Buffalo Sabres 2019-20 Individual Stats Leaders--February

Sabres record by month:

October       9-2-2

November   3-8-3

December   5-7-2

January       5-5-0

February     7-6-1

Whelp. Jack showed up. At least for the beginning of February. Despite playing with an injury that seemed to catch up with him on a post NHL Trade Deadline road trip that covered three games, Jack Eichel was his usual self. No word on the injury thus far but common sense might dictate that it's his back from carrying the team this season. Eichel posted all of his 13 points (5+8) and a +4 rating in the first 11games of February before being shutout and falling to a minus-2 for the month.




The first three games of Buffalo's current four-game trip featured some top-notch teams in the Western Conference and a lot of focus was placed on shutting down Eichel and his wingers Victor Olofsson and Sam Reinhart. In three games that trio was held scoreless and posted a minus-15 rating (with Eichel and Reinhart at a minus-6 each) with Buffalo losing all three games while watching their playoff hopes dwindle to Mega-millions lottery ticket status.

Buffalo struggled all over the place in February but did so in a manic way. There were games where they played stellar and things fell into place for them like in wins at the NY Rangers (3-2,) vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs (5-2,) at the Pittsburg Penguins (5-2) and vs. the Winnipeg Jets (2-1.) On the opposite end of the spectrum were some terrible performances in losses vs. the Colorado Avalanche (6-1) and at the Ottawa Senators (7-3.) Intermingled within those extremes were solid wins against the Columbus Blue Jackets twice in overtime and a couple patented Sabres collapses most recently at the Vegas Golden Knights and at the Arizona Coyotes.

We have the individual stats in front of us for the month of February, which was a very important month in terms of a possible playoff push. Buffalo left valuable points on the table in two games to end January as well a couple of games in February. They dug themselves a hole too deep to get out of and although they played a solid game against Colorado and two solid periods against Vegas, they couldn't get the job done and they're entering March effectively out of the playoff race.

As we look to the individual stats, it was Eichel and Olofsson along defensemen Rasmus Ristolainen, Rasmus Dahlin, Brandon Montour and the two-way line of Johan Larsson, Zemgus Girgensons and Kyle Okposo stepping up to the challenge. Everyone else failed including goaltending featuring veteran Carter Hutton and rookie Jonas Johansson, although they shouldn't shoulder all of the blame as the defense was a mess when they needed it most.

The games will be easier for the Sabres this month in a sense that the pressure is off. However, which players will show up with little to play for remains to be seen.

Buffalo Sabres 2018-19 Individual Stats Leaders

Points

--October: Eichel 17; Reinhart 11; Skinner, Olofsson 10

--November:  Eichel 18;  Olofsson 10;  Reinhart 9

--December:  Eichel 18;  Olofsson 14;  Reinhart 11

--January:  Reinhart, Eichel 11;  Dahlin 8;  Lazar 5

--February:  Eichel 13;  Reinhart, Olofsson, Ristolainen, Dahlin, 8

Goals

--October: Eichel, Skinner 7; Olofsson 6;  Reinhart 5

--November:  Eichel 9;  Reinhart, Olofsson 4;  Vesey, Skinner 3

--December:  Eichel 9;  Olofsson 6;  Sheary, Okposo, Girgensons, Reinhart 3

--January:  Reinhart 6;  Eichel 5;  Girgensons 3

--February:  Eichel 5;  Reinhart, Okposo 4;  Olofsson, Skinner, Vesey, Girgensons, Rodrigues, 3

Powerplay Goals

--October: Olofsson 6; Eichel 4; Reinhart, Johansson, Mittelstadt, Sheary 1

--November:  Ristolainen 1

--December:  Olofsson 3;  Eichel 2;  Dahlin, Jokiharju 1

--January:  Reinhart 4; Eichel, Okposo, Rodrigues, Ristolainen 1

--February:  Eichel 3;  Olofsson 2;  Dahlin 1

Assists

--October: Eichel 10; Dahlin 8; Reinhart 6

--November:  Eichel 9;  Dahlin, Olofsson 6;  Reinhart 5

--December:  Eichel 9;  Olofsson, Reinhart 8;  Ristolainen 7

--January:  Dahlin 7;  Eichel 6, Reinhart 5

--February:  Eichel, Ristolainen 8;  Dahlin 7;  Olofsson 5

Powerplay Assists

--October: Dahlin 7; Eichel 5; Reinhart 4

--November:  Olofsson, Eichel 1

--December:  Eichel 4;  Johansson 3;  Olofsson, Dahlin 2

--January:  Dahlin 4;  Eichel 3;  Johansson 2

--February:  Eichel, Ristolainen, Dahlin, 3;  Reinhart, Olofsson, Vesey 1

Primary Assists

--October: Eichel, Johansson, Okposo, Dahlin 4; six with 3

--November:  Eichel 6;  Ristolainen 3;  five with 2

--December:  Ristolianen, Reinhart 6;  Larsson 5;  Olofsson 4

--January:  Reinhart, Dahlin 5;  Jokiharju, Johansson, Okposo 2

--February:  Eichel 6;  Ristolainen 5; Dahlin, Miller 4

Plus/Minus

--October: Scandella +8; Johansson, Mittelstadt +5; Sobotka +4 

--November:  Eichel +8;  Vesey, Dahlin +4; five with +3 

--December:  Larsson +7;  Eichel +4;  McCabe +3

--January:  Vesey +3;  Lazar, Miller, Bogosian +1

--February:  Montour +11;  Larsson +5;  Ristolainen +3

Plus/Minus (Bottom)

--October: Girgensons, Larsson -3; Eichel, Dahlin -2; Olofsson, McCabe -1

--November:  Mittelstadt -8;  Miller -7;  Johansson -6

--December:  Skinner -7;  Johansson -4;  Dahlin, Asplund, Rodrigues -3

--January:  Johansson -6;  Sheary, Ristolainen -4;  Skinner, Larsson, Asplund -3

--February:  Reinhart, McCabe, Miller -6;  Skinner -5;  Johansson, Sheary -4

Goalies

Carter Hutton

--October: 6-1-1 record; 2.21 GAA; .926 SV%; 2 shutouts

--November:  0-4-2;  3.71 GAA;  .884 SV%;  0 shutouts

--December:  0-1-1;  5.90 GAA;  .797 SV%;  0 shutouts

--January:  0-2-0;  3.35 GAA;  .896 SV%;  0 shutouts

--February:  6-4-0;  3.09 GAA;  .903 SV%;  0 shutouts

Linus Ullmark

--October: 3-1-1 record; 2.56 GAA; .932 SV%; 1 shutouts

--November:  3-4-1;  3.29 GAA, .894 SV%;  0 shutouts

--December:  5-6-1;  2.78 GAA;  .908 SV%;  0 shutouts

--January:  5-3-0;  2.17 GAA;  .929 SV%;  0 shutouts
--February:  injured


Jonas Johansson

--February:  1-2-1;  2.68 GAA;  .899 SV%;  0 shutouts