Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
January was a tale of two players for the Buffalo Sabres amidst maddening team inconsistency. Ryan O'Reilly and Jack Eichel are the Sabres top-two centers and for the first half of the season it was O'Reilly doing the heavy lifting. While Eichel was busy acclimating himself to the NHL-game, O'Reilly was busy leading the team in every statistical category save for plus/minus. In addition to that he lead all NHL forwards in average TOI (21:52) and was tops in the NHL in the number of faceoffs taken (1267) and his 57.1% is third in the league amongst those who've taken 1,000 faceoffs or more.
O'Reilly was a busy man, to say the least. And it was somewhat of a Herculean feat as he tried to almost singlehandedly lift the Sabres out of the basement while helping the entire team acclimate to new coaches with new system. Reports always have him as first one on the ice and last one off and he even made time to work with rookie Sam Reinhart on face offs and shots after practice.
He was pretty much St. O'Reilly throughout the first few months of the season but being a mere mortal, it took a heavy toll.
Good thing for the All-Star break. Although O'Reilly is in Nashville representing Buffalo as their lone All-Star time away from the everyday grind of the NHL should serve him well. O'Reilly's numbers took a dive last month as he went from 14 points (7+7) in December to only seven (2+5) last month. Dude was at his usual pace to start the month but entered the All-Star break with zero goals in nine games although he did have five assists.
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Friday, January 29, 2016
2015-16 Team Stats--January
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
If you can say anything about the Buffalo Sabres in their first season focusing on the "build" portion of their rebuild, it's that they're consistent in their inconsistencies. Within their monthly records of 4-7-0 (Oct,) 6-5-2 (November,) and 5-7-2 (December) there were stretches of excellent play and not so good play punctuated by displays of awesomeness which were balanced by the occasional stinker. Through 50 games this season (20-26-4) the Sabres have managed to make huge strides towards the .500 fulcrum as evidenced by their 10 one-goal wins and 10 one-goal losses.
January was very similar to the 2015 portion of the campaign as the team finished 5-7-0. Buffalo started out losing three in a row, then won four of five, then found themselves on a three-game losing streak before winning the final game against Ottawa. It was a maddening display of hockey which had the fanbase caught up in manic mood-swings leaning heavily towards the negative side. However, positive individual efforts during the month, especially near the end with Jack Eichel showcasing his elite talent, kept lit Zippo lighters away from kerosene-soaked torches at the foot of Washington St.
With the way the year has gone so far, it's pretty safe to say that the Sabres won't make the playoffs for a franchise record-extending fifth consecutive season. As it stands now Buffalo is 12 points out of a playoff spot with 30 games to play. Although a precedent was set last season as the Ottawa Senators, once 12 points out, went on a run that propelled them to a 7th-seed in the Eastern Conference, the Sens were a little further along in their development and rode the Hamburglar's hot hand. Buffalo is loaded with rookies and have been besieged by injury's to the tune of 207 man-games lost to injury, according to mangameslost.com, which is second only to Edmonton's 214. That combination plus utterances from GM Tim Murray that the for sale sign is about to go up pretty much seals their fate for this season.
That and the fact that they haven't been scoring that much either.
If you can say anything about the Buffalo Sabres in their first season focusing on the "build" portion of their rebuild, it's that they're consistent in their inconsistencies. Within their monthly records of 4-7-0 (Oct,) 6-5-2 (November,) and 5-7-2 (December) there were stretches of excellent play and not so good play punctuated by displays of awesomeness which were balanced by the occasional stinker. Through 50 games this season (20-26-4) the Sabres have managed to make huge strides towards the .500 fulcrum as evidenced by their 10 one-goal wins and 10 one-goal losses.
January was very similar to the 2015 portion of the campaign as the team finished 5-7-0. Buffalo started out losing three in a row, then won four of five, then found themselves on a three-game losing streak before winning the final game against Ottawa. It was a maddening display of hockey which had the fanbase caught up in manic mood-swings leaning heavily towards the negative side. However, positive individual efforts during the month, especially near the end with Jack Eichel showcasing his elite talent, kept lit Zippo lighters away from kerosene-soaked torches at the foot of Washington St.
With the way the year has gone so far, it's pretty safe to say that the Sabres won't make the playoffs for a franchise record-extending fifth consecutive season. As it stands now Buffalo is 12 points out of a playoff spot with 30 games to play. Although a precedent was set last season as the Ottawa Senators, once 12 points out, went on a run that propelled them to a 7th-seed in the Eastern Conference, the Sens were a little further along in their development and rode the Hamburglar's hot hand. Buffalo is loaded with rookies and have been besieged by injury's to the tune of 207 man-games lost to injury, according to mangameslost.com, which is second only to Edmonton's 214. That combination plus utterances from GM Tim Murray that the for sale sign is about to go up pretty much seals their fate for this season.
That and the fact that they haven't been scoring that much either.
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Jack Eichel forces himself into the Calder Trophy conversation.
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
There was a point in time during the season where Buffalo Sabres rookie Jack Eichel was really struggling. The 19 yr. old, 2015 Hobey Baker winner was adjusting to the rigors of the NHL and had simply hit a wall. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas where it looked as if there was a fog surrounding him. Sure, his quick acceleration blazing speed was on display and he still possessed deft stick work and a wicked shot, but he was fighting fatigue for that 12 game period.
Stat-watchers and fancy analytics gurus who hadn't seen him play were probably asking themselves what all the hype was about. After all, Chicago's Artemi Panarin was tearing it up as was Detroit's Dylan Larkin. And then there was Edmonton's Connor McDavid who was living up to the hype (5g, 7a, in 13 games) before he succumbed to a broken collar bone. In Eichel there was a player as hyped as much as fellow 2015 draftee McDavid, but the results just weren't there.
From the beginning of the season those watching the Sabres could see that his linemates were struggling to keep up. Eichel had five goals in 13 games but didn't record his first assist until the 14th game. He followed that stretch with some solid production and finished the first part of the season with eight goals and 4 assists in 22 games before the Thanksgiving holiday.
However, between Thanksgiving and the Christmas break he only had five points (2+3) in 12 games including a seven-game goal drought heading into the break. Were it not for two assists, he'd have headed into Christmas on a seven-game pointless streak. Eichel had hit the rookie wall and headed back home to North Chelmsford, MA to re-energize.
And that he did.
There was a point in time during the season where Buffalo Sabres rookie Jack Eichel was really struggling. The 19 yr. old, 2015 Hobey Baker winner was adjusting to the rigors of the NHL and had simply hit a wall. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas where it looked as if there was a fog surrounding him. Sure, his quick acceleration blazing speed was on display and he still possessed deft stick work and a wicked shot, but he was fighting fatigue for that 12 game period.
Stat-watchers and fancy analytics gurus who hadn't seen him play were probably asking themselves what all the hype was about. After all, Chicago's Artemi Panarin was tearing it up as was Detroit's Dylan Larkin. And then there was Edmonton's Connor McDavid who was living up to the hype (5g, 7a, in 13 games) before he succumbed to a broken collar bone. In Eichel there was a player as hyped as much as fellow 2015 draftee McDavid, but the results just weren't there.
From the beginning of the season those watching the Sabres could see that his linemates were struggling to keep up. Eichel had five goals in 13 games but didn't record his first assist until the 14th game. He followed that stretch with some solid production and finished the first part of the season with eight goals and 4 assists in 22 games before the Thanksgiving holiday.
However, between Thanksgiving and the Christmas break he only had five points (2+3) in 12 games including a seven-game goal drought heading into the break. Were it not for two assists, he'd have headed into Christmas on a seven-game pointless streak. Eichel had hit the rookie wall and headed back home to North Chelmsford, MA to re-energize.
And that he did.
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Eichel and Girgensons weren't enough. But for 4:52 of the game, it was a blast.
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
For 4:52 of the third period last night, the Buffalo Sabres and the NY Rangers played the type of hockey that energized the audience. The 18,006 at Madison Square Garden as well as those watching on NBCSN were caught up in the ebb and flow of the game as players were flying up and down the ice and goals were being scored.
In less than five minutes the Sabres erased a two-goal deficit early in the third period only to see the Rangers gain it back with two of their own, and man, was that fun to watch. It was a bit of time-warp back to the "New-NHL" that was on display for a year-and-a-half after the 2004 lockout.
When Sabres GM Tim Murray stocked up on speed and skill up-front acquiring the likes of Evander Kane and Ryan O'Reilly while drafting Jack Eichel, it looked as if he was loading up a team that would play exactly like that, an aggressive, "catch-me-if-you-can" style. Instead Sabres fans have watched the team laboring under the weight of X's and O's, team-defense and proper on-ice positioning. And I get that.
For 4:52 of the third period last night, the Buffalo Sabres and the NY Rangers played the type of hockey that energized the audience. The 18,006 at Madison Square Garden as well as those watching on NBCSN were caught up in the ebb and flow of the game as players were flying up and down the ice and goals were being scored.
In less than five minutes the Sabres erased a two-goal deficit early in the third period only to see the Rangers gain it back with two of their own, and man, was that fun to watch. It was a bit of time-warp back to the "New-NHL" that was on display for a year-and-a-half after the 2004 lockout.
When Sabres GM Tim Murray stocked up on speed and skill up-front acquiring the likes of Evander Kane and Ryan O'Reilly while drafting Jack Eichel, it looked as if he was loading up a team that would play exactly like that, an aggressive, "catch-me-if-you-can" style. Instead Sabres fans have watched the team laboring under the weight of X's and O's, team-defense and proper on-ice positioning. And I get that.
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Who's ready for primetime? Sabres at MSG, face baffling Rangers
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
For a change, the Buffalo Sabres are headed into a city digging out of a massive snowstorm instead of the other way around. Images from the blizzard known as Jonas, are very familiar to stout Buffalonians--white-outs, cars buried knee-deep in snow, tunnels being dug out just to get to the street, people having fun and those struggling.
It was the second biggest snowstorm on record in New York City dropping 26.8 inches of the white stuff on Central Park. It missed tying the record-breaking storm of February 10-11, 2006 by 0.1". Of course, it's The Big Apple where everything there needs a dramatic headline on a Broadway marquis and Jonas provided that. Gothamist.com called it, Snowpocalypse. How apropos.
As the NY Rangers prepare to take on the Buffalo Sabres tonight at Madison Square Garden, they're going through their own drama as they're in the midst of a middling season while getting buried by the press.
For a change, the Buffalo Sabres are headed into a city digging out of a massive snowstorm instead of the other way around. Images from the blizzard known as Jonas, are very familiar to stout Buffalonians--white-outs, cars buried knee-deep in snow, tunnels being dug out just to get to the street, people having fun and those struggling.
It was the second biggest snowstorm on record in New York City dropping 26.8 inches of the white stuff on Central Park. It missed tying the record-breaking storm of February 10-11, 2006 by 0.1". Of course, it's The Big Apple where everything there needs a dramatic headline on a Broadway marquis and Jonas provided that. Gothamist.com called it, Snowpocalypse. How apropos.
As the NY Rangers prepare to take on the Buffalo Sabres tonight at Madison Square Garden, they're going through their own drama as they're in the midst of a middling season while getting buried by the press.
Monday, January 25, 2016
The Sabres scoring woes continue in 3-0 loss to Detroit at home.
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
When Buffalo goaltender Robin Lehner got angry after allowing the first goal of the game by Detroit's Dylan Larkin, one had to wonder if his frustration was directed exclusively at himself or more broadly at how the team in front of him was playing.
The Sabres and the Red Wings had been going at it for over 50 minutes with neither team able to break through. The ice had been decidedly tilted towards Buffalo's end for the lion's share of the game and Lehner had to stand tall just to keep Buffalo in it. It was as frustrating Sabres fans as it was for Lehner as the lead-in to Larkin's eventual game-winner in the 3-0 shutout by Detroit. In an all to familiar scenario a Buffalo player was sent to the penalty box for a double-minor, the Sabres killed it off but they would get scored upon not long after.
Marcus Foligno clipped Larkin with a high stick in the Buffalo crease, drew blood and the Sabres were facing the prospect of shutting down a pretty potent Red Wings powerplay for four minutes. What Foligno was doing in that instance is questionable as the force of his upward stick movement could've lofted a hay bale 20 feet in the air. But off he went to the box.
When Buffalo goaltender Robin Lehner got angry after allowing the first goal of the game by Detroit's Dylan Larkin, one had to wonder if his frustration was directed exclusively at himself or more broadly at how the team in front of him was playing.
The Sabres and the Red Wings had been going at it for over 50 minutes with neither team able to break through. The ice had been decidedly tilted towards Buffalo's end for the lion's share of the game and Lehner had to stand tall just to keep Buffalo in it. It was as frustrating Sabres fans as it was for Lehner as the lead-in to Larkin's eventual game-winner in the 3-0 shutout by Detroit. In an all to familiar scenario a Buffalo player was sent to the penalty box for a double-minor, the Sabres killed it off but they would get scored upon not long after.
Marcus Foligno clipped Larkin with a high stick in the Buffalo crease, drew blood and the Sabres were facing the prospect of shutting down a pretty potent Red Wings powerplay for four minutes. What Foligno was doing in that instance is questionable as the force of his upward stick movement could've lofted a hay bale 20 feet in the air. But off he went to the box.
Saturday, January 23, 2016
BUF vs. DET--Jack Eichel and Dylan Larkin head-to-head. Plus...
Reprinted with permission from hockeybuzz.com
Buffalo's Jack Eichel and Detroit's Dylan Larkin will hook up for the fourth of five meetings this season as the Sabres host the Red Wings at First Niagara Center. Buffalo is 1-1-1 against Detroit so far with a win and a shootout-loss at Joe Louis Arena and a 4-3 loss at home.
The matchup of Eichel (born October 28, 1996) and Larkin (July 30, 1996) features two 19 yr. olds only three months apart but separated by the September 30th draft cutoff. Both are American born and both played for Team USA at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championships, and would end up finishing their college careers before joining Team USA for the Men's World Hockey Championships last May.
Although Larkin was a 2014, 15th-overall pick by Detroit and Eichel was drafted 2nd-overall by Buffalo last season, both are in their first NHL season and are part of an extremely strong rookie class. They're also off to a very good start to their NHL careers and, what a surprise, they enter tonight's matchup with the exact same stat-line of 14 goals and 16 assists (with Eichel playing in two more games than Larkin.)
In the three head to head games thus far Eichel has 2g, 0a and is a plus-1 while Larkin has 0g, 1a, and is also a plus-1. Eichel had a shootout attempt as well and couldn't convert.
Buffalo's Jack Eichel and Detroit's Dylan Larkin will hook up for the fourth of five meetings this season as the Sabres host the Red Wings at First Niagara Center. Buffalo is 1-1-1 against Detroit so far with a win and a shootout-loss at Joe Louis Arena and a 4-3 loss at home.
The matchup of Eichel (born October 28, 1996) and Larkin (July 30, 1996) features two 19 yr. olds only three months apart but separated by the September 30th draft cutoff. Both are American born and both played for Team USA at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championships, and would end up finishing their college careers before joining Team USA for the Men's World Hockey Championships last May.
Although Larkin was a 2014, 15th-overall pick by Detroit and Eichel was drafted 2nd-overall by Buffalo last season, both are in their first NHL season and are part of an extremely strong rookie class. They're also off to a very good start to their NHL careers and, what a surprise, they enter tonight's matchup with the exact same stat-line of 14 goals and 16 assists (with Eichel playing in two more games than Larkin.)
In the three head to head games thus far Eichel has 2g, 0a and is a plus-1 while Larkin has 0g, 1a, and is also a plus-1. Eichel had a shootout attempt as well and couldn't convert.
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