: -51 (30th)...(TBL, +48)
--February: -54 (30th)...(TBL, +56)
--March: -73 (31st)...(BOS, +61)
--2016-17: -36 (24th)...(WSH, +81)
--2015-16: -21 (20th)...(WSH, +59)
--2014-15 -113 (30th)...(NYR, +60)
--2013-14: -91 (30th)...(BOS, +84)
Goals/Game
--October: 2.42 (29th)...(TBL, 4.08)
--November: 2.20 (31st)...(NYI, 3.67)
--December: 2.21 (31st)...(TBL, 3.74)
--January: 2.30 (31st)...(TBL, 3.48)
--February: 2.39 (31st)...(TBL, 3.50)
--March: 2.38 (31st)...(TBL, 3.54)
--2016-17: 2.43 (24th)...(PIT, 3.39)
--2015-16: 2.43 (25th)...(DAL, 3.23)
--2014-15: 1.87 (30th)...(TBL, 3.16)
--2013-14: 1.83 (30th)...(ANA, 3.21)
Shots/Game
--October: 31.5 (17th)...(MTL, 38)
--November: 30.9 (20th)...(CAR, 35.7)
--December: 30.9 (19th)...(PIT, 34.9)
--January: 30.9 (21st)...(FLA, 34.6)
--February: 30.7 (23rd)...(CHI, 34.7)
--March: 31.0 (23rd)...(FLA, 34.6)
--2016-17: 30.4 (15th)...(PIT, 33.5)
--2015-16: 29.5 (17th)...(PIT, 33.2)
--2014-15: 24.2 (30th)...(CHI, 33.9)
--2013-14: 26.3 (30th)...(SJS, 34.8)
5v5 Goals
--October: 18 (19th)...(CLB, 28)
--November: 37 (29th)...(TOR, 66)
--December: 55 (29th)...(TOR, 92)
--January: 71 (31st)...(NYI, 118)
--February: 90 (31st)...(TOR, 153)
--March: 112 (31st)...(TBL, 183)
--2016-17: 126 (28th)...(MIN, 187)
--2015-16: 121 (28th)...(DAL, 167)
--2014-15: 110 (29th)...(TBL, 181)
--2013-14: 96 (30th)...(ANA, 190)
Powerplay
--October: 14.3% (23rd)...(DAL, 30.8)
--November: 12.8 (30th)...(TBL, 27.4)
--December: 12.4 (30th)...(TBL, 25.7)
--January: 16.2 (26th)...(PIT, 26.7)
--February: 17.4 (25th)...(PIT, 27)
--March: 18.3 (22nd)...(PIT, 26.4)
--2016-17: 24.5 (1st)
--2015-16: 18.9 (12th)...(ANA, 23.1)
--2014-15: 13.4 (30th)...(WSH, 25.3)
--2013-14: 14.1 (29th)...(PIT, 23.4)
Goals-against/Game
--October: 3.58 (27th)...(LAK, 2.00)
--November: 3.36 (28th)...(SJS, 2.17)
--December: 3.29 (28th)...(LAK, 2.33)
--January: 3.30 (28th)...(LAK, 2.42)
--February: 3.22 (26th)...(LAK, 2.47)
--March: 3.31 (29th)...(LAK, 2.44)
--2016-17: 2.82 (19th)...(WSH, 2.16)
--2015-16: 2.62 (15th)...(ANA, 2.29)
--2014-15: 3.28 (29th)...(MTL, 2.24)
--2013-14: 2.96 (25th)...(LAK, 2.05)
Shots against/Game
--October: 32.5 (19th)...(SJS, 28.7)
--November: 31.2 (T-11th)...(SJS, 28.7)
--December: 32.4 (23rd)...(CAR, 29.6)
--January: 32.6 (24th)...(CAR, 29.2)
--February: 32.4 (22nd)...(CAR, 28.9)
--March: 32.7 (23rd)...(CAR, 28.7)
--2016-17: 34.3 (30th)...(LAK, 25.9)
--2015-16: 30.6 (22nd)...(NSH, 27.3)
--2014-15: 35.6 (30th)...(LAK, 27.0)
--2013-14: 34.3 (28th)...(NJD, 25.5)
Penalty Kill
--October: 82.5% (11th)...(LAK, 93.0)
--November: 81.1 (13th)...(LAK, 89.5)
--December: 81.9 (12th)...(LAK, 87.1)
--January: 78.6 (23rd)...(LAK, 86.2)
--February: 79.4 (20th)...(SJS, 84.4)
--March: 78.2 (23rd)...(LAK, 85.1)
--2016-17: 77.6 (25th)...(BOS, 85.7
--2015-16: 82.6 (9th)...(ANA, 87.2)
--2014-15: 75.1 (30th)...(MIN, 86.3)
--2013-14: 81.4 (20th)...(NJD, 86.4)
Faceoff Percentage
--October: 50.4% (18th)...(OTT, 53.9)
--November: 51.4 (11th)...(PHI, 53.0)
--December: 51.2 (9th)...(WPG, 52.8)
--January: 51.1 (11th)...(PHI, 52.9)
--February: 51.2 (9th)...(CAR, 53.6)
--March: 51.7 (6th)...(CAR, 54.0)
--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)
Monday, April 2, 2018
Sunday, April 1, 2018
Quick notes--Buffalo at Nashville tonight
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 3-31-2017
If anyone needs to be reminded, the Buffalo Sabres are sitting rather comfortably at the bottom of the league with 60 points, which happens to be the third time in five years they've been in that position. The Nashville Predators are at the opposite end of the spectrum sitting atop the league with 111 points.
While Nashville was on a run last season that would eventually take them to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Buffalo Sabres were on a run to the nearest exit sign at the end of a very disappointing season. Sabres owner Terry Pegula would end up firing his general manager and head coach and start anew with a rookie GM in Tim Murray and a rookie head coach in Phil Housley. With only five games remaining in the season, the Sabres will not come close to matching last year's 78 point total on the season, although that might be looked at as a minimum goal next season.
Why did Housley come over to Buffalo to take on what turned out to be a mess of a hockey team when he could be behind the bench as an assistant on what many consider to he the Cup favorite?
Maybe he lost his mind.
For as bad as this team has been this year, with a microcosm of that coming in the last two periods of Thursday night's game, they've actually played some good hockey for spurts giving fans a little hope for the future. But they don't want the future to start before the end of the season, as this draft offers up a prize pick to the 'lucky' team that ends up winning the lottery, defenseman Rasmus Dahlin.
And boy could the Sabres use him.
The NHL released it's odds for winning the lottery and the right to draft Dahlin first-overall. They're as follows for the bottom-six teams:
31st place--18.5%
30th--13.5
29th--11.5
28th--9.5
27th--8.5
26th--7.5
The worst three teams actually saw their chances of winning the lottery increase over last year as these were the odds for 2017
31st place--18.0%
30th--12.1
29th--10.3
28th--10.3
27th--8.5
26th--7.6
In 2017 the 27th place New Jersey Devils took their 8.5% odds and jumped up to the top of the draft. With the top three draft slots up for grabs, the Philadelphia Flyers who finished 19th in the league wound up with the second-overall pick. And the 24th place Dallas Stars ended up picking third. The Colorado Avalanche, who finished in last place by a wide margin (21 points) ended up picking fourth-overall.
Everyone can spin the wheel and see which team ends up with the top pick by going to nhllotterysimulator.com.
Here's what I got today:
Buffalo
Carolina
Calgary
------
Arizona
Ottawa
*****
Casey Mittelstadt made his NHL debut for the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings and got his first NHL point--an assist. The 19 yr. old skated well and showed of some deft stickwork and moves on none other than Henrik Zetterberg.
He also took a penalty which was actually a bench minor when he was whistled for a faceoff violation.
*****
Goalie Robin Lehner suffered an injury in the Detroit game and is out. Linus Ullmark, who was on recall from the Rochester Americans is also out. That leaves Chad Johnson as the team's starter and they recalled Adam Wilcox from the Amerks as his backup.
*****
There was an optional skate today so here's what the Sabres practiced with yesterday:
Girgensons-Eichel-Pominville
Wilson-O'Reilly-Reinhart
Rodrigues--Mittelstadt-Okposo
Pouliot-Larsson-Baptiste
Scandella-Ristolainen
Guhle-Nelson
Falk-Antipin
If anyone needs to be reminded, the Buffalo Sabres are sitting rather comfortably at the bottom of the league with 60 points, which happens to be the third time in five years they've been in that position. The Nashville Predators are at the opposite end of the spectrum sitting atop the league with 111 points.
While Nashville was on a run last season that would eventually take them to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Buffalo Sabres were on a run to the nearest exit sign at the end of a very disappointing season. Sabres owner Terry Pegula would end up firing his general manager and head coach and start anew with a rookie GM in Tim Murray and a rookie head coach in Phil Housley. With only five games remaining in the season, the Sabres will not come close to matching last year's 78 point total on the season, although that might be looked at as a minimum goal next season.
Why did Housley come over to Buffalo to take on what turned out to be a mess of a hockey team when he could be behind the bench as an assistant on what many consider to he the Cup favorite?
Maybe he lost his mind.
For as bad as this team has been this year, with a microcosm of that coming in the last two periods of Thursday night's game, they've actually played some good hockey for spurts giving fans a little hope for the future. But they don't want the future to start before the end of the season, as this draft offers up a prize pick to the 'lucky' team that ends up winning the lottery, defenseman Rasmus Dahlin.
And boy could the Sabres use him.
The NHL released it's odds for winning the lottery and the right to draft Dahlin first-overall. They're as follows for the bottom-six teams:
31st place--18.5%
30th--13.5
29th--11.5
28th--9.5
27th--8.5
26th--7.5
The worst three teams actually saw their chances of winning the lottery increase over last year as these were the odds for 2017
31st place--18.0%
30th--12.1
29th--10.3
28th--10.3
27th--8.5
26th--7.6
In 2017 the 27th place New Jersey Devils took their 8.5% odds and jumped up to the top of the draft. With the top three draft slots up for grabs, the Philadelphia Flyers who finished 19th in the league wound up with the second-overall pick. And the 24th place Dallas Stars ended up picking third. The Colorado Avalanche, who finished in last place by a wide margin (21 points) ended up picking fourth-overall.
Everyone can spin the wheel and see which team ends up with the top pick by going to nhllotterysimulator.com.
Here's what I got today:
Buffalo
Carolina
Calgary
------
Arizona
Ottawa
*****
Casey Mittelstadt made his NHL debut for the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings and got his first NHL point--an assist. The 19 yr. old skated well and showed of some deft stickwork and moves on none other than Henrik Zetterberg.
He also took a penalty which was actually a bench minor when he was whistled for a faceoff violation.
*****
Goalie Robin Lehner suffered an injury in the Detroit game and is out. Linus Ullmark, who was on recall from the Rochester Americans is also out. That leaves Chad Johnson as the team's starter and they recalled Adam Wilcox from the Amerks as his backup.
*****
There was an optional skate today so here's what the Sabres practiced with yesterday:
Girgensons-Eichel-Pominville
Wilson-O'Reilly-Reinhart
Rodrigues--Mittelstadt-Okposo
Pouliot-Larsson-Baptiste
Scandella-Ristolainen
Guhle-Nelson
Falk-Antipin
Saturday, March 31, 2018
Casey Mittelstadt set to his NHL debut tonight vs. the Detroit Red Wings
It's safe to say that not many draftniks thought that center Casey Mittelstadt would still be available with the eighth pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. But he was, and new GM Jason Botterill jumped right on it. "Isn't that the cliche'?" Botterill deadpanned as he spoke to the media after Round-1 of the draft to the gathered media. "You've got to say, 'Oh, I can't believe that he was there!'"
In this case, there really was an element of surprise. Mittelstadt was ranked the third-best North American skater by Central Scouting while McKeen's Hockey ranked him fifth. But there he was at No. 8 and despite the Sabres in desperate need of depth on the blueline, Botterill was more than happy to select Mittelstadt. .) "As I've talked about before," began the first-time GM, "if there's a fit, then we are going to make that selection for a defenseman or a goaltender, but we're not going to force it.
"I don't like saying this word when talking about hockey players," continued Botterill, "but you're trying to get the best athlete. If there's another good centerman tomorrow in our early picks we're probably going to select him. If it's close then we'll probably lean towards a defenseman" (they ended up taking a centerman with their first pick in the second round as well.)"
It's been less than a year since Mittelstadt was selected by the Sabres. He's played a lot of hockey in that time both as a freshman for the University of Minnesota and as a member of Team USA at the World Junior Championships in Buffalo. His freshman season was real solid with 30 points (11+19) in 34 games and at the WJC in Buffalo he helped lead the U.S. to a bronze medal while collecting Tournament MVP honors.
Earlier this week, Mittelstadt decided to turn pro.
"It was always a dream, as long as I can remember, to play in the NHL," said Mittelstadt to the media on Tuesday. "My steps were, I want to play high school, I want to be a [Minnesota Golden] Gopher and go to the NHL" The Minnesota native finished by saying, "It's pretty much every Minnesota kid's dream."
Yesterday Mittelstadt was welcomed to the team and lead the stretch at center ice. Today he took his morning skate and is ready to hit the ice tonight at KeyBank Center against the Detroit Red Wings.
Reports from the rink have Mittelstadt centering Evan Rodrigues and Sam Reinhart creating a talented line with a little bit of speed and a lot of hockey sense.
The other lines:
Girgensons-Eichel-Pominville
Wilson-O'Reilly-Okposo
Nolan-Larsson-Baptiste
On defense the parings look like:
Guhle-Ristolainen
Scandella-Nelson
Beaulieu-Falk
Robin Lehner is the projected start in net for Buffalo.
In this case, there really was an element of surprise. Mittelstadt was ranked the third-best North American skater by Central Scouting while McKeen's Hockey ranked him fifth. But there he was at No. 8 and despite the Sabres in desperate need of depth on the blueline, Botterill was more than happy to select Mittelstadt. .) "As I've talked about before," began the first-time GM, "if there's a fit, then we are going to make that selection for a defenseman or a goaltender, but we're not going to force it.
"I don't like saying this word when talking about hockey players," continued Botterill, "but you're trying to get the best athlete. If there's another good centerman tomorrow in our early picks we're probably going to select him. If it's close then we'll probably lean towards a defenseman" (they ended up taking a centerman with their first pick in the second round as well.)"
It's been less than a year since Mittelstadt was selected by the Sabres. He's played a lot of hockey in that time both as a freshman for the University of Minnesota and as a member of Team USA at the World Junior Championships in Buffalo. His freshman season was real solid with 30 points (11+19) in 34 games and at the WJC in Buffalo he helped lead the U.S. to a bronze medal while collecting Tournament MVP honors.
Earlier this week, Mittelstadt decided to turn pro.
"It was always a dream, as long as I can remember, to play in the NHL," said Mittelstadt to the media on Tuesday. "My steps were, I want to play high school, I want to be a [Minnesota Golden] Gopher and go to the NHL" The Minnesota native finished by saying, "It's pretty much every Minnesota kid's dream."
Yesterday Mittelstadt was welcomed to the team and lead the stretch at center ice. Today he took his morning skate and is ready to hit the ice tonight at KeyBank Center against the Detroit Red Wings.
Reports from the rink have Mittelstadt centering Evan Rodrigues and Sam Reinhart creating a talented line with a little bit of speed and a lot of hockey sense.
The other lines:
Girgensons-Eichel-Pominville
Wilson-O'Reilly-Okposo
Nolan-Larsson-Baptiste
On defense the parings look like:
Guhle-Ristolainen
Scandella-Nelson
Beaulieu-Falk
Robin Lehner is the projected start in net for Buffalo.
On Casey Mittelstadt (with some video from college)
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 3-28-2018
Casey Mittelstadt is on the ice for the first time as a Buffalo Sabre today. The 19 yr. old left the University of Minnesota after his freshman season and signed his three-year entry-level deal with the Sabres on Monday. Mittelstadt is a 6'1" 201 lb. center who comes to Buffalo on a one-and-done after finishing his only college season with 30 points (11+19) in 34 games for the Golden Gophers.
The Edina, MN native also made a strong impact at the 2018 World Junior Championships held in Buffalo, NY as he did the Sabres and their fans proud by being named the tournament MVP while leading Team USA to a bronze medal.
Mittelstadt was drafted eighth-overall by the Sabres at the 2017 NHL Draft and was touted as a complete offensive player bringing skill, speed and a strong hockey IQ to the ice. Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com/sabres.com was on WGR550 radio this Monday and told he hosts he thinks that Mittelstadt "will be an immediate impact player for the Sabres."
"I think for the Sabres," said Baker, "and not to oversell it, when you can put a dynamic offensive talent in the mix immediately--fast hands, great shooter, and more importantly, he's ultra, ultra competitive--he can help drive possession and get a lot of shots to the net. I think those are two elements that the Sabres are sorely missing."
"Competitive nature" is something that really doesn't show up as a stat in analytic world, yet it's something that shouldn't be overlooked, especially when Mittelstadt is joining a team that, overall, doesn't seem to be overflowing with that trait.
As a freshman, Mittelstadt displayed all the skills that he's been touted for as well as having the gumption to take on players at the collegiate level that were bigger and/or older. Thanks to University of Michigan and the Ohio State University, I was able to catch a few of Mittelstadt's games against two teams--the Wolverines and Buckeyes, respectively--who are now in the NCAA Men's Frozen Four. The video below has clips of Mittelstadt in a rugged affair against the Wolverines and showing off some skill in what turned into a very tight contest against the Buckeyes.
Michigan had a body on Mittelstadt all game and he found himself tangling with 6'3" 215 lb. defenseman Griffin Luce (son of former Sabres forward, Don Luce) and a rather feisty 6'1" 200 d-man in Nicolas Boka. Against the Buckeyes, Mittelstadt created space with some great stickwork and eventually fed Rem Pitlick for the game-tying goal late in the third period.
Mittelstadt will wear No. 37 for Buffalo when he takes the ice for his professional game and when asked yesterday if there was any significance to that choosing that number, he told the gathered media, "No, not really."
"Me and my buddies were kind of chatting," he continued, "I've worn [Nos.] 11, 20, 21, 22 and they're all taken, so, might as well switch it up and go for No. 37."
Where Mittelstadt fits in moving forward is somewhat of a question mark. Like many, Baker believes that his best position is center "as he likes the puck on his stick," and he thinks that having Jack Eichel, Ryan O'Reilly and Mittelstadt down the middle would be pretty strong. But Baker also said that Mittelstadt could play any forward position and even pointed out that the left-shot could play off wing because of his strong stickwork. "The way he changes his shooting angle," said Baker, "it's tough to pick up the puck off of his stick."
Although it may still seem strange to say, considering the past decade of Sabres hockey, Buffalo has a wealth of centers right now and are bereft of talent on the wing, especially left wing. And that's not likely to change significantly any time soon, so he may get some time on the wing in Buffalo's final six games of the season.
However, according to reports from the rink, for today Mittelstadt is centering Evan Rodrigues on the left and Sam Reinhart on the right. The other lines are:
Girgensons, Eichel, Pominville
Wilson-O'Reilly-Okposo
Nolan-Larsson-Bailey
On defense:
Guhle-Ristolainen
Scandella-Nelson
Falk-Beaulieu
The Sabres host the Detroit Red Wings tomorrow night.
Casey Mittelstadt is on the ice for the first time as a Buffalo Sabre today. The 19 yr. old left the University of Minnesota after his freshman season and signed his three-year entry-level deal with the Sabres on Monday. Mittelstadt is a 6'1" 201 lb. center who comes to Buffalo on a one-and-done after finishing his only college season with 30 points (11+19) in 34 games for the Golden Gophers.
The Edina, MN native also made a strong impact at the 2018 World Junior Championships held in Buffalo, NY as he did the Sabres and their fans proud by being named the tournament MVP while leading Team USA to a bronze medal.
Mittelstadt was drafted eighth-overall by the Sabres at the 2017 NHL Draft and was touted as a complete offensive player bringing skill, speed and a strong hockey IQ to the ice. Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com/sabres.com was on WGR550 radio this Monday and told he hosts he thinks that Mittelstadt "will be an immediate impact player for the Sabres."
"I think for the Sabres," said Baker, "and not to oversell it, when you can put a dynamic offensive talent in the mix immediately--fast hands, great shooter, and more importantly, he's ultra, ultra competitive--he can help drive possession and get a lot of shots to the net. I think those are two elements that the Sabres are sorely missing."
"Competitive nature" is something that really doesn't show up as a stat in analytic world, yet it's something that shouldn't be overlooked, especially when Mittelstadt is joining a team that, overall, doesn't seem to be overflowing with that trait.
As a freshman, Mittelstadt displayed all the skills that he's been touted for as well as having the gumption to take on players at the collegiate level that were bigger and/or older. Thanks to University of Michigan and the Ohio State University, I was able to catch a few of Mittelstadt's games against two teams--the Wolverines and Buckeyes, respectively--who are now in the NCAA Men's Frozen Four. The video below has clips of Mittelstadt in a rugged affair against the Wolverines and showing off some skill in what turned into a very tight contest against the Buckeyes.
Michigan had a body on Mittelstadt all game and he found himself tangling with 6'3" 215 lb. defenseman Griffin Luce (son of former Sabres forward, Don Luce) and a rather feisty 6'1" 200 d-man in Nicolas Boka. Against the Buckeyes, Mittelstadt created space with some great stickwork and eventually fed Rem Pitlick for the game-tying goal late in the third period.
Mittelstadt will wear No. 37 for Buffalo when he takes the ice for his professional game and when asked yesterday if there was any significance to that choosing that number, he told the gathered media, "No, not really."
"Me and my buddies were kind of chatting," he continued, "I've worn [Nos.] 11, 20, 21, 22 and they're all taken, so, might as well switch it up and go for No. 37."
Where Mittelstadt fits in moving forward is somewhat of a question mark. Like many, Baker believes that his best position is center "as he likes the puck on his stick," and he thinks that having Jack Eichel, Ryan O'Reilly and Mittelstadt down the middle would be pretty strong. But Baker also said that Mittelstadt could play any forward position and even pointed out that the left-shot could play off wing because of his strong stickwork. "The way he changes his shooting angle," said Baker, "it's tough to pick up the puck off of his stick."
Although it may still seem strange to say, considering the past decade of Sabres hockey, Buffalo has a wealth of centers right now and are bereft of talent on the wing, especially left wing. And that's not likely to change significantly any time soon, so he may get some time on the wing in Buffalo's final six games of the season.
However, according to reports from the rink, for today Mittelstadt is centering Evan Rodrigues on the left and Sam Reinhart on the right. The other lines are:
Girgensons, Eichel, Pominville
Wilson-O'Reilly-Okposo
Nolan-Larsson-Bailey
On defense:
Guhle-Ristolainen
Scandella-Nelson
Falk-Beaulieu
The Sabres host the Detroit Red Wings tomorrow night.
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
A win against Toronto is always a good win for Buffalo...and Jack Eichel as well
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 3-27-2018
It's always good to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs and it's even better when the 'W' comes in Toronto at the Air Canada Center. And what made last night even more fun for those of us in Sabreland was that the Leafs had no answer for Buffalo's Jack Eichel who scored the Sabres first goal and their last to give his team the 3-2 victory.
The Sabres also stopped Toronto's franchise record 13-game home winning streak and prevented them from breaking their franchise record for wins in a season and home wins in a season. And in overcoming 2-1 deficit with two third period goals, the Sabres dropped Toronto's record when leading after two periods to 29-3-2.
Oh, and the win snapped Buffalo's four-game losing streak that saw them get outscored by a combined 16-2 despite outshooting their opponent in every game and by a cumulative 144-108 margin.
To keep it in perspective, unless the Leafs incur a major disaster over their final six games they'll be in the playoffs for the second consecutive season while Buffalo is looking like they'll be finishing last for the third time in five seasons.
But for one night, Sabres fans savored victory over the arch-rival Leafs.
The talent discrepancy was once again definitive last night as Toronto controlled much of the game pumping 41 shots on goalie Chad Johnson and another 26, according to Leafs head coach Mike Babcock, "where we missed the net."
"We've got to hit the net," Babcock told the gathered media post-game.
Johnson has really been making a name for himself as of late. After an atrocious start to the 2017-18 season the 31 yr. old is 8-4-0 in his last 13 appearances which includes six consecutive wins against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins and Maple Leafs, the top teams in the Atlantic Division. As a surprise starter after rookie Linus Ullmark suffered an injury at the morning skate, Johnson thwarted Toronto through much of the game coming up with big saves when needed.
"It's not how I want to prepare or how I want to find out, but you just deal with it," Johnson told the media afterward. "It's always nice beating that team regardless of the situation. Is there another little boost to it ending the streak? Yeah, it's always fun to be that team that ends it, especially Leafs and Sabres here."
For as much as Johnson made a difference in the game, Eichel was a beast. And it began early when he stripped fellow superstar Auston Matthews of the puck in the Toronto corner. Buffalo's Zemgus Girgensons won a puck battle and fed a streaking Eichel who deeked the Leafs Freddy Andersen for his 23rd goal of the season.
Eichel had another opportunity as he went in a on a 2-on-1 with Jordan Nolan, but Andersen thwarted Nolan. Sabres fans are still trying to figure out what Nolan was doing out there with Eichel to begin with.
The Leafs had trouble with Eichel's speed and quickness all game and the only one to corral it was 235 lb. veteran defenseman Roman Polack, who got the angle on a streaking Eichel down the left side deep in the Toronto zone.
Eichel was not to be denied as he streaked in once again the same way, beat defenseman Nikita Zaitsev and slid a one-handed backhand past Anderssen for his 24th goal.
For as much trouble as the Sabres have had over the past three seasons, especially this one, and for as much as Eichel has been the forgotten one when it comes to the superstars of the future, namely Edmonton's Connor McDavid and Toronto's Matthews, he and the Sabres have owned head to head matchups.
Eichel lost both of his first meetings against McDavid and Matthews, but since then he and the Sabres are 6-0-0 in those head-to-head meetings. In all the Sabres are 6-1-1 vs. McDavid/Oilers and Matthews/Leafs with the Sabres those two teams by a combined 27-15 margin.
Head to head Eichel has more points in those matchups than McDavid and Matthews combined. In four head-to-head games vs. the Oilers, Eichel has six points (2+4) while McDavid has four (2+2) and in four against Leafs Eichel has eight points (4+4) while Matthews has three (2+1.) Eichel also has a cumulative plus-5 rating in all eight games while McDavid and Matthews are a combined minus-3.
The Sabres are what they are this season, a bottom-feeder destined for a top pick in the draft. There's a lot of work to be done with a roster that needs some serious tweaking. More help is on the way as forward Casey Mittelstadt, who has speed, skill and hockey smarts, just signed his entry-level deal and is expected to make his NHL debut on Thursday.
One never does know what to expect from this team moving forward, but at least we've come to expect good performances against divisional foes like the Lightning, Bruins and Leafs. And beating them, especially the Leafs at Air Canada Center, is a drink of cool water in the depths of a hellish season.
For your viewing pleasure, via the NHL:
It's always good to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs and it's even better when the 'W' comes in Toronto at the Air Canada Center. And what made last night even more fun for those of us in Sabreland was that the Leafs had no answer for Buffalo's Jack Eichel who scored the Sabres first goal and their last to give his team the 3-2 victory.
The Sabres also stopped Toronto's franchise record 13-game home winning streak and prevented them from breaking their franchise record for wins in a season and home wins in a season. And in overcoming 2-1 deficit with two third period goals, the Sabres dropped Toronto's record when leading after two periods to 29-3-2.
Oh, and the win snapped Buffalo's four-game losing streak that saw them get outscored by a combined 16-2 despite outshooting their opponent in every game and by a cumulative 144-108 margin.
To keep it in perspective, unless the Leafs incur a major disaster over their final six games they'll be in the playoffs for the second consecutive season while Buffalo is looking like they'll be finishing last for the third time in five seasons.
But for one night, Sabres fans savored victory over the arch-rival Leafs.
The talent discrepancy was once again definitive last night as Toronto controlled much of the game pumping 41 shots on goalie Chad Johnson and another 26, according to Leafs head coach Mike Babcock, "where we missed the net."
"We've got to hit the net," Babcock told the gathered media post-game.
Johnson has really been making a name for himself as of late. After an atrocious start to the 2017-18 season the 31 yr. old is 8-4-0 in his last 13 appearances which includes six consecutive wins against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins and Maple Leafs, the top teams in the Atlantic Division. As a surprise starter after rookie Linus Ullmark suffered an injury at the morning skate, Johnson thwarted Toronto through much of the game coming up with big saves when needed.
"It's not how I want to prepare or how I want to find out, but you just deal with it," Johnson told the media afterward. "It's always nice beating that team regardless of the situation. Is there another little boost to it ending the streak? Yeah, it's always fun to be that team that ends it, especially Leafs and Sabres here."
For as much as Johnson made a difference in the game, Eichel was a beast. And it began early when he stripped fellow superstar Auston Matthews of the puck in the Toronto corner. Buffalo's Zemgus Girgensons won a puck battle and fed a streaking Eichel who deeked the Leafs Freddy Andersen for his 23rd goal of the season.
Eichel had another opportunity as he went in a on a 2-on-1 with Jordan Nolan, but Andersen thwarted Nolan. Sabres fans are still trying to figure out what Nolan was doing out there with Eichel to begin with.
The Leafs had trouble with Eichel's speed and quickness all game and the only one to corral it was 235 lb. veteran defenseman Roman Polack, who got the angle on a streaking Eichel down the left side deep in the Toronto zone.
Eichel was not to be denied as he streaked in once again the same way, beat defenseman Nikita Zaitsev and slid a one-handed backhand past Anderssen for his 24th goal.
For as much trouble as the Sabres have had over the past three seasons, especially this one, and for as much as Eichel has been the forgotten one when it comes to the superstars of the future, namely Edmonton's Connor McDavid and Toronto's Matthews, he and the Sabres have owned head to head matchups.
Eichel lost both of his first meetings against McDavid and Matthews, but since then he and the Sabres are 6-0-0 in those head-to-head meetings. In all the Sabres are 6-1-1 vs. McDavid/Oilers and Matthews/Leafs with the Sabres those two teams by a combined 27-15 margin.
Head to head Eichel has more points in those matchups than McDavid and Matthews combined. In four head-to-head games vs. the Oilers, Eichel has six points (2+4) while McDavid has four (2+2) and in four against Leafs Eichel has eight points (4+4) while Matthews has three (2+1.) Eichel also has a cumulative plus-5 rating in all eight games while McDavid and Matthews are a combined minus-3.
The Sabres are what they are this season, a bottom-feeder destined for a top pick in the draft. There's a lot of work to be done with a roster that needs some serious tweaking. More help is on the way as forward Casey Mittelstadt, who has speed, skill and hockey smarts, just signed his entry-level deal and is expected to make his NHL debut on Thursday.
One never does know what to expect from this team moving forward, but at least we've come to expect good performances against divisional foes like the Lightning, Bruins and Leafs. And beating them, especially the Leafs at Air Canada Center, is a drink of cool water in the depths of a hellish season.
For your viewing pleasure, via the NHL:
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Borgen & Mittelstadt = good news in a bad season + @Leafs tonight
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 3-26-2018
Officers at the Peace Bridge can rest a little easier today because the Buffalo Sabres announced the signings of college players Will Borgen and Casey Mittelstadt. Borgen a junior defenseman out of St. Cloud State was signed yesterday to an amateur tryout contract for Rochester plus the Sabres signed him to his three-year entry deal that begins next season. Mittelstadt just finished his freshman season at Minnesota and signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Sabres and he's expected to join the club this week, according to a tweet from TSN's Bob McKenzie.
The Sabres as a whole have been drafting and signing college players for a while most notably over the past couple years when which includes the selection of Mittelstadt eighth-overall in the 2017 NHL Draft and the signings of two prominent college free agents-D, Casey Nelson (2016) and F, C.J. Smith (2017.) But fans in Buffalo were still anxious about Borgen and Mittelstadt as they'd seen a couple of college players walk away from the team.
Forward Jimmy Vesey wasn't a Buffalo draft pick, but former GM Tim Murray took a gamble and sent a third round pick to Nashville for the exclusive negotiating rights to Vesey. The Predators got their third round pick back and the Sabres ended up losing out on the deal when Vesey signed with the NY Rangers.
A bigger blow to the collective Sabreland psyche came when goalie Cal Petersen, a 2013 fifth round pick (129th overall,) played out his college career and signed with the LA Kings. Petersen, who looks like he could become a legitimate NHL starter was a prospect whom the Sabres invested a draft pick and development time on and in opting for the Kings, he sent a knife right through a fan-base where many were already dealing with an inferiority complex.
Fear of rejectgion permeated much of twitterland when it came to Mittelstadt and Borgen, but all those fears can be put to rest as the two put pen to paper.
Borgen, who's probably ticketed for a year or so of development in Rochester next season will step into a situation where the Amerks are getting ready for the playoffs. It was a great signing for Rochester and the Amerks in that his entry-level deal won't kick in until next season.
As for Mittelstadt, he has the look of a player that could very well fit right into the NHL right now, and he'll get his shot sometime through the final six games of the season, which will burn a year off his entry-level deal. He will not be eligible to play for the Amerks this season.
Somehow I feel that Sabres GM Jason Botterill won't lose sleep over that. It's been an atrocious season for the Sabres so it's nice to have both Borgen and Mittelstadt in the fold.
*****
Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News was in Toronto yesterday while the Sabres had a day off and he tweeted this from Leafs coach Mike Babcock about the Sabres/Leafs game tonight, "there's not team they'd rather beat than us," said the coach.
Which is true, or at least it should be for every Sabres player. In a lost season there is very little to play for so going up against a rival should get the blood pumping. If it doesn't, there something seriously wrong.
This is the third meeting between Buffalo and Toronto this season. The Sabres won the first meeting on March 5 by a 5-3 score with goalie Chad Johnson in net then dropped the second one 10 days later, 5-2, with Robin Lehner in net. Both of those games were played in Buffalo.
The Leafs are one of the hottest teams in the league right now, at least when it comes to playing at home. Toronto is on a club-record 13-game home winning streak and with 45 wins on the season have tied the franchise record for most wins in a season.
Buffalo is coming off of a 5-1 blowout loss in NY against the Rangers on Saturday night, have lost four in a row and five of their last six.
According to reports from the rink, this looks to be the Sabres lineup tonight against Toronto:
Wilson-ROR-Okposo
Girgensons-Eichel-Pominville
Nolan-Larsson-Reinhart
Pouliot-ERod-Baptist
Guhle-Ristolainen
Scandella-Nelson
Beaulieu-Falk
Rookie goaltender Linus Ullmark looks to be getting the start for Buffalo.
*****
Not to be forgotten, 2012 seventh-round pick (204th) Judd Peterson, a teammate of Borgen's at St. Cloud State, signed an ATO with Rochester and will be eligible for the playoffs. The 24 yr. old forward scored 65 points (37+28) in 151 college games.
Officers at the Peace Bridge can rest a little easier today because the Buffalo Sabres announced the signings of college players Will Borgen and Casey Mittelstadt. Borgen a junior defenseman out of St. Cloud State was signed yesterday to an amateur tryout contract for Rochester plus the Sabres signed him to his three-year entry deal that begins next season. Mittelstadt just finished his freshman season at Minnesota and signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Sabres and he's expected to join the club this week, according to a tweet from TSN's Bob McKenzie.
The Sabres as a whole have been drafting and signing college players for a while most notably over the past couple years when which includes the selection of Mittelstadt eighth-overall in the 2017 NHL Draft and the signings of two prominent college free agents-D, Casey Nelson (2016) and F, C.J. Smith (2017.) But fans in Buffalo were still anxious about Borgen and Mittelstadt as they'd seen a couple of college players walk away from the team.
Forward Jimmy Vesey wasn't a Buffalo draft pick, but former GM Tim Murray took a gamble and sent a third round pick to Nashville for the exclusive negotiating rights to Vesey. The Predators got their third round pick back and the Sabres ended up losing out on the deal when Vesey signed with the NY Rangers.
A bigger blow to the collective Sabreland psyche came when goalie Cal Petersen, a 2013 fifth round pick (129th overall,) played out his college career and signed with the LA Kings. Petersen, who looks like he could become a legitimate NHL starter was a prospect whom the Sabres invested a draft pick and development time on and in opting for the Kings, he sent a knife right through a fan-base where many were already dealing with an inferiority complex.
Fear of rejectgion permeated much of twitterland when it came to Mittelstadt and Borgen, but all those fears can be put to rest as the two put pen to paper.
Borgen, who's probably ticketed for a year or so of development in Rochester next season will step into a situation where the Amerks are getting ready for the playoffs. It was a great signing for Rochester and the Amerks in that his entry-level deal won't kick in until next season.
As for Mittelstadt, he has the look of a player that could very well fit right into the NHL right now, and he'll get his shot sometime through the final six games of the season, which will burn a year off his entry-level deal. He will not be eligible to play for the Amerks this season.
Somehow I feel that Sabres GM Jason Botterill won't lose sleep over that. It's been an atrocious season for the Sabres so it's nice to have both Borgen and Mittelstadt in the fold.
*****
Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News was in Toronto yesterday while the Sabres had a day off and he tweeted this from Leafs coach Mike Babcock about the Sabres/Leafs game tonight, "there's not team they'd rather beat than us," said the coach.
Which is true, or at least it should be for every Sabres player. In a lost season there is very little to play for so going up against a rival should get the blood pumping. If it doesn't, there something seriously wrong.
This is the third meeting between Buffalo and Toronto this season. The Sabres won the first meeting on March 5 by a 5-3 score with goalie Chad Johnson in net then dropped the second one 10 days later, 5-2, with Robin Lehner in net. Both of those games were played in Buffalo.
The Leafs are one of the hottest teams in the league right now, at least when it comes to playing at home. Toronto is on a club-record 13-game home winning streak and with 45 wins on the season have tied the franchise record for most wins in a season.
Buffalo is coming off of a 5-1 blowout loss in NY against the Rangers on Saturday night, have lost four in a row and five of their last six.
According to reports from the rink, this looks to be the Sabres lineup tonight against Toronto:
Wilson-ROR-Okposo
Girgensons-Eichel-Pominville
Nolan-Larsson-Reinhart
Pouliot-ERod-Baptist
Guhle-Ristolainen
Scandella-Nelson
Beaulieu-Falk
Rookie goaltender Linus Ullmark looks to be getting the start for Buffalo.
*****
Not to be forgotten, 2012 seventh-round pick (204th) Judd Peterson, a teammate of Borgen's at St. Cloud State, signed an ATO with Rochester and will be eligible for the playoffs. The 24 yr. old forward scored 65 points (37+28) in 151 college games.
Monday, March 26, 2018
Recent Sabres performances might not look good to FA college players
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 2-25-2018
Minnesota State's defenseman Daniel Brickley and his No. 6 seeded Mavericks got ousted in the first round of a topsy-turvy NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament. The 6'3" 205 lb. defenseman went undrafted and is skipping his senior season to turn pro and TSN's Bob McKenzie tweeted last night that five teams, without naming them, are said to be in the running for the free agent d-mans services.
The usual suspects like Pittsburgh and Chicago will likely be in the mix for a player that is widely regarded as the best FA college player turning pro this year. Those are two organizations that have won six Stanley Cups (three each) dating back to the 2008-09 season and both are always on the prowl for inexpensive help, especially on the blueline, to help ease the crunch of superstars signed to long-term deals.
Both Pittsburgh and Chicago have proven to be class organizations the past decade plus and can put forth an alluring package to a player looking to begin his pro career.
The Buffalo Sabres may also be in the mix, and as they've shown in the past, upper-level free agents like fellow Maverick Casey Nelson two years ago and last year signed UMASS-Lowell's top scorer, CJ Smith. Both Nelson and Smith played big rolls in helping move the Rochester Americans into a playoff spot after a three-year absence. Nelson spent most of last season with the Amerks while getting 11 games with the big club while Smith has been plying his trade in Rochester and presently leads the team in scoring with 43 points (17+29) in 54 games.
This will be GM Jason Botterill's first foray into college free agency as the big dog and the organization could really use a shot in the arm. Botterill's Sabres have had a very poor season and if Brickley was watching at all last night, he came across a dismal performance by a team that's ready for the off season.
There's very little the last place Sabres have to offer outside of Jack Eichel and a somewhat quick route to regular NHL duty. Granted, Botterill is hell bent on incubating all his prospects (the length of which depends upon their development) so a player like Brickley may not start out on the big club out of camp were he to sign in Buffalo. Yet, with plenty of openings on the Sabres blueline at this juncture, a player like Brickley with NHL size, offensive acumen (10 goals, 25 assists in 39 games this year) along with a booming, it wouldn't be too long for him should he adapt well to the NHL game.
Buffalo has two draft picks in forward Casey Mittelstadt and defenseman Will Borgen who's college seasons ended early. Mittelstadt just finished his freshman season and could very well sign his first pro contract this off season. Borgen will be a senior should he stay in school one more year. Both seem ready to make the jump.
One thing that usually goes unnoticed to many in Sabreland is the commitment made by ownership to USA Hockey and pouring resources in to local talent. Botterill himself comes from the college ranks and has always had an affinity for landing and developing college players. He'll have a tough task at hand in trying to lure a player like Brickley to Buffalo, but might want to reiterate to his team that there are a lot of eyes watching their games. Hopefully Brickley was doing something else last night.
Minnesota State's defenseman Daniel Brickley and his No. 6 seeded Mavericks got ousted in the first round of a topsy-turvy NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament. The 6'3" 205 lb. defenseman went undrafted and is skipping his senior season to turn pro and TSN's Bob McKenzie tweeted last night that five teams, without naming them, are said to be in the running for the free agent d-mans services.
The usual suspects like Pittsburgh and Chicago will likely be in the mix for a player that is widely regarded as the best FA college player turning pro this year. Those are two organizations that have won six Stanley Cups (three each) dating back to the 2008-09 season and both are always on the prowl for inexpensive help, especially on the blueline, to help ease the crunch of superstars signed to long-term deals.
Both Pittsburgh and Chicago have proven to be class organizations the past decade plus and can put forth an alluring package to a player looking to begin his pro career.
The Buffalo Sabres may also be in the mix, and as they've shown in the past, upper-level free agents like fellow Maverick Casey Nelson two years ago and last year signed UMASS-Lowell's top scorer, CJ Smith. Both Nelson and Smith played big rolls in helping move the Rochester Americans into a playoff spot after a three-year absence. Nelson spent most of last season with the Amerks while getting 11 games with the big club while Smith has been plying his trade in Rochester and presently leads the team in scoring with 43 points (17+29) in 54 games.
This will be GM Jason Botterill's first foray into college free agency as the big dog and the organization could really use a shot in the arm. Botterill's Sabres have had a very poor season and if Brickley was watching at all last night, he came across a dismal performance by a team that's ready for the off season.
There's very little the last place Sabres have to offer outside of Jack Eichel and a somewhat quick route to regular NHL duty. Granted, Botterill is hell bent on incubating all his prospects (the length of which depends upon their development) so a player like Brickley may not start out on the big club out of camp were he to sign in Buffalo. Yet, with plenty of openings on the Sabres blueline at this juncture, a player like Brickley with NHL size, offensive acumen (10 goals, 25 assists in 39 games this year) along with a booming, it wouldn't be too long for him should he adapt well to the NHL game.
Buffalo has two draft picks in forward Casey Mittelstadt and defenseman Will Borgen who's college seasons ended early. Mittelstadt just finished his freshman season and could very well sign his first pro contract this off season. Borgen will be a senior should he stay in school one more year. Both seem ready to make the jump.
One thing that usually goes unnoticed to many in Sabreland is the commitment made by ownership to USA Hockey and pouring resources in to local talent. Botterill himself comes from the college ranks and has always had an affinity for landing and developing college players. He'll have a tough task at hand in trying to lure a player like Brickley to Buffalo, but might want to reiterate to his team that there are a lot of eyes watching their games. Hopefully Brickley was doing something else last night.
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