Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-2-2017
It was the Jack Eichel/Ryan O'Reilly show in the month of March for the Buffalo Sabres and one could also say that they did their best dancing on the powerplay. Eichel lead the team in points (18,) goals (9) and assists (9) last month while O'Reilly was second in all three categories with 13 points, six goals and seven assists. Eichel had 10 powerplay points (4+6) while O'Reilly was second with six points (3+3.)
The powerplay that went 15 of 36 (41.6%) in March along with a strong penalty kill that killed off six of 39 chances (84.6%) meant a huge discrepancy in 5v5 scoring which made for some abysmal numbers in the plus/minus category. Only one Sabre, defenseman Josh Gorges, was above water at +1 while two others--Nicolas Deslauriers and Marcus Foligno--managed to break even. Everyone else was in the minus column with defenseman Jake McCabe, surprisingly at the bottom with a minus-9 for the month.
Goaltending remained stable as Robin Lehner kept his goals-against average (2.63) and save percentage (.922) exactly the same. Lehner went 5-5-1 in the month of March while backup Anders Nilsson went 1-2-0.
The Sabres are back on the ice for a matinee vs. the NY Islanders. Prior to the 3 p.m. start is Fan Appreciation Day which includes 40% off at the Sabres store plus the first Family Appreciation Day with events slated for starting at 1 p.m. in Tops Alumni Plaza.
On the ice newly signed college free agent forward C.J. Smith (UMASS Lowell) will make his NHL debut today for Buffalo. The 5'11" 185 lb. native of Des Moines, IA replaces forward Kyle Okposo who's still out with an illness.
According to Sabres.com, these were the lines at practice yesterday:
Kane-O'Reilly-Ennis
Foligno-Eichel-Reinhart
Smith-Rodrigues-Gionta
Carrier-Girgensons-Moulson
Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen returns to the lineup this afternoon after serving a three-game suspension for a hit on Pittsburgh's Jake Guentzel. Ristolainen leads the team in average time on ice (26:42) and assists (39) and is fifth on the team in scoring with 44 points.
The Sabres have four more games remaining after today. They'll play rival Toronto tomorrow at KeyBank Center then will finish off their final homestand of the season with a visit from the Montreal Canadiens. Buffalo finishes the 2016-17 campaign on a trip to Florida with a back-to-back against the Panthers on Saturday and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday.
Buffalo Sabres 2016-17 Individual Stats leaders:
Points
--October: Okposo, O'Reilly, Ristolainen, 7; Moulson, Brian Gionta, 5
--November: Okposo, Reinhart, 8; O'Reilly, 5
--December: Ristolainen, 15; Eichel, Kane, Reinhart, 10
--January: Kane, O'Reilly, 11; Eichel, Gionta, 10
--February: Eichel, 16; O'Reilly, Okposo, 10
--March: Eichel, 18; O'Reilly, 13; Reinhart, 8
Goals
--October: Okposo, Moulson 4; O'Reilly, Brian Gionta, 3
--November: Reinhart, 4; O'Reilly, Okposo, Moulson, Foligno, 3
--December: Kane, 8; Eichel, 6; Reinhart, Okposo, Gionta, Larsson, Ristolainen, 3
--January: Kane, 6; Eichel, Okposo, Gionta, 5
--February: Kane, 8; O'Reilly, Reinhart, Okposo, 4
--March: Eichel, 9; O'Reilly, 6; Kane, 4
Powerplay Goals
--October: Moulson, 4; O'Reilly, 2; Okposo, Sam Reinhart, 1
--November: Moulson, Okposo, 2; Eichel, Reinhart, O'Reilly, Larsson, Franson, 1
--December: Okposo, 3; Reinhart, 2; Eichel, Kane, Moulson, Ristolainen, 1
--January: Eichel, 3; Reinhart, Okposo, 2
--February: Reinhart, 3; O'Reilly, 2; Eichel, Moulson, 1
--March: Eichel, 4; O'Reilly, 3; Kane, Moulson, Gionta, 2
Assists
--October: Ristolainen, 7; O'Reilly, 4; Reinhart, Okposo, Franson, 3
--November: Okposo, 5; Reinhart, Ristolainen, 4; Kane, Franson, 3
--December: Ristolainen, 12; Reinhart, 7; O'Reilly, Okposo, Moulson, Gionta, Foligno, 5
--January: O'Reilly, 9; Reinhart, 6; Kane, 5
--February: Eichel, 14; Ristolainen, 8; O'Reilly, Okposo, 6
--March: Eichel, 9; O'Reilly,7; Ristolainen, 6
Powerplay Assists
--October: Ristolainen, 6; Okposo, 3; O'Reilly, Reinhart, 2
--November: Okposo, 4; O'Reilly, Reinhart, Ristolainen, 2
--December: Ristolainen, 5; O'Reilly, 3; Eichel, Moulson, 2
--January: O'Reilly, 4; Ristolainen, 3; Eichel, Kane, Reinhart, Okposo, 2
--February: Ristolainen, 5; Eichel, Okposo, 3
--March: Eichel, 6; O'Reilly, Okposo, Ristolainen, 3
Primary Assists
--October: O'Reilly, Reinhart, Ristolainen, 3; Gionta, Girgensons, 2
--November: Okposo, Kane, Reinhart, 3; Gionta, 2
--December: Ristolainen, 6; Reinhart, Okposo, 4;
--January: O'Reilly, 7; Reinhart, 6; Franson, 4
--February: Eichel, 8 Okposo, 5; Ristolainen, 4
--March: O'Reilly, 5; Eichel, Moulson, 4; Ennis, Foligno, Ristolainen, 3
Plus/Minus
--October: Gionta +3; Okposo, Franson +2
--November: Carrier +2; O'Reilly +1; Reinhart, Grant, Fedun, even
--December: Foligno +5; McCabe +3; Franson +2
--January: O'Reilly, +6; Kane, Girgensons, +4; Fedun Moulson, +3
--February: Bailey, +5; Ennis, +4; Moulson, +3
--March: Gorges, +1; Deslauriers, Foligno, 0; Reinhart, -1
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: Tyler Ennis -4; Deslauriers, Grant -3
--November: Kane, Gionta -5; Larsson, -4
--December: Kulikov, Bogosian -6; Kane -5
--January: Eichel, Foligno, C. O'Reilly, Bogosian, -5; Franson, -4
--February: Kulikov, -7; Kane, -6; Reinhart, Gionta, -4
--March: McCabe, -9; Rodrigues, Kulikov, -6; Bailey, -5
Goalies (composite)
Robin Lehner
--October: 2-2-1; 2.61 GAA; .913 Sv%; 0 shutouts
--November: 5-7-3; 2.40; .921; 0
--December: 8-12-5; 2.51; .921; 0
--January: 12-13-5; 2.64; .918; 0
--February: 17-18-7; 2.63; .922; 2
--March: 22-23-8; 2.63; .922; 2
Anders Nilsson
--October: 1-1-1; 1.96 GAA; .937 Sv%; 1 shutout
--November: 3-2-2; 2.20; .939; 1
--December: 5-3-3; 2.47; .925; 1
--January: 8-7-4: 2.60; .923; 1
--February: 9-8-4; 2.69; .921; 1
--March: 10-10-4; 2.73; .920; 1
Showing posts with label 2016-17 Individual Stats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2016-17 Individual Stats. Show all posts
Monday, April 3, 2017
Friday, March 3, 2017
Buffalo Sabres 2016-17 Individual Stats--February, TDL Edition
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 3-2-2017
Well, for those who took off work to be in on the action at the NHL's Trade Deadline Day, what a waste of time that was. A total of 10 trades were made yesterday by the 3 p.m. deadline and none involved the Buffalo Sabres.
The ta-do yesterday and today is, how could Buffalo GM Tim Murray not move any of his pending unrestricted free agents. Simply put there wasn't a big enough market for the likes of defensemen Dmitry Kulikov and Cody Franson, even though he kept things in perspective concerning the return. Murray stood at the podium yesterday evening talking about the non-event that was the TDL, looking somewhat disappointed and a bit miffed at not being able to get something done. According to Murray, he'd been in conversations with other GM's concerning Kulikov, but seemed to imply that injuries kept anything from getting done.
You can't blame any GM in the league for having reservations. Any scout that came to see Kulikov play had to leave with a poor impression as the veteran defenseman has struggled mightily all season.
The only other player in play was captain Brian Gionta, whom Murray said he had a call on. Murray contacted Gionta and the captain reiterated that he wanted to remain with the team and the GM respecting that.
With the trade deadline now come and gone and nothing happening in Buffalo, what we've seen on the roster is what we've got for the final 19 games of the regular season. The Sabres are at home tonight vs. the Arizona Coyotes and head coach Dan Bylsma looks intent upon shaking his team out of their present four-game winless streak by juggling the forward lines. Here were the lines at practice today (from Jourdon LaBarber, sabres.com):
Tyler Ennis-Ryan O'Reilly-Kyle Okposo
Marcus Foligno-Jack Eichel-Sam Reinhart
Evander Kane-Zemgus Girgensons-Brian Gionta
Matt Moulson-Evan Rodrigues-Justin Bailey
The "big" move is Bailey and Ennis switching spots. Bailey once again showed promise in a top-six role but it faded as he ended February with only a goal and two assists in 13 game, although he lead the team in plus/minus for the month with a plus-5.
Ennis has been relegated to fourth-line duty but managed to double Bailey's number by scoring two goals and adding four assists. He was second on the team with a plus-4.
Bylsma's obsession with Foligno continues as he gets another shot in the top-six while Kane, who lead the team with eight goals in February, drops back down to the third line. Gionta had a one-game stint in the top-six switching places with Reinhart, but he's back where he belong--on the third line--while Reinhart is where he belongs--on Eichel's wing.
Speaking of "Jack Flash," watching him and Kane fly up ice was a lot of fun. For most of the month the Kane and Eichel were together and although Eichel only had two goals in the month of February, he lead the team with 14 assists, eight being of the primary variety and he was in on six of Kane's eight goals.
On the downside, Kulikov was a minus-7 for the month while Kane was a minus-6.
With the team basically treading water during a 6-6-2 month of February, it's not surprising that we didn't see much movement statistically from the Sabres goaltenders although Robin Lehner did post his first two shutouts of the season.
It's the final month and a half of the season and the pressure is really off the team right now. There's just a glimmer of hope for a playoff spot and this is usually the time we see some players coming to the fore. But look over the past two months and see who the drivers were on this team. Those are the ones that welcomed the pressure and are ready for the next step--Eichel (27 pts,) Kane (14 goals,) O'Reilly (21 points) and Lehner. There are others who've played well but just haven't hit the scoresheet and there are rooks like Bailey and Rodrigues who are learning the ropes.\
This is the team we've been watching, and it will be the team we'll be watching for the rest of the season.
Buffalo Sabres 2016-17 Individual Stats leaders:
Points
--October: Okposo, O'Reilly, Ristolainen, 7; Moulson, Brian Gionta, 5
--November: Okposo, Reinhart, 8; O'Reilly, 5
--December: Ristolainen, 15; Eichel, Kane, Reinhart, 10
--January: Kane, O'Reilly, 11; Eichel, Gionta, 10
--February: Eichel, 16; O'Reilly, Okposo, 10
Goals
--October: Okposo, Moulson 4; O'Reilly, Brian Gionta, 3
--November: Reinhart, 4; O'Reilly, Okposo, Moulson, Foligno, 3
--December: Kane, 8; Eichel, 6; Reinhart, Okposo, Gionta, Larsson, Ristolainen, 3
--January: Kane, 6; Eichel, Okposo, Gionta, 5
--February: Kane, 8; O'Reilly, Reinhart, Okposo, 4
Powerplay Goals
--October: Moulson, 4; O'Reilly, 2; Okposo, Sam Reinhart, 1
--November: Moulson, Okposo, 2; Eichel, Reinhart, O'Reilly, Larsson, Franson, 1
--December: Okposo, 3; Reinhart, 2; Eichel, Kane, Moulson, Ristolainen, 1
--January: Eichel, 3; Reinhart, Okposo, 2
--February: Reinhart, 3; O'Reilly, 2; Eichel, Moulson, 1
Assists
--October: Ristolainen, 7; O'Reilly, 4; Reinhart, Okposo, Franson, 3
--November: Okposo, 5; Reinhart, Ristolainen, 4; Kane, Franson, 3
--December: Ristolainen, 12; Reinhart, 7; O'Reilly, Okposo, Moulson, Gionta, Foligno, 5
--January: O'Reilly, 9; Reinhart, 6; Kane, 5
--February: Eichel, 14; Ristolainen, 8; O'Reilly, Okposo, 6
Powerplay Assists
--October: Ristolainen, 6; Okposo, 3; O'Reilly, Reinhart, 2
--November: Okposo, 4; O'Reilly, Reinhart, Ristolainen, 2
--December: Ristolainen, 5; O'Reilly, 3; Eichel, Moulson, 2
--January: O'Reilly, 4; Ristolainen, 3; Eichel, Kane, Reinhart, Okposo, 2
--February: Ristolainen, 5; Eichel, Okposo, 3
Primary Assists
--October: O'Reilly, Reinhart, Ristolainen, 3; Gionta, Girgensons, 2
--November: Okposo, Kane, Reinhart, 3; Gionta, 2
--December: Ristolainen, 6; Reinhart, Okposo, 4;
--January: O'Reilly, 7; Reinhart, 6; Franson, 4
--February: Eichel, 8 Okposo, 5; Ristolainen, 4
Plus/Minus
--October: Gionta +3; Okposo, Franson +2
--November: Carrier +2; O'Reilly +1; Reinhart, Grant, Fedun, even
--December: Foligno +5; McCabe +3; Franson +2
--January: O'Reilly, +6; Kane, Girgensons, +4; Fedun Moulson, +3
--February: Bailey, +5; Ennis, +4; Moulson, +3
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: Tyler Ennis -4; Deslauriers, Grant -3
--November: Kane, Gionta -5; Larsson, -4
--December: Kulikov, Bogosian -6; Kane -5
--January: Eichel, Foligno, C. O'Reilly, Bogosian, -5; Franson, -4
--February: Kulikov, -7; Kane, -6; Reinhart, Gionta, -4
Goalies (composite)
Robin Lehner
--October: 2-2-1; 2.61 GAA; .913 Sv%; 0 shutouts
--November: 5-7-3; 2.40; .921; 0
--December: 8-12-5; 2.51; .921; 0
--January: 12-13-5; 2.64; .918; 0
--February: 17-18-7; 2.63; .922; 2
Anders Nilsson
--October: 1-1-1; 1.96 GAA; .937 Sv%; 1 shutout
--November: 3-2-2; 2.20; .939; 1
--December: 5-3-3; 2.47; .925; 1
--January: 8-7-4: 2.60; .923; 1
--February: 9-8-4; 2.69; .921; 1
Well, for those who took off work to be in on the action at the NHL's Trade Deadline Day, what a waste of time that was. A total of 10 trades were made yesterday by the 3 p.m. deadline and none involved the Buffalo Sabres.
The ta-do yesterday and today is, how could Buffalo GM Tim Murray not move any of his pending unrestricted free agents. Simply put there wasn't a big enough market for the likes of defensemen Dmitry Kulikov and Cody Franson, even though he kept things in perspective concerning the return. Murray stood at the podium yesterday evening talking about the non-event that was the TDL, looking somewhat disappointed and a bit miffed at not being able to get something done. According to Murray, he'd been in conversations with other GM's concerning Kulikov, but seemed to imply that injuries kept anything from getting done.
You can't blame any GM in the league for having reservations. Any scout that came to see Kulikov play had to leave with a poor impression as the veteran defenseman has struggled mightily all season.
The only other player in play was captain Brian Gionta, whom Murray said he had a call on. Murray contacted Gionta and the captain reiterated that he wanted to remain with the team and the GM respecting that.
With the trade deadline now come and gone and nothing happening in Buffalo, what we've seen on the roster is what we've got for the final 19 games of the regular season. The Sabres are at home tonight vs. the Arizona Coyotes and head coach Dan Bylsma looks intent upon shaking his team out of their present four-game winless streak by juggling the forward lines. Here were the lines at practice today (from Jourdon LaBarber, sabres.com):
Tyler Ennis-Ryan O'Reilly-Kyle Okposo
Marcus Foligno-Jack Eichel-Sam Reinhart
Evander Kane-Zemgus Girgensons-Brian Gionta
Matt Moulson-Evan Rodrigues-Justin Bailey
The "big" move is Bailey and Ennis switching spots. Bailey once again showed promise in a top-six role but it faded as he ended February with only a goal and two assists in 13 game, although he lead the team in plus/minus for the month with a plus-5.
Ennis has been relegated to fourth-line duty but managed to double Bailey's number by scoring two goals and adding four assists. He was second on the team with a plus-4.
Bylsma's obsession with Foligno continues as he gets another shot in the top-six while Kane, who lead the team with eight goals in February, drops back down to the third line. Gionta had a one-game stint in the top-six switching places with Reinhart, but he's back where he belong--on the third line--while Reinhart is where he belongs--on Eichel's wing.
Speaking of "Jack Flash," watching him and Kane fly up ice was a lot of fun. For most of the month the Kane and Eichel were together and although Eichel only had two goals in the month of February, he lead the team with 14 assists, eight being of the primary variety and he was in on six of Kane's eight goals.
On the downside, Kulikov was a minus-7 for the month while Kane was a minus-6.
With the team basically treading water during a 6-6-2 month of February, it's not surprising that we didn't see much movement statistically from the Sabres goaltenders although Robin Lehner did post his first two shutouts of the season.
It's the final month and a half of the season and the pressure is really off the team right now. There's just a glimmer of hope for a playoff spot and this is usually the time we see some players coming to the fore. But look over the past two months and see who the drivers were on this team. Those are the ones that welcomed the pressure and are ready for the next step--Eichel (27 pts,) Kane (14 goals,) O'Reilly (21 points) and Lehner. There are others who've played well but just haven't hit the scoresheet and there are rooks like Bailey and Rodrigues who are learning the ropes.\
This is the team we've been watching, and it will be the team we'll be watching for the rest of the season.
Buffalo Sabres 2016-17 Individual Stats leaders:
Points
--October: Okposo, O'Reilly, Ristolainen, 7; Moulson, Brian Gionta, 5
--November: Okposo, Reinhart, 8; O'Reilly, 5
--December: Ristolainen, 15; Eichel, Kane, Reinhart, 10
--January: Kane, O'Reilly, 11; Eichel, Gionta, 10
--February: Eichel, 16; O'Reilly, Okposo, 10
Goals
--October: Okposo, Moulson 4; O'Reilly, Brian Gionta, 3
--November: Reinhart, 4; O'Reilly, Okposo, Moulson, Foligno, 3
--December: Kane, 8; Eichel, 6; Reinhart, Okposo, Gionta, Larsson, Ristolainen, 3
--January: Kane, 6; Eichel, Okposo, Gionta, 5
--February: Kane, 8; O'Reilly, Reinhart, Okposo, 4
Powerplay Goals
--October: Moulson, 4; O'Reilly, 2; Okposo, Sam Reinhart, 1
--November: Moulson, Okposo, 2; Eichel, Reinhart, O'Reilly, Larsson, Franson, 1
--December: Okposo, 3; Reinhart, 2; Eichel, Kane, Moulson, Ristolainen, 1
--January: Eichel, 3; Reinhart, Okposo, 2
--February: Reinhart, 3; O'Reilly, 2; Eichel, Moulson, 1
Assists
--October: Ristolainen, 7; O'Reilly, 4; Reinhart, Okposo, Franson, 3
--November: Okposo, 5; Reinhart, Ristolainen, 4; Kane, Franson, 3
--December: Ristolainen, 12; Reinhart, 7; O'Reilly, Okposo, Moulson, Gionta, Foligno, 5
--January: O'Reilly, 9; Reinhart, 6; Kane, 5
--February: Eichel, 14; Ristolainen, 8; O'Reilly, Okposo, 6
Powerplay Assists
--October: Ristolainen, 6; Okposo, 3; O'Reilly, Reinhart, 2
--November: Okposo, 4; O'Reilly, Reinhart, Ristolainen, 2
--December: Ristolainen, 5; O'Reilly, 3; Eichel, Moulson, 2
--January: O'Reilly, 4; Ristolainen, 3; Eichel, Kane, Reinhart, Okposo, 2
--February: Ristolainen, 5; Eichel, Okposo, 3
Primary Assists
--October: O'Reilly, Reinhart, Ristolainen, 3; Gionta, Girgensons, 2
--November: Okposo, Kane, Reinhart, 3; Gionta, 2
--December: Ristolainen, 6; Reinhart, Okposo, 4;
--January: O'Reilly, 7; Reinhart, 6; Franson, 4
--February: Eichel, 8 Okposo, 5; Ristolainen, 4
Plus/Minus
--October: Gionta +3; Okposo, Franson +2
--November: Carrier +2; O'Reilly +1; Reinhart, Grant, Fedun, even
--December: Foligno +5; McCabe +3; Franson +2
--January: O'Reilly, +6; Kane, Girgensons, +4; Fedun Moulson, +3
--February: Bailey, +5; Ennis, +4; Moulson, +3
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: Tyler Ennis -4; Deslauriers, Grant -3
--November: Kane, Gionta -5; Larsson, -4
--December: Kulikov, Bogosian -6; Kane -5
--January: Eichel, Foligno, C. O'Reilly, Bogosian, -5; Franson, -4
--February: Kulikov, -7; Kane, -6; Reinhart, Gionta, -4
Goalies (composite)
Robin Lehner
--October: 2-2-1; 2.61 GAA; .913 Sv%; 0 shutouts
--November: 5-7-3; 2.40; .921; 0
--December: 8-12-5; 2.51; .921; 0
--January: 12-13-5; 2.64; .918; 0
--February: 17-18-7; 2.63; .922; 2
Anders Nilsson
--October: 1-1-1; 1.96 GAA; .937 Sv%; 1 shutout
--November: 3-2-2; 2.20; .939; 1
--December: 5-3-3; 2.47; .925; 1
--January: 8-7-4: 2.60; .923; 1
--February: 9-8-4; 2.69; .921; 1
Friday, February 3, 2017
Buffalo Sabres 2016-17 Individual Stats--January
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 2-2-2017
As mentioned in the Team Stats blog, the Sabres did a lot more scoring in the month of January than they have during any month this year. Buffalo averaged 3.23 goals/game last month, but it came at the expense of goal-against which rose as well. In the end the Sabres goal-differential only dipped by two as they scored 42 goals for the month but gave up 40 in the process.
The month of January belonged to Evander Kane as he lead the team with 11 points in 13 games, lead the team in goals (6,) hit the board in assists (5) and managed a second-best plus-4 for the month. Kane's linemates also made their presence known with Brian Gionta's nine points on five goals and four assists while center Zemgus Girgensons was a plus-4. In all the trio combined for 14 goals, 13 assists and finished with a cumulative plus-9 rating.
When the Montreal Canadiens did a number on the Sabres on Tuesday to finish the month, many players took a hit in the plus/minus column but none moreso than defenseman Zach Bogosian who was on the ice for all five Montreal goals. That minus-five rating destroyed a very sound month for Bogo as he was even for the month before that game. Others joining him in the minus-five column were Jack Eichel and Marcus Foligno and fourth-liner Cal O'Reilly who was on the ice for no more than 8:15 seconds in the seven games he appeared in last month. Foligno's plus/minus took a precipitous drop from a plus-five in the month of December to a minus-five for the month of January while playing on Eichel's line.
Both Ryan O'Reilly and Sam "The Quiet One" Reinhart had quiet months with only two goals each but they did some great set-up work as they lead the team in assists with nine and six, respectively. All six of Reinhart's assists were primary while seven of O'Reilly's nine were of the primary variety.
With head coach Dan Bylsma getting his forwards and defense corps moving up ice, the goaltending duo of Robin Lehner and Anders Nilsson felt the brunt of the offensive focus. Lehner got torched for five goals at Montreal, but he was rendered helpless on nearly every one of them. Both goalies now have a goals-against average of 2.60 or greater while Nilsson has managed to keep his save percentage above .920.
The Sabres kick off the month of February with a tilt against the NY Rangers tonight. It's the third month in a row they start the month against the Rangers. Buffalo defeated NY 4-3 at Key Bank Center on December 1 then beat them 4-1 at Madison Square Garden on January 3. Eichel has three goals in the two games vs. the Rangers including third period game-tying and game-winning goals in the December matchup.
Buffalo Sabres 2016-17 Individual Stats leaders:
Points
--October: Okposo, O'Reilly, Ristolainen, 7; Moulson, Brian Gionta, 5
--November: Okposo, Reinhart, 8; O'Reilly, 5
--December: Ristolainen, 15; Eichel, Kane, Reinhart, 10
--January: Kane, O'Reilly, 11; Eichel, Gionta, 10
Goals
--October: Okposo, Moulson 4; O'Reilly, Brian Gionta, 3
--November: Reinhart, 4; O'Reilly, Okposo, Moulson, Foligno, 3
--December: Kane, 8; Eichel, 6; Reinhart, Okposo, Gionta, Larsson, Ristolainen, 3
--January: Kane, 6; Eichel, Okposo, Gionta, 5
Powerplay Goals
--October: Moulson, 4; O'Reilly, 2; Okposo, Sam Reinhart, 1
--November: Moulson, Okposo, 2; Eichel, Reinhart, O'Reilly, Larsson, Franson, 1
--December: Okposo, 3; Reinhart, 2; Eichel, Kane, Moulson, Ristolainen, 1
--January: Eichel, 3; Reinhart, Okposo, 2
Assists
--October: Ristolainen, 7; O'Reilly, 4; Reinhart, Okposo, Franson, 3
--November: Okposo, 5; Reinhart, Ristolainen, 4; Kane, Franson, 3
--December: Ristolainen, 12; Reinhart, 7; O'Reilly, Okposo, Moulson, Gionta, Foligno, 5
--January: O'Reilly, 9; Reinhart, 6; Kane, 5
Powerplay Assists
--October: Ristolainen, 6; Okposo, 3; O'Reilly, Reinhart, 2
--November: Okposo, 4; O'Reilly, Reinhart, Ristolainen, 2
--December: Ristolainen, 5; O'Reilly, 3; Eichel, Moulson, 2
--January: O'Reilly, 4; Ristolainen, 3; Eichel, Kane, Reinhart, Okposo, 2
Primary Assists
--October: O'Reilly, Reinhart, Ristolainen, 3; Gionta, Girgensons, 2
--November: Okposo, Kane, Reinhart, 3; Gionta, 2
--December: Ristolainen, 6; Reinhart, Okposo, 4;
--January: O'Reilly, 7; Reinhart, 6; Franson, 4
Plus/Minus
--October: Gionta +3; Okposo, Franson +2
--November: Carrier +2; O'Reilly +1; Reinhart, Grant, Fedun, even
--December: Foligno +5; McCabe +3; Franson +2
--January: O'Reilly, +6; Kane, Girgensons, +4; Fedun Moulson, +3
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: Tyler Ennis -4; Deslauriers, Grant -3
--November: Kane, Gionta -5; Larsson, -4
--December: Kulikov, Bogosian -6; Kane -5
--January: Eichel, Foligno, C. O'Reilly, Bogosian, -5; Franson, -4
Goalies (composite)
Robin Lehner
--October: 2-2-1; 2.61 GAA; .913 Sv%; 0 shutouts
--November: 5-7-3; 2.40; .921; 0
--December: 8-12-5; 2.51; .921; 0
--January: 12-13-5; 2.64; .918; 0
Anders Nilsson
--October: 1-1-1; 1.96 GAA; .937 Sv%; 1 shutout
--November: 3-2-2; 2.20; .939; 1
--December: 5-3-3; 2.47; .925; 1
--January: 8-7-4: 2.60; .923; 1
As mentioned in the Team Stats blog, the Sabres did a lot more scoring in the month of January than they have during any month this year. Buffalo averaged 3.23 goals/game last month, but it came at the expense of goal-against which rose as well. In the end the Sabres goal-differential only dipped by two as they scored 42 goals for the month but gave up 40 in the process.
The month of January belonged to Evander Kane as he lead the team with 11 points in 13 games, lead the team in goals (6,) hit the board in assists (5) and managed a second-best plus-4 for the month. Kane's linemates also made their presence known with Brian Gionta's nine points on five goals and four assists while center Zemgus Girgensons was a plus-4. In all the trio combined for 14 goals, 13 assists and finished with a cumulative plus-9 rating.
When the Montreal Canadiens did a number on the Sabres on Tuesday to finish the month, many players took a hit in the plus/minus column but none moreso than defenseman Zach Bogosian who was on the ice for all five Montreal goals. That minus-five rating destroyed a very sound month for Bogo as he was even for the month before that game. Others joining him in the minus-five column were Jack Eichel and Marcus Foligno and fourth-liner Cal O'Reilly who was on the ice for no more than 8:15 seconds in the seven games he appeared in last month. Foligno's plus/minus took a precipitous drop from a plus-five in the month of December to a minus-five for the month of January while playing on Eichel's line.
Both Ryan O'Reilly and Sam "The Quiet One" Reinhart had quiet months with only two goals each but they did some great set-up work as they lead the team in assists with nine and six, respectively. All six of Reinhart's assists were primary while seven of O'Reilly's nine were of the primary variety.
With head coach Dan Bylsma getting his forwards and defense corps moving up ice, the goaltending duo of Robin Lehner and Anders Nilsson felt the brunt of the offensive focus. Lehner got torched for five goals at Montreal, but he was rendered helpless on nearly every one of them. Both goalies now have a goals-against average of 2.60 or greater while Nilsson has managed to keep his save percentage above .920.
The Sabres kick off the month of February with a tilt against the NY Rangers tonight. It's the third month in a row they start the month against the Rangers. Buffalo defeated NY 4-3 at Key Bank Center on December 1 then beat them 4-1 at Madison Square Garden on January 3. Eichel has three goals in the two games vs. the Rangers including third period game-tying and game-winning goals in the December matchup.
Buffalo Sabres 2016-17 Individual Stats leaders:
Points
--October: Okposo, O'Reilly, Ristolainen, 7; Moulson, Brian Gionta, 5
--November: Okposo, Reinhart, 8; O'Reilly, 5
--December: Ristolainen, 15; Eichel, Kane, Reinhart, 10
--January: Kane, O'Reilly, 11; Eichel, Gionta, 10
Goals
--October: Okposo, Moulson 4; O'Reilly, Brian Gionta, 3
--November: Reinhart, 4; O'Reilly, Okposo, Moulson, Foligno, 3
--December: Kane, 8; Eichel, 6; Reinhart, Okposo, Gionta, Larsson, Ristolainen, 3
--January: Kane, 6; Eichel, Okposo, Gionta, 5
Powerplay Goals
--October: Moulson, 4; O'Reilly, 2; Okposo, Sam Reinhart, 1
--November: Moulson, Okposo, 2; Eichel, Reinhart, O'Reilly, Larsson, Franson, 1
--December: Okposo, 3; Reinhart, 2; Eichel, Kane, Moulson, Ristolainen, 1
--January: Eichel, 3; Reinhart, Okposo, 2
Assists
--October: Ristolainen, 7; O'Reilly, 4; Reinhart, Okposo, Franson, 3
--November: Okposo, 5; Reinhart, Ristolainen, 4; Kane, Franson, 3
--December: Ristolainen, 12; Reinhart, 7; O'Reilly, Okposo, Moulson, Gionta, Foligno, 5
--January: O'Reilly, 9; Reinhart, 6; Kane, 5
Powerplay Assists
--October: Ristolainen, 6; Okposo, 3; O'Reilly, Reinhart, 2
--November: Okposo, 4; O'Reilly, Reinhart, Ristolainen, 2
--December: Ristolainen, 5; O'Reilly, 3; Eichel, Moulson, 2
--January: O'Reilly, 4; Ristolainen, 3; Eichel, Kane, Reinhart, Okposo, 2
Primary Assists
--October: O'Reilly, Reinhart, Ristolainen, 3; Gionta, Girgensons, 2
--November: Okposo, Kane, Reinhart, 3; Gionta, 2
--December: Ristolainen, 6; Reinhart, Okposo, 4;
--January: O'Reilly, 7; Reinhart, 6; Franson, 4
Plus/Minus
--October: Gionta +3; Okposo, Franson +2
--November: Carrier +2; O'Reilly +1; Reinhart, Grant, Fedun, even
--December: Foligno +5; McCabe +3; Franson +2
--January: O'Reilly, +6; Kane, Girgensons, +4; Fedun Moulson, +3
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: Tyler Ennis -4; Deslauriers, Grant -3
--November: Kane, Gionta -5; Larsson, -4
--December: Kulikov, Bogosian -6; Kane -5
--January: Eichel, Foligno, C. O'Reilly, Bogosian, -5; Franson, -4
Goalies (composite)
Robin Lehner
--October: 2-2-1; 2.61 GAA; .913 Sv%; 0 shutouts
--November: 5-7-3; 2.40; .921; 0
--December: 8-12-5; 2.51; .921; 0
--January: 12-13-5; 2.64; .918; 0
Anders Nilsson
--October: 1-1-1; 1.96 GAA; .937 Sv%; 1 shutout
--November: 3-2-2; 2.20; .939; 1
--December: 5-3-3; 2.47; .925; 1
--January: 8-7-4: 2.60; .923; 1
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Buffalo Sabres 2016-17 Individual Stats--December
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 1-2-2017
The thing that really jumps out while pouring over these individual stats is that the team finally has some it's leaders reach double digits in some categories, which tells us just how abysmal the Sabres offense was through the first two months of the season.
Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen powered through the Buffalo leaderboard right to the top with a 15-point month which included 12 assists and his first three goals of the season. The "Angry Finn" now has 25 points on the season which places him fourth in the league while his 22 assists places him third. Ristolainen also ranks fifth amongst NHL d-men in average time on ice with 26:42/game.
For years Sabres fans have been bemoaning the fact that Buffalo lacked a powerplay quarterback on the blueline, but they may have one now in Ristolainen. He lead the team with five powerplay assists in December and now totals 13 for the season, which places him tied for first in the league amongst defensemen with Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ristolainen is also second in overall powerplay points, one behind Hedman.
Three other players hit double digits in points for the month of December--Evander Kane, Jack Eichel and Sam "The Quiet One" Reinhart. Kane lead all Sabres with eight goals, Eichel was second with six and Reinhart was second to Ristolainen in assists with seven.
With Ristolainen emerging as a No. 1 defenseman and Eichel looking every bit the stud top-line center he was projected to be, the Sabres have two strong homegrown pieces making up the nucleus of the new core moving forward. Add in Ryan O'Reilly and Buffalo should have it's top two centers and top defenseman in place for years to come. Defining the rest of the core and what constitutes complimentary players is the rest of the puzzle.
Reinhart is an interesting study as he has his name in the top-three scoring categories this month. People tend to forget that "The Quiet One" was drafted out of the WHL as more of a set-up man which is something that's coming to the fore this season. Reinhart had seven assists in December bring his total to 14 assists overall which is second only to Ristolainen on the team. Four of his assists last month were primary bringing his total to 10 primary assists on the season tying him with Ristolainen for the team lead in that category.
A hot and cold Evander Kane was hot last month. His eight goals lead the team while his 10 points was second. Kane is a moody one and you can tell when he's disinterested by the game he plays. When he's on he's a driving force using his size, speed and attitude to barrel to the net, just like he did most of the month of December which resulted in him leading the Sabres in goals. When he's not, his disinterest shows in his nonchalant skating and desultory shots from all over the ice which are way off target. The last two games against Boston tell the latter story as he went pointless and was a minus-4 which dropped him down to a second-worst minus-5 rating for the month.
Okposo was signed by the Sabres to a long-term deal in the off season and he has his name throughout the scoring categories. If he's not leading a category he's almost always in the top-three and it's the reason he's second on the team with 23 points on 10 goals and 13 assists. His projections for the season places him a bit below than his previous three-year average but he's doing so while constantly having a different center and linemates.
The only constant in the scoring department for Buffalo this season has been the powerplay with all the aforementioned players, save for Kane, on the top unit. It's not surprising that all, except for Eichel who missed 21 games, are amongst the leaders in all scoring categories.
A big problem for the Sabres is scoring from the back-end. Cody Franson is the only defenseman other than Ristolainen with a goal, which he got on the powerplay in November. Ristolainen was the only one to score a goal last month as he tallied his first three of the season. For as much as the coaching staff would like their defensemen to join the offense, it's either not happening enough to create scoring opportunities or they just can't bury the opportunities they have.
Marcus Foligno earned some top-line minutes during December and acquitted himself well with five assists which tied him for third with a host of others but he only managed one goal and that came in the second to last game of the month. His two-way play was strong, however, as he lead the team with a plus-5 for he month. Jake McCabe was second on the team with a +3 and Franson came in at a +2. Zach Bogosian and Dmitry Kulikov were a team-worst minus-6 for the month.
Although the numbers for goaltenders Robin Lehner and Anders Nilsson didn't fluctuate too much from month to month, one would have liked to have seen a better performance from both during an important seven-game stretch against Eastern Conference foes to end the month. Beginning with the December 17 game at Carolina and ending with the New Year's Eve matinee in Boston, Buffalo's goalies gave up a combined 20 goals on 234 shots for a .914 Sv%. The team finished the 2016 portion of the season with a 1-4-2 record and dropped to the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
There was a notable improvement in scoring last month as opposed to the month of November but it was offset by slightly weaker defense and goaltending. The powerplay remained strong while the penalty kill remained weak. Is it any wonder that Buffalo had the exact same 5-6-3 December record as it had in November?
Buffalo Sabres 2016-17 Individual Stats leaders:
Points
--October: Okposo, O'Reilly, Ristolainen, 7; Moulson, Brian Gionta, 5
--November: Okposo, Reinhart, 8; O'Reilly, 5
--December: Ristolainen, 15; Eichel, Kane, Reinhart, 10
Goals
--October: Okposo, Moulson 4; O'Reilly, Brian Gionta, 3
--November: Reinhart, 4; O'Reilly, Okposo, Moulson, Foligno, 3
--December: Kane, 8; Eichel, 6; Reinhart, Okposo, Gionta, Larsson, Ristolainen, 3
Powerplay Goals
--October: Moulson, 4; O'Reilly, 2; Okposo, Sam Reinhart, 1
--November: Moulson, Okposo, 2; Eichel, Reinhart, O'Reilly, Larsson, Franson, 1
--December: Okposo, 3; Reinhart, 2; Eichel, Kane, Moulson, Ristolainen, 1
Assists
--October: Ristolainen, 7; O'Reilly, 4; Reinhart, Okposo, Franson, 3
--November: Okposo, 5; Reinhart, Ristolainen, 4; Kane, Franson, 3
--December: Ristolainen, 12; Reinhart, 7; O'Reilly, Okposo, Moulson, Gionta, Foligno, 5
Powerplay Assists
--October: Ristolainen, 6; Okposo, 3; O'Reilly, Reinhart, 2
--November: Okposo, 4; O'Reilly, Reinhart, Ristolainen, 2
--December: Ristolainen, 5; O'Reilly, 3; Eichel, Moulson, 2
Primary Assists
--October: O'Reilly, Reinhart, Ristolainen, 3; Gionta, Girgensons, 2
--November: Okposo, Kane, Reinhart, 3; Gionta, 2
--December: Ristolainen, 6; Reinhart, Okposo, 4;
Plus/Minus
--October: Gionta +3; Okposo, Franson +2
--November: Carrier +2; O'Reilly +1; Reinhart, Grant, Fedun, even
--December: Foligno +5; McCabe +3; Franson +2
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: Tyler Ennis -4; Deslauriers, Grant -3
--November: Kane, Gionta -5; Larsson, -4
--December: Kulikov, Bogosian -6; Kane -5
Goalies (composite)
Robin Lehner
--October: 2-2-1; 2.61 GAA; .913 Sv%; 0 shutouts
--November: 5-7-3; 2.40; .921; 0
--December: 8-12-5; 2.51; .921; 0
Anders Nilsson
--October: 1-1-1; 1.96 GAA; .937 Sv%; 1 shutout
--November: 3-2-2; 2.20; .939; 1
--December: 5-3-3; 2.47; .925; 1
The thing that really jumps out while pouring over these individual stats is that the team finally has some it's leaders reach double digits in some categories, which tells us just how abysmal the Sabres offense was through the first two months of the season.
Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen powered through the Buffalo leaderboard right to the top with a 15-point month which included 12 assists and his first three goals of the season. The "Angry Finn" now has 25 points on the season which places him fourth in the league while his 22 assists places him third. Ristolainen also ranks fifth amongst NHL d-men in average time on ice with 26:42/game.
For years Sabres fans have been bemoaning the fact that Buffalo lacked a powerplay quarterback on the blueline, but they may have one now in Ristolainen. He lead the team with five powerplay assists in December and now totals 13 for the season, which places him tied for first in the league amongst defensemen with Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ristolainen is also second in overall powerplay points, one behind Hedman.
Three other players hit double digits in points for the month of December--Evander Kane, Jack Eichel and Sam "The Quiet One" Reinhart. Kane lead all Sabres with eight goals, Eichel was second with six and Reinhart was second to Ristolainen in assists with seven.
With Ristolainen emerging as a No. 1 defenseman and Eichel looking every bit the stud top-line center he was projected to be, the Sabres have two strong homegrown pieces making up the nucleus of the new core moving forward. Add in Ryan O'Reilly and Buffalo should have it's top two centers and top defenseman in place for years to come. Defining the rest of the core and what constitutes complimentary players is the rest of the puzzle.
Reinhart is an interesting study as he has his name in the top-three scoring categories this month. People tend to forget that "The Quiet One" was drafted out of the WHL as more of a set-up man which is something that's coming to the fore this season. Reinhart had seven assists in December bring his total to 14 assists overall which is second only to Ristolainen on the team. Four of his assists last month were primary bringing his total to 10 primary assists on the season tying him with Ristolainen for the team lead in that category.
A hot and cold Evander Kane was hot last month. His eight goals lead the team while his 10 points was second. Kane is a moody one and you can tell when he's disinterested by the game he plays. When he's on he's a driving force using his size, speed and attitude to barrel to the net, just like he did most of the month of December which resulted in him leading the Sabres in goals. When he's not, his disinterest shows in his nonchalant skating and desultory shots from all over the ice which are way off target. The last two games against Boston tell the latter story as he went pointless and was a minus-4 which dropped him down to a second-worst minus-5 rating for the month.
Okposo was signed by the Sabres to a long-term deal in the off season and he has his name throughout the scoring categories. If he's not leading a category he's almost always in the top-three and it's the reason he's second on the team with 23 points on 10 goals and 13 assists. His projections for the season places him a bit below than his previous three-year average but he's doing so while constantly having a different center and linemates.
The only constant in the scoring department for Buffalo this season has been the powerplay with all the aforementioned players, save for Kane, on the top unit. It's not surprising that all, except for Eichel who missed 21 games, are amongst the leaders in all scoring categories.
A big problem for the Sabres is scoring from the back-end. Cody Franson is the only defenseman other than Ristolainen with a goal, which he got on the powerplay in November. Ristolainen was the only one to score a goal last month as he tallied his first three of the season. For as much as the coaching staff would like their defensemen to join the offense, it's either not happening enough to create scoring opportunities or they just can't bury the opportunities they have.
Marcus Foligno earned some top-line minutes during December and acquitted himself well with five assists which tied him for third with a host of others but he only managed one goal and that came in the second to last game of the month. His two-way play was strong, however, as he lead the team with a plus-5 for he month. Jake McCabe was second on the team with a +3 and Franson came in at a +2. Zach Bogosian and Dmitry Kulikov were a team-worst minus-6 for the month.
Although the numbers for goaltenders Robin Lehner and Anders Nilsson didn't fluctuate too much from month to month, one would have liked to have seen a better performance from both during an important seven-game stretch against Eastern Conference foes to end the month. Beginning with the December 17 game at Carolina and ending with the New Year's Eve matinee in Boston, Buffalo's goalies gave up a combined 20 goals on 234 shots for a .914 Sv%. The team finished the 2016 portion of the season with a 1-4-2 record and dropped to the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
There was a notable improvement in scoring last month as opposed to the month of November but it was offset by slightly weaker defense and goaltending. The powerplay remained strong while the penalty kill remained weak. Is it any wonder that Buffalo had the exact same 5-6-3 December record as it had in November?
Buffalo Sabres 2016-17 Individual Stats leaders:
Points
--October: Okposo, O'Reilly, Ristolainen, 7; Moulson, Brian Gionta, 5
--November: Okposo, Reinhart, 8; O'Reilly, 5
--December: Ristolainen, 15; Eichel, Kane, Reinhart, 10
Goals
--October: Okposo, Moulson 4; O'Reilly, Brian Gionta, 3
--November: Reinhart, 4; O'Reilly, Okposo, Moulson, Foligno, 3
--December: Kane, 8; Eichel, 6; Reinhart, Okposo, Gionta, Larsson, Ristolainen, 3
Powerplay Goals
--October: Moulson, 4; O'Reilly, 2; Okposo, Sam Reinhart, 1
--November: Moulson, Okposo, 2; Eichel, Reinhart, O'Reilly, Larsson, Franson, 1
--December: Okposo, 3; Reinhart, 2; Eichel, Kane, Moulson, Ristolainen, 1
Assists
--October: Ristolainen, 7; O'Reilly, 4; Reinhart, Okposo, Franson, 3
--November: Okposo, 5; Reinhart, Ristolainen, 4; Kane, Franson, 3
--December: Ristolainen, 12; Reinhart, 7; O'Reilly, Okposo, Moulson, Gionta, Foligno, 5
Powerplay Assists
--October: Ristolainen, 6; Okposo, 3; O'Reilly, Reinhart, 2
--November: Okposo, 4; O'Reilly, Reinhart, Ristolainen, 2
--December: Ristolainen, 5; O'Reilly, 3; Eichel, Moulson, 2
Primary Assists
--October: O'Reilly, Reinhart, Ristolainen, 3; Gionta, Girgensons, 2
--November: Okposo, Kane, Reinhart, 3; Gionta, 2
--December: Ristolainen, 6; Reinhart, Okposo, 4;
Plus/Minus
--October: Gionta +3; Okposo, Franson +2
--November: Carrier +2; O'Reilly +1; Reinhart, Grant, Fedun, even
--December: Foligno +5; McCabe +3; Franson +2
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: Tyler Ennis -4; Deslauriers, Grant -3
--November: Kane, Gionta -5; Larsson, -4
--December: Kulikov, Bogosian -6; Kane -5
Goalies (composite)
Robin Lehner
--October: 2-2-1; 2.61 GAA; .913 Sv%; 0 shutouts
--November: 5-7-3; 2.40; .921; 0
--December: 8-12-5; 2.51; .921; 0
Anders Nilsson
--October: 1-1-1; 1.96 GAA; .937 Sv%; 1 shutout
--November: 3-2-2; 2.20; .939; 1
--December: 5-3-3; 2.47; .925; 1
Thursday, December 1, 2016
2016-17 Individual Stats--November
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 11-30-2016
Well. It wasn't exactly how Buffalo Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma wanted it to go but, who cares? His team got a big two points, from a division rival no less, and did so by scoring five goals, a number which matched their total from five of the previous six games. Save for a four-goal outburst against the Calgary Flames, Buffalo could only muster one goal in each of their games from November 15-25 while on their way to an 0-3-2 record.
But a funny thing happened on the way to a last place spot some fans had them headed towards--Jack Eichel came back from injury. Anticipation was revved up, the team responded and Eichel proceeded to return with a goal and an assist in less than 10 minutes of the opening period last night against the Senators. From thence the Sabres would alternate between two-goal and one-goal leads but finished on top with a 5-4 win in Ottawa. "It was a little bit of haphazard game," Bylsma told the gathered media afterwards, "and there were more goals (that could have been.) Those aren't very easy on the heart."
Perhaps it was the price the team had to pay to get them out of the deep goal funk they'd been in all season.
It was only the second time in 22 games the Sabres have scored more than four goals in a game, only the third time they managed to score more than three. Of course the other 21 games were played without Eichel. The Buffalo powerplay which had been keeping the team afloat prior to his return was on fire last night going 3-5. Kyle Okposo, Eichel and Ryan O'Reilly all scored with the man advantage while Sam Reinhart and O'Reilly scored at even strength. Rasmus Ristolainen the final piece of Bylsma's top PP unit, one he'd envisioned at the beginning of the season before Eichel was lost to injury, had two powerplay assists.
Last night was a desperately needed shot in the arm for everyone in Sabreland as slogging through 21 games alternating between a Ted Nolan-type defensive struggle and tank years ineptitude made for some difficult hockey to watch. How bad was it? In 13 games prior the Sabres managed a total of 18 goals or 1.63 goals/game but somehow they managed to compile a 4-6-3 record to keep from falling off the cliff. Even with the two outbursts against Calgary and Ottawa, the individual stats are looking pretty ugly for the month of November but here goes.
Two players, Okposo and Reinhart, had pretty much been carrying what little offensive load there was to carry in November and last night's game furthered that. O'Reilly's two-goal, three-point night against Ottawa jettisoned him into the mix on only eight games played for the month. All three ended up appearing in the top scoring categories for the team.
With the powerplay doing a lot of the heavy lifting on offense, 5v5 play was under the bright light and it revealed some huge blemishes. Evander Kane, fresh off an injury that kept him out 11 games finished a minus-5 for the month as did Brian Gionta who saw his plus/minus for the season go from a plus-3 to minus-2. Johan Larsson rounded out the bottom three with a minus-4 for the month.
On the bright side, rookie Will Carrier finished a plus-2 in 12 games. O'Reilly was the only other Sabre (save for Eichel in his one game) to finish the month in the plus column (plus-1.)
Buffalo's goaltending was stout throughout the month of November with only a few klunkers out of 14 games. Back up Anders Nilsson's stats came back to earth a little bit but he came up with a 2-1-1 record this month including a huge 2-1 shootout win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Nilsson got the win last night in relief after Robin Lehner exited with a lower body injury that Bylsma labeled "day to day."
Lehner has been shouldering the bulk of the goaltending duties and despite a 3-5-2 record for the month, his GAA is down to 2.40 from 2.61 while his Sv% is up to .921 from .913.
Jack's back and so is the Sabres speed. Although I appreciate the lighter load compiling these individual stats, I wouldn't mind a little more work due to increased scoring.
Buffalo Sabres 2016-17 Individual Stats:
Points
--October: Okposo, O'Reilly, Ristolainen, 7; Moulson, Brian Gionta, 5
--November: Okposo, Reinhart, 8; O'Reilly, 5
Goals
--October: Okposo, Moulson 4; O'Reilly, Brian Gionta, 3
--November: Reinhart, 4; O'Reilly, Okposo, Moulson, Foligno, 3
Powerplay Goals
--October: Moulson, 4; O'Reilly, 2; Okposo, Sam Reinhart, 1
-- November: Moulson, Okposo, 2; Eichel, Reinhart, O'Reilly, Larsson, Franson, 1
Assists
--October: Ristolainen, 7; O'Reilly, 4; Reinhart, Okposo, Franson, 3
--November: Okposo, 5; Reinhart, Ristolainen, 4; Kane, Franson, 3
Primary Assists
--October: O'Reilly, Reinhart, Ristolainen, 3; Gionta, Zemgus Girgensons, 2
--November: Okposo, Kane, 3; Reinhart, Gionta, 2
Powerplay Assists
--October: Ristolainen, 6; Okposo, 3; O'Reilly, Reinhart, 2
--November: Okposo, 4; O'Reilly, Reinhart, Ristolainen, 2
Plus/Minus
--October: Gionta, +3; Okposo, Franson, +2
--November: Carrier,+2; O'Reilly, +1; Reinhart, Grant, Fedun, even
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: Tyler Ennis, -4; Nicolas Deslauriers, Derek Grant, -3
--November: Kane, Gionta, -5; Larsson, -4
Goalies (composite)
Robin Lehner
--October: 2-2-1; 2.61 GAA; .913 Sv%; 0 shutouts
--November: 5-7-3; 2.40; .921; 0
Anders Nilsson
--October: 1-1-1; 1.96 GAA; .937 Sv%; 1 shutout
--November: 3-2-2; 2.20; .939; 1
Linus Ullmark
--October:
Well. It wasn't exactly how Buffalo Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma wanted it to go but, who cares? His team got a big two points, from a division rival no less, and did so by scoring five goals, a number which matched their total from five of the previous six games. Save for a four-goal outburst against the Calgary Flames, Buffalo could only muster one goal in each of their games from November 15-25 while on their way to an 0-3-2 record.
But a funny thing happened on the way to a last place spot some fans had them headed towards--Jack Eichel came back from injury. Anticipation was revved up, the team responded and Eichel proceeded to return with a goal and an assist in less than 10 minutes of the opening period last night against the Senators. From thence the Sabres would alternate between two-goal and one-goal leads but finished on top with a 5-4 win in Ottawa. "It was a little bit of haphazard game," Bylsma told the gathered media afterwards, "and there were more goals (that could have been.) Those aren't very easy on the heart."
Perhaps it was the price the team had to pay to get them out of the deep goal funk they'd been in all season.
It was only the second time in 22 games the Sabres have scored more than four goals in a game, only the third time they managed to score more than three. Of course the other 21 games were played without Eichel. The Buffalo powerplay which had been keeping the team afloat prior to his return was on fire last night going 3-5. Kyle Okposo, Eichel and Ryan O'Reilly all scored with the man advantage while Sam Reinhart and O'Reilly scored at even strength. Rasmus Ristolainen the final piece of Bylsma's top PP unit, one he'd envisioned at the beginning of the season before Eichel was lost to injury, had two powerplay assists.
Last night was a desperately needed shot in the arm for everyone in Sabreland as slogging through 21 games alternating between a Ted Nolan-type defensive struggle and tank years ineptitude made for some difficult hockey to watch. How bad was it? In 13 games prior the Sabres managed a total of 18 goals or 1.63 goals/game but somehow they managed to compile a 4-6-3 record to keep from falling off the cliff. Even with the two outbursts against Calgary and Ottawa, the individual stats are looking pretty ugly for the month of November but here goes.
Two players, Okposo and Reinhart, had pretty much been carrying what little offensive load there was to carry in November and last night's game furthered that. O'Reilly's two-goal, three-point night against Ottawa jettisoned him into the mix on only eight games played for the month. All three ended up appearing in the top scoring categories for the team.
With the powerplay doing a lot of the heavy lifting on offense, 5v5 play was under the bright light and it revealed some huge blemishes. Evander Kane, fresh off an injury that kept him out 11 games finished a minus-5 for the month as did Brian Gionta who saw his plus/minus for the season go from a plus-3 to minus-2. Johan Larsson rounded out the bottom three with a minus-4 for the month.
On the bright side, rookie Will Carrier finished a plus-2 in 12 games. O'Reilly was the only other Sabre (save for Eichel in his one game) to finish the month in the plus column (plus-1.)
Buffalo's goaltending was stout throughout the month of November with only a few klunkers out of 14 games. Back up Anders Nilsson's stats came back to earth a little bit but he came up with a 2-1-1 record this month including a huge 2-1 shootout win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Nilsson got the win last night in relief after Robin Lehner exited with a lower body injury that Bylsma labeled "day to day."
Lehner has been shouldering the bulk of the goaltending duties and despite a 3-5-2 record for the month, his GAA is down to 2.40 from 2.61 while his Sv% is up to .921 from .913.
Jack's back and so is the Sabres speed. Although I appreciate the lighter load compiling these individual stats, I wouldn't mind a little more work due to increased scoring.
Buffalo Sabres 2016-17 Individual Stats:
Points
--October: Okposo, O'Reilly, Ristolainen, 7; Moulson, Brian Gionta, 5
--November: Okposo, Reinhart, 8; O'Reilly, 5
Goals
--October: Okposo, Moulson 4; O'Reilly, Brian Gionta, 3
--November: Reinhart, 4; O'Reilly, Okposo, Moulson, Foligno, 3
Powerplay Goals
--October: Moulson, 4; O'Reilly, 2; Okposo, Sam Reinhart, 1
-- November: Moulson, Okposo, 2; Eichel, Reinhart, O'Reilly, Larsson, Franson, 1
Assists
--October: Ristolainen, 7; O'Reilly, 4; Reinhart, Okposo, Franson, 3
--November: Okposo, 5; Reinhart, Ristolainen, 4; Kane, Franson, 3
Primary Assists
--October: O'Reilly, Reinhart, Ristolainen, 3; Gionta, Zemgus Girgensons, 2
--November: Okposo, Kane, 3; Reinhart, Gionta, 2
Powerplay Assists
--October: Ristolainen, 6; Okposo, 3; O'Reilly, Reinhart, 2
--November: Okposo, 4; O'Reilly, Reinhart, Ristolainen, 2
Plus/Minus
--October: Gionta, +3; Okposo, Franson, +2
--November: Carrier,
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: Tyler Ennis, -4; Nicolas Deslauriers, Derek Grant, -3
--November: Kane, Gionta, -5; Larsson, -4
Goalies (composite)
Robin Lehner
--October: 2-2-1; 2.61 GAA; .913 Sv%; 0 shutouts
--November: 5-7-3; 2.40; .921; 0
Anders Nilsson
--October: 1-1-1; 1.96 GAA; .937 Sv%; 1 shutout
--November: 3-2-2; 2.20; .939; 1
Linus Ullmark
--October:
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Buffalo Sabres 2016-17 Individual Stats--October
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 10-31-2016
The Buffalo Sabres finished the month of October on a high note with back-to-back matinee wins. On Saturday they shut out the Florida Panthers at KeyBank Center 3-0 then hopped on a plane to Winnipeg, Manitoba where they came away with a 3-1 victory over the Jets yesterday.
It's been a rough go of it for the Sabres as they've been without two top-six forwards in Jack Eichel and Evander Kane but they managed to eek out a 3-3-2 record to start the season. Eichel suffered a high-ankle sprain the day before the home opener and looks to be out until December while Kane crashed heavily into the boards in the home opener cracking three ribs in the process. Updates have Eichel out of his walking boot and Kane moving much better but an expected 4-6 week recovery time has him back on the ice in late November. By the looks of it the Sabres will be without both for another 10 games or so next month.
Without those two head coach Dan Bylsma has had to do some line juggling but after some trial and error he at least found himself two lines that appear to be clicking. The most consistent line by far has been Johan Larsson centering Marcus Foligno and captain Brian Gionta. They were put together later in the 2015-16 season and upon reforming they immediately found the same chemistry they had last year.
The other is the top line of Ryan O'Reilly centering 2016 free agent signee Kyle Okposo and Matt Moulson. O'Reilly has been his usual all-around, impact-making self although this year he's not carrying the offensive load like he did last year when he lead the team in every offensive category during the month of October. This season he finished the month in a three-way tie for the points lead with seven while leading the team in assists with four. Okposo also has seven points for a share of the team lead while he and Moulson lead the team with four goals each.
Moulson is coming off of his worst season as a pro and although he hasn't been able to light the lamp five-on-five he leads the team with four powerplay goals and he looks like a totally different player out there.
Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen joins O'Reilly and Okposo atop the Sabres leaderboard with seven points, all of them assists with six coming on the powerplay to easily lead in that category. Of note, Buffalo has yet to get a goal from a defenseman this season.
Last season defenseman Jake McCabe lead all Sabres with a plus-six plus/minus rating and he starts out the season on top once again with a plus-four. And it doesn't seem to matter who he's paired with. Last season it was Zach Bogosian, whom he started the season with, but Bylsma made a switch to get fellow d-man Dmitry Kulikov more ice time. McCabe dropped to the third-pairing alongside Cody Franson before the Philadelphia game and has been his usual solid self. He's a plus-one since the move while Franson is a plus-2. They are the only two Buffalo defensemen in the plus column.
Interesting notes on the goaltenders.
Anders Nilsson was the beneficiary of a 3-0 shutout vs. Florida on Saturday. His record improved to 1-1-1 but he saw huge improvements in his goals against average as it dropped from 2.09 to 1.96 while his save percentage leaped from .903 to .937.
Starter Robin Lehner was in net while the team was struggling to begin the season, missed three games in a row, then came back for yesterday's 3-1 victory at Winnipeg. His one-goal, 37-save performance yesterday helped him improve to 2-2-1 on the season with a 2.61 GAA and .913 Sv%.
Buffalo Sabres 2016-17 Individual Stats:
Points
--October: October: Okposo, O'Reilly, Ristolainen, 7; Moulson, Brian Gionta, 5
Goals
--October: Okposo, Moulson 4; O'Reilly, Brian Gionta, 3
Powerplay Goals
--October: Moulson, 4; O'Reilly, 2; Okposo, Sam Reinhart, 1
Assists
--October: Ristolainen, 7; O'Reilly, 4; Reinhart, Okposo, Franson, 3
Primary Assists
--October: O'Reilly, Reinhart, Ristolainen, 3; Gionta, Zemgus Girgensons, 2
Powerplay Assists
--October: Ristolainen, 6; Okposo, 3; O'Reilly, Reinhart, 2
Plus/Minus
--October: McCabe, +4; Gionta, +3; Okposo, Franson, +2
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: Tyler Ennis, -4; Nicolas Deslauriers, Derek Grant, -3:
Goalies
Robin Lehner
--October: 2-2-1; 2.61 GAA; .913 Sv%; 0 shutouts
Anders Nilsson
--October: 1-1-1; 1.96 GAA; .937 Sv%; 1 shutout
Linus Ullmark
--October:
The Buffalo Sabres finished the month of October on a high note with back-to-back matinee wins. On Saturday they shut out the Florida Panthers at KeyBank Center 3-0 then hopped on a plane to Winnipeg, Manitoba where they came away with a 3-1 victory over the Jets yesterday.
It's been a rough go of it for the Sabres as they've been without two top-six forwards in Jack Eichel and Evander Kane but they managed to eek out a 3-3-2 record to start the season. Eichel suffered a high-ankle sprain the day before the home opener and looks to be out until December while Kane crashed heavily into the boards in the home opener cracking three ribs in the process. Updates have Eichel out of his walking boot and Kane moving much better but an expected 4-6 week recovery time has him back on the ice in late November. By the looks of it the Sabres will be without both for another 10 games or so next month.
Without those two head coach Dan Bylsma has had to do some line juggling but after some trial and error he at least found himself two lines that appear to be clicking. The most consistent line by far has been Johan Larsson centering Marcus Foligno and captain Brian Gionta. They were put together later in the 2015-16 season and upon reforming they immediately found the same chemistry they had last year.
The other is the top line of Ryan O'Reilly centering 2016 free agent signee Kyle Okposo and Matt Moulson. O'Reilly has been his usual all-around, impact-making self although this year he's not carrying the offensive load like he did last year when he lead the team in every offensive category during the month of October. This season he finished the month in a three-way tie for the points lead with seven while leading the team in assists with four. Okposo also has seven points for a share of the team lead while he and Moulson lead the team with four goals each.
Moulson is coming off of his worst season as a pro and although he hasn't been able to light the lamp five-on-five he leads the team with four powerplay goals and he looks like a totally different player out there.
Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen joins O'Reilly and Okposo atop the Sabres leaderboard with seven points, all of them assists with six coming on the powerplay to easily lead in that category. Of note, Buffalo has yet to get a goal from a defenseman this season.
Last season defenseman Jake McCabe lead all Sabres with a plus-six plus/minus rating and he starts out the season on top once again with a plus-four. And it doesn't seem to matter who he's paired with. Last season it was Zach Bogosian, whom he started the season with, but Bylsma made a switch to get fellow d-man Dmitry Kulikov more ice time. McCabe dropped to the third-pairing alongside Cody Franson before the Philadelphia game and has been his usual solid self. He's a plus-one since the move while Franson is a plus-2. They are the only two Buffalo defensemen in the plus column.
Interesting notes on the goaltenders.
Anders Nilsson was the beneficiary of a 3-0 shutout vs. Florida on Saturday. His record improved to 1-1-1 but he saw huge improvements in his goals against average as it dropped from 2.09 to 1.96 while his save percentage leaped from .903 to .937.
Starter Robin Lehner was in net while the team was struggling to begin the season, missed three games in a row, then came back for yesterday's 3-1 victory at Winnipeg. His one-goal, 37-save performance yesterday helped him improve to 2-2-1 on the season with a 2.61 GAA and .913 Sv%.
Buffalo Sabres 2016-17 Individual Stats:
Points
--October: October: Okposo, O'Reilly, Ristolainen, 7; Moulson, Brian Gionta, 5
Goals
--October: Okposo, Moulson 4; O'Reilly, Brian Gionta, 3
Powerplay Goals
--October: Moulson, 4; O'Reilly, 2; Okposo, Sam Reinhart, 1
Assists
--October: Ristolainen, 7; O'Reilly, 4; Reinhart, Okposo, Franson, 3
Primary Assists
--October: O'Reilly, Reinhart, Ristolainen, 3; Gionta, Zemgus Girgensons, 2
Powerplay Assists
--October: Ristolainen, 6; Okposo, 3; O'Reilly, Reinhart, 2
Plus/Minus
--October: McCabe, +4; Gionta, +3; Okposo, Franson, +2
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: Tyler Ennis, -4; Nicolas Deslauriers, Derek Grant, -3:
Goalies
Robin Lehner
--October: 2-2-1; 2.61 GAA; .913 Sv%; 0 shutouts
Anders Nilsson
--October: 1-1-1; 1.96 GAA; .937 Sv%; 1 shutout
Linus Ullmark
--October:
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