Published by hockeybuzz.com. 11-3-2016
The headline reads, Maple Leafs head to Buffalo confident better luck is coming, and the opening paragraphs describe a litany of things the Toronto Maple Leafs have done to get off the schneid in Buffalo. Sportsnet's Chris Johnston penned the article and he aptly sums up the leafs troubles when traveling 60 miles south to Buffalo, "[the Leafs] still haven’t found any success at a building that has seen more names (three) than Toronto victories (two) since February 2009."
Think about it.
That's seven-plus years of futility in Buffalo against a Sabres team that was mired in mediocrity for years before they decided to pull the plug on the whole thing and go through a scorched-earth rebuild. Even in Buffalo's back-to-back, basement-dwelling seasons, names like Zac Dalpe, Cody Hodgson, Matt Ellis and Ville Lieno were hitting the scoresheet against Toronto while sending the Leafs to an 0-3-1 record in Buffalo.
Leafs benchboss Mike Babcock, who shunned the Sabres head coaching job for Toronto, knows nothing of their lengthy bought with futility 90 miles south down the QEW, although he did get a taste of it last year as his team went 0-1-1 at the former First Niagara Center. Babcock has himself a bevy of young, talented forwards at his disposal right now and is looking to the future, “I just know that Buffalo and us are teams that perceive ourselves to be in transition and getting better. We’re going to be battling with them for a lot of years to come," he said in the Johnston article
That is true.
I'm not sure where Leafs nation has their team on the rebuild timeline, but in Sabreland this is considered year-two of the build portion of the program and the Sabres are beginning to gain traction. Buffalo heads into tonight's contest vs. their neighbors to the north on a three-game winning streak, with two of those wins coming on the road in the middle of the continent. And that's despite being without forwards Jack Eichel and Evander Kane, two top-six, 20-goal scorers last season who finished first and fourth, respectively in goals for the team.
Friday, November 4, 2016
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Three in a row for Buffalo after a hard-earned win in Minnesota
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 11-2-2016
Buffalo Sabres forward Sam Reinhart was getting thumped all game last night, at one point being laid upon in the blue paint by Minnesota goalie Devan Dubnyk who was unabashed about having a foreigner crash into him. Even though it wasn't Reinhart's fault. Sabres d-man Rasmus Ristolainen took an inadvertent elbow to the nose late in the game after he blasted Wild forward Mikael Granlund into the boards behind the Buffalo net. Ristolainen went to the bench, but the trainers couldn't stop the bleeding in time for him to get back on the ice after a Minnesota time out.
Sabres forwards Ryan O'Reilly, Kyle Okposo and Matt Moulson never left the ice for the final 2:34 of the third period with Dubnyk pulled for the extra attacker. Defenseman Josh Gorges was on for the final 1:50 and Ristolainen would have had the same but he was replaced by Dmitry Kulikov who skated the final 1:10. Not because they wanted to be out there the entire time, but because circumstance lead to extended shifts.
During that last 2:34 the forwards were on the ice there were three icings, two timeouts, a number of faceoffs and bodies colliding all over the place, but in the end the Sabres held on for a 2-1 victory. Those on the ice for Buffalo were so weary that they had to catch their breath before congratulating goalie Robin Lehner who was close by in his crease as fatigued as them.
In the end Buffalo came away with their second win in a row on this quick two-game road trip after defeating the Winnipeg Jets 3-1 on Sunday afternoon. The Sabres started this three-game winning streak by shutting out the Florida Panthers at KeyBank Center 3-0 in a Saturday matinee.
Three games, eight goals-for, two goals-against and six points in the books for the 4-3-2 Sabres.
The streak and the hard-fought win last night came after two deflating losses at Philadelphia and against this same Minnesota team. Buffalo blew a three-goal, third period lead against the Flyers last Tuesday and lost in the shootout 4-3 then followed it up with a 4-0 shutout loss to the Wild two days later.
"It was gut-check time (late in the game,)" said Sabres bench boss Dan Bylsma to the gathered media post-game. "The guys battled the win out hard at the end."
Props to the Sabres d-corps who saw extended time after defenseman Zach Bogosian left the game with a knee injury late in the first period. Kulikov was a horse logging 27:40 minutes of ice-time. Ristolainen logged 25:12 minutes. Josh Gorges came in at 22:42 while Jake McCabe had 22:21. Defenseman Cody Franson had 15:20.
Bylsma use a variation of the term "gutting it out" numerous times during his post-game interview before having his attention turned to forward Johan Larsson, who had the game-winner last night. A reporter pointed out that it was Larsson's seventh game-winning goal in just over a year and Bylsma acknowledged that "Larry," as he called Larsson, "has a knack for scoring big goals."
"We're trying to scratch out some kind of offense in the third period, trying to push forward and get the win," Bylsma continued, "there's nothing really fancy about him coming up big."
Larsson got a little bit lucky on the play as the pass from linemate Brian Gionta went airborne, but the bunt-goal off the shaft of his stick went by Dubnyk giving the Sabres their 2-1 margin of victory. Ironically enough, Larsson was a Minnesota third-round draft pick in 2010 who came over in the Jason Pominville trade three years ago.
Buffalo has made great strides since their sluggish opening game loss at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens. Losing two top-six players like Jack Eichel and Evander Kane right off the bat threw the team off and they played inconsistent hockey until the Florida game on Saturday. Since then they've been getting off to great starts in the first period and took the lead in all three games during this streak. They're playing fast and aggressive from the get-go and using their speed to their advantage.
There's speed up and down the lineup at forward and they're using it to play an up-tempo game that's making it difficult on the opposition. That speed stretched all the way down to the fourth line with the additions of Nick Baptiste and Justin Bailey, two 21 yr. olds drafted in 2013 who've been paying their dues in Rochester. The two wingers joined center Derek Grant, who's pretty quick himself, and made plays up and down the ice last night despite not getting on the scoresheet.
The Sabres third line of Reinhart centering Tyler Ennis and Zemgus Girgensons also had a great game and did everything except hit the scoresheet. Most of their time was spent in the Minnesota zone and perhaps that's why Dubnyk, when given the opportunity, gave Reinhart the business when he had the opportunity.
This one was about hard work, however, and it's a trait that's come to the fore ever since those back-to-back losses late last week.
Coming up on Thursday, the Sabres take on the high-flying Toronto Maple Leafs at KeyBank. Rookie Auston Matthews and Company are coming off of a victorious tussle with phenom Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers last night. Neither of the future faces of the NHL scored in the 3-2 Leafs overtime win at Toronto. Matthews registered six shots on goal and has only two goals since his record-breaking four-goal outburst in the season opener.
Buffalo Sabres forward Sam Reinhart was getting thumped all game last night, at one point being laid upon in the blue paint by Minnesota goalie Devan Dubnyk who was unabashed about having a foreigner crash into him. Even though it wasn't Reinhart's fault. Sabres d-man Rasmus Ristolainen took an inadvertent elbow to the nose late in the game after he blasted Wild forward Mikael Granlund into the boards behind the Buffalo net. Ristolainen went to the bench, but the trainers couldn't stop the bleeding in time for him to get back on the ice after a Minnesota time out.
Sabres forwards Ryan O'Reilly, Kyle Okposo and Matt Moulson never left the ice for the final 2:34 of the third period with Dubnyk pulled for the extra attacker. Defenseman Josh Gorges was on for the final 1:50 and Ristolainen would have had the same but he was replaced by Dmitry Kulikov who skated the final 1:10. Not because they wanted to be out there the entire time, but because circumstance lead to extended shifts.
During that last 2:34 the forwards were on the ice there were three icings, two timeouts, a number of faceoffs and bodies colliding all over the place, but in the end the Sabres held on for a 2-1 victory. Those on the ice for Buffalo were so weary that they had to catch their breath before congratulating goalie Robin Lehner who was close by in his crease as fatigued as them.
In the end Buffalo came away with their second win in a row on this quick two-game road trip after defeating the Winnipeg Jets 3-1 on Sunday afternoon. The Sabres started this three-game winning streak by shutting out the Florida Panthers at KeyBank Center 3-0 in a Saturday matinee.
Three games, eight goals-for, two goals-against and six points in the books for the 4-3-2 Sabres.
The streak and the hard-fought win last night came after two deflating losses at Philadelphia and against this same Minnesota team. Buffalo blew a three-goal, third period lead against the Flyers last Tuesday and lost in the shootout 4-3 then followed it up with a 4-0 shutout loss to the Wild two days later.
"It was gut-check time (late in the game,)" said Sabres bench boss Dan Bylsma to the gathered media post-game. "The guys battled the win out hard at the end."
Props to the Sabres d-corps who saw extended time after defenseman Zach Bogosian left the game with a knee injury late in the first period. Kulikov was a horse logging 27:40 minutes of ice-time. Ristolainen logged 25:12 minutes. Josh Gorges came in at 22:42 while Jake McCabe had 22:21. Defenseman Cody Franson had 15:20.
Bylsma use a variation of the term "gutting it out" numerous times during his post-game interview before having his attention turned to forward Johan Larsson, who had the game-winner last night. A reporter pointed out that it was Larsson's seventh game-winning goal in just over a year and Bylsma acknowledged that "Larry," as he called Larsson, "has a knack for scoring big goals."
"We're trying to scratch out some kind of offense in the third period, trying to push forward and get the win," Bylsma continued, "there's nothing really fancy about him coming up big."
Larsson got a little bit lucky on the play as the pass from linemate Brian Gionta went airborne, but the bunt-goal off the shaft of his stick went by Dubnyk giving the Sabres their 2-1 margin of victory. Ironically enough, Larsson was a Minnesota third-round draft pick in 2010 who came over in the Jason Pominville trade three years ago.
Buffalo has made great strides since their sluggish opening game loss at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens. Losing two top-six players like Jack Eichel and Evander Kane right off the bat threw the team off and they played inconsistent hockey until the Florida game on Saturday. Since then they've been getting off to great starts in the first period and took the lead in all three games during this streak. They're playing fast and aggressive from the get-go and using their speed to their advantage.
There's speed up and down the lineup at forward and they're using it to play an up-tempo game that's making it difficult on the opposition. That speed stretched all the way down to the fourth line with the additions of Nick Baptiste and Justin Bailey, two 21 yr. olds drafted in 2013 who've been paying their dues in Rochester. The two wingers joined center Derek Grant, who's pretty quick himself, and made plays up and down the ice last night despite not getting on the scoresheet.
The Sabres third line of Reinhart centering Tyler Ennis and Zemgus Girgensons also had a great game and did everything except hit the scoresheet. Most of their time was spent in the Minnesota zone and perhaps that's why Dubnyk, when given the opportunity, gave Reinhart the business when he had the opportunity.
This one was about hard work, however, and it's a trait that's come to the fore ever since those back-to-back losses late last week.
Coming up on Thursday, the Sabres take on the high-flying Toronto Maple Leafs at KeyBank. Rookie Auston Matthews and Company are coming off of a victorious tussle with phenom Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers last night. Neither of the future faces of the NHL scored in the 3-2 Leafs overtime win at Toronto. Matthews registered six shots on goal and has only two goals since his record-breaking four-goal outburst in the season opener.
Buffalo Sabres 2016-17 Team Stats--October
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 11-1-2016
The Buffalo Sabres finished the month of October on a high note with two convincing wins vs. the Florida Panthers and at the Winnipeg Jets by a combined 6-1 score. With only eight games played thus far scores like that have a definitive impact on stats this early in the season. The two wins pushed Buffalo's record to 3-3-2 and is a positive step forward compared to last season when they went 2-6 through their first eight games.
All the general metrics for team stats are on pace with or better when compared to how they finished last season except for shots on goal/game, which might give the Corsi Brigage of the Analytics Army cause for concern. Last season the Sabres finished No. 1 in the league in shots on goal/game for the month of October (11 games total) and sat seventh in the division, 14th in the conference, 24th in the league. Kinda reminds me what the Toronto Maple Leafs are doing this season.
The Sabres had a pretty good month, save for their middling record, considering that they were without two top six forwards in Jack Eichel and Evander Kane, not to mention starting goaltender Robin Lehner was felled by illness and was out of the lineup for three games. One of the games Lehner was sidelined for was against the Philadelphia Flyers, a game Buffalo should have won, but didn't after giving up a three goal, third period lead and losing in the shootout. Still, with eight points in eight games, they're ahead of last year's pace when the Sabres didn't get their eighth point until the 11 game.
Special teams are ruling the day for the Sabres as they're seventh in the league on both the powerplay and the penalty kill. Goals/game is up even though shots on goal is down while their goals-against is down with the same number of shots against they finished last season with. All-in-all they've managed a -1 goal-differential on the season which is a far cry from their minus-12 through eight games last season.
Buffalo Sabres Team Stats/League Rankings...(Leader):
Wins
--October: 3 (T-23rd)...(MTL, 8)
--2015-16: 35 (23rd)...(WSH, 56)
--2014-15: 23 (30th)...(ANA, 49)
Atlantic Division Standing
--October: 7th...(MTL)
--2015-16: 7th...(FLA)
--2014-15: 8th...(MTL)
Eastern Conference Standing
--October: 12th...(MTL)
--2015-16: 14th...(WSH)
--2014-15: 16th...(NYR)
League standing/Points
--October: 20th/8...(MTL/17)
--2015-16: 23rd/81...(WSH/120)
--2014-15: 30th/54...(NYR/113)
Points Percentage
--October: 50 (T-15th)...(MTL, 94.4)
--2015-16: 49.4 (23d)...(WSH, 73.2)
--2014-15 32.9 (30th)...(NYR, 68.9)
Goal Differential
--October: -1 (16th)...(MTL, +17)
--2015-16: -21 (20th)...(WSH, +59)
--2014-15 -113 (30th)...(NYR, +60)
Goals/Game
--October: 2.50 (21st)...(NYR, 3.89)
--2015-16: 2.43 (25th)...(DAL, 3.23)
--2014-15: 1.87 (30th)...(TBL, 3.16)
Shots/Game
--October: 27.4 (28th)...(TOR, 34.7)
--2015-16: 29.5 (17th)...(PIT, 33.2)
--2014-15: 24.2 (30th)...(CHI, 33.9)
Goals-against/Game
--October: 2.50 (12th)...(MTL, 1.44)
--2015-16: 2.62, (15th)...(ANA, 2.29)
--2014-15: 3.28 (29th)...(MTL, 2.24)
Shots against/Game
--October: 30.6 (20th)...(WSH, 25)
--2015-16: 30.6 (22nd)...(NSH, 27.3)
--2014-15: 35.6 (30th)...(LAK, 27.0)
Powerplay
--October: 25.0 (7th)...(NSH, 35.7)
--2015-16: 18.9 (12th)...(ANA, 23.1)
--2014-15: 13.4 (30th)...(WSH, 25.3)
Penalty Kill
--October: 86.7 (7th)...(MIN, 96.2)
--2015-16: 82.6 (9th)...(ANA, 87.2)
--2014-15: 75.1 (30th)...(MIN, 86.3)
Faceoff Percentage
--October: 54.7 (3rd)...(ANA, 59.3)
--2015-16: 49.4 (21st)...(ARI, 54.7)
--2014-15: 44.9 (30th)...(BOS, 53.6)
The Buffalo Sabres finished the month of October on a high note with two convincing wins vs. the Florida Panthers and at the Winnipeg Jets by a combined 6-1 score. With only eight games played thus far scores like that have a definitive impact on stats this early in the season. The two wins pushed Buffalo's record to 3-3-2 and is a positive step forward compared to last season when they went 2-6 through their first eight games.
All the general metrics for team stats are on pace with or better when compared to how they finished last season except for shots on goal/game, which might give the Corsi Brigage of the Analytics Army cause for concern. Last season the Sabres finished No. 1 in the league in shots on goal/game for the month of October (11 games total) and sat seventh in the division, 14th in the conference, 24th in the league. Kinda reminds me what the Toronto Maple Leafs are doing this season.
The Sabres had a pretty good month, save for their middling record, considering that they were without two top six forwards in Jack Eichel and Evander Kane, not to mention starting goaltender Robin Lehner was felled by illness and was out of the lineup for three games. One of the games Lehner was sidelined for was against the Philadelphia Flyers, a game Buffalo should have won, but didn't after giving up a three goal, third period lead and losing in the shootout. Still, with eight points in eight games, they're ahead of last year's pace when the Sabres didn't get their eighth point until the 11 game.
Special teams are ruling the day for the Sabres as they're seventh in the league on both the powerplay and the penalty kill. Goals/game is up even though shots on goal is down while their goals-against is down with the same number of shots against they finished last season with. All-in-all they've managed a -1 goal-differential on the season which is a far cry from their minus-12 through eight games last season.
Buffalo Sabres Team Stats/League Rankings...(Leader):
Wins
--October: 3 (T-23rd)...(MTL, 8)
--2015-16: 35 (23rd)...(WSH, 56)
--2014-15: 23 (30th)...(ANA, 49)
Atlantic Division Standing
--October: 7th...(MTL)
--2015-16: 7th...(FLA)
--2014-15: 8th...(MTL)
Eastern Conference Standing
--October: 12th...(MTL)
--2015-16: 14th...(WSH)
--2014-15: 16th...(NYR)
League standing/Points
--October: 20th/8...(MTL/17)
--2015-16: 23rd/81...(WSH/120)
--2014-15: 30th/54...(NYR/113)
Points Percentage
--October: 50 (T-15th)...(MTL, 94.4)
--2015-16: 49.4 (23d)...(WSH, 73.2)
--2014-15 32.9 (30th)...(NYR, 68.9)
Goal Differential
--October: -1 (16th)...(MTL, +17)
--2015-16: -21 (20th)...(WSH, +59)
--2014-15 -113 (30th)...(NYR, +60)
Goals/Game
--October: 2.50 (21st)...(NYR, 3.89)
--2015-16: 2.43 (25th)...(DAL, 3.23)
--2014-15: 1.87 (30th)...(TBL, 3.16)
Shots/Game
--October: 27.4 (28th)...(TOR, 34.7)
--2015-16: 29.5 (17th)...(PIT, 33.2)
--2014-15: 24.2 (30th)...(CHI, 33.9)
Goals-against/Game
--October: 2.50 (12th)...(MTL, 1.44)
--2015-16: 2.62, (15th)...(ANA, 2.29)
--2014-15: 3.28 (29th)...(MTL, 2.24)
Shots against/Game
--October: 30.6 (20th)...(WSH, 25)
--2015-16: 30.6 (22nd)...(NSH, 27.3)
--2014-15: 35.6 (30th)...(LAK, 27.0)
Powerplay
--October: 25.0 (7th)...(NSH, 35.7)
--2015-16: 18.9 (12th)...(ANA, 23.1)
--2014-15: 13.4 (30th)...(WSH, 25.3)
Penalty Kill
--October: 86.7 (7th)...(MIN, 96.2)
--2015-16: 82.6 (9th)...(ANA, 87.2)
--2014-15: 75.1 (30th)...(MIN, 86.3)
Faceoff Percentage
--October: 54.7 (3rd)...(ANA, 59.3)
--2015-16: 49.4 (21st)...(ARI, 54.7)
--2014-15: 44.9 (30th)...(BOS, 53.6)
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:
Monday, October 31, 2016
Analytics, schmanalytics... (Anders Nilsson, Cole Schneider, Mark Pysyk)
...sometimes you just gotta will your way to a win.
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 10-30-2016
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 10-30-2016
It wasn’t a thing of beauty, but it would have made former
head coach Ted Nolan proud. Nolan, who twice had stints asd the Buffalo Sabres
head coach was never aan X’s and O’s kinda guy, he just got his players to
believe that if you worked hard and kept at it things would eventually go your
way. Often times he was right, then again, he wasn’t right enough to remain
coaching in an ever-evolving NHL. Yesterday was one of those games for the Sabres where it went right as they came away with a hard-earned, 3-0 shutout win against the Florida Panthers at KeyBank Center.
For the time being, possession is the trend d’jour in the NHL and the
Panthers went heavily in that direction this off season. After making the playoffs for the first time in three years with a
good, young mix of talented young players that look to be on the rise, management made the
decision to upgrade the blueline with analytics darlings like former NY Ranger Keith Yandel and former Sabre, Mark
Pysyk. In the process they traded away gritty, Nolanesque type d-men in Eric Gudbranson, who
went to Vancouver and
Dmitry Kulikov, who was part of the Pysyk trade.
Sunday, October 30, 2016
On Florida, Pysyk/Kulikov and Kevin Oklobzija
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 10-29-2016
“Every time they got [the puck on a turnover], they put it in the back of the net. Transition is a big part of the game and three of the last four goals we've given up were in transition. We've made some bad decisions at the blue line and gave them Grade-A scoring chances. They score and that's it.
"I would be lying if I thought that (injuries) didn't have a little bit to do with it, but I think we're playing good hockey, guys are buying in and competing. Sometimes they try to do too much. We have a lot of new bodies in our lineup, guys are feeling their way with new partners, linemates>"
That was Florida head coach Gerard Gallant talking to the gathered media (via the Miami Herald) about his Panthers team after practice at KeyBank Center. Florida has a matinee game against the Buffalo Sabres this afternoon and the young team is struggling a bit early in the season.
Florida is coming to Buffalo on a two-game losing streak but for Gallant it's not that they lost both, but it's how they lost. “We were leading and then gave up two on turnovers," said Gallant of their most recent loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. "Overall, I liked our game, thought we were good enough to win them. We just made some bad mistakes.”
Kinda sounds familiar, doesn't it, Sabres fans?
“Every time they got [the puck on a turnover], they put it in the back of the net. Transition is a big part of the game and three of the last four goals we've given up were in transition. We've made some bad decisions at the blue line and gave them Grade-A scoring chances. They score and that's it.
"I would be lying if I thought that (injuries) didn't have a little bit to do with it, but I think we're playing good hockey, guys are buying in and competing. Sometimes they try to do too much. We have a lot of new bodies in our lineup, guys are feeling their way with new partners, linemates>"
That was Florida head coach Gerard Gallant talking to the gathered media (via the Miami Herald) about his Panthers team after practice at KeyBank Center. Florida has a matinee game against the Buffalo Sabres this afternoon and the young team is struggling a bit early in the season.
Florida is coming to Buffalo on a two-game losing streak but for Gallant it's not that they lost both, but it's how they lost. “We were leading and then gave up two on turnovers," said Gallant of their most recent loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. "Overall, I liked our game, thought we were good enough to win them. We just made some bad mistakes.”
Kinda sounds familiar, doesn't it, Sabres fans?
Saturday, October 29, 2016
Under pressure
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 10-28-2016
"The first goal was kind of a punch in the gut," lamented Buffalo Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma as he addressed the gathered media post-game, "it kinda takes the wind out of our sails."
Bylsma was at his post-game presser talking about another loss, this one on the heels of Buffalo's third period collapse in Philadelphia on Thursday. In that game, the Sabres went into the third period with a three-goal lead, ready to finish off an early season, four-game road trip with two points gained in a rather decisive manner. Instead, three third period penalties lead to three unanswered third period goals and Buffalo ended up losing in the shootout to the Flyers, 4-3.
If there was ever a case for taking away the "loser point" Buffalo received for losing in the shootout, that game was it. Not only did they blow a third period lead for the second time in three games, they played keep away in the five minute, three-on-three overtime session mustering only one shot on goal. For a team that's now 2-8 in the shootout since Bylsma took over last year, playing keep away in overtime is a curious approach.
Having thick skin is a hallmark of a true professional and the Sabres certainly didn't have that coming into the game last night. How ironic that they as a team didn't have the intestinal fortitude to come out determined on Hockey Fights Cancer Night in Buffalo as a smattering of boos were heard during their 4-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild.
When asked right off the bat whether the previous game had affected his team Bylsma said, "it felt like a little carryover. We were squeezing our sticks a little bit. We weren't able to execute. We got a little nervous with the puck.
"I don't know if that's from the Philly game but that's what it felt like in the first [period]."
If Bylsma wasn't exactly sure there was a carryover, Buffalo forward Ryan O'Reilly certainly felt there was. "We were all trying to be a little too perfect, we didn't want to be the guy making the mistake.
"I felt it. The other guys felt it. We made a lot of personal errors. Guys just made little mistakes and you go into the next game and you want to play hockey but you think 'OK. I don't want to [make a mistake]"
Stop me if you've heard that one before, Sabres fans. How many times during the Darcy Regier/Lindy Ruff years did we come across situations exposing thin skin with lamentations about playing scared?
If the team is feeling this much pressure five or six games into the season, what does it say about the team moving forward?
Granted, losing Jack Eichel and Evander Kane is a big blow to the Sabres. Losing two top-six forwards on a team that's just beginning to climb out of the abyss that was two consecutive last place finishes is a huge blow. But the past two games are more about character than it is about talent and it's a direct reflection on the coaching staff as well as GM Tim Murray, who put this team together. How Bylsma and Murray address this remains to be seen, but they need to get on it pretty quick. The season could slip away as they have five games in seven days coming up.
The loss of Eichel and Kane exposed some deep flaws on this team. The overall speed of the speed of team is diminished considerably with those two out--on the forecheck and backcheck as well--and the teams sniping ability took a hit as well. Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk has been playing extremely well since landing in Minnesota and a team like Buffalo needs all the firepower it can get when facing a top goalie.
It didn't help that starting goalie Robin Lehner has been on the sidelines the last two games due to illness either. Would he have stopped the collapse in Philly? Methinks so, but more importantly Lehner seems to have a much thicker skin and may have been able to help stave off a carryover like the Sabres had last night.
Make no mistake, the Minnesota's Joel Eriksson-Ek's pinpoint laser from below the dot left many awestruck as he hit a teacup-sized area to light the lamp. Then again, had Sabres goalie Anders Nilsson been out in the crease a fraction more, that opening would have been closed. At 6'6" 217 lbs. Nilsson has a large frame, but he was deep in his crease all night, as if looking for a safe-haven, and it made him play small as his .857 save percentage in the game will attest.
Bylsma's been at the helm for over a year now. He transitioned the team from the "just play hard" philosophy of former coach Ted Nolan to a more heady, system-oriented approach which has gotten mixed results, mostly on the negative side. There was a period of adjustment where some players got it right away while with others it took some time. After laying an egg at KeyBank center to open the season, and looking like they were in complete disarray in the 4-1 loss, the Sabres looked the complete opposite in a 6-2 drubbing of the Oilers in Edmonton. However, from their they've taken four steps back.
Perhaps they have too many X's and O's right now and it's clogging up their synapses. Hockey is a game and as we've found out on many occasions the mental aspect is a huge component but sometimes getting back to basics is the best way to get out of a funk. "Just get back to playing hockey," said O'Reilly. "Win the 1-on-1 battles, support each other, play together."
Regardless of how they approach Saturday's matinee against the Florida Panthers at KeyBank Center, the Sabres will need to toughen up. If they can't handle the pressure now, they can kiss the playoffs goodbye.
"The first goal was kind of a punch in the gut," lamented Buffalo Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma as he addressed the gathered media post-game, "it kinda takes the wind out of our sails."
Bylsma was at his post-game presser talking about another loss, this one on the heels of Buffalo's third period collapse in Philadelphia on Thursday. In that game, the Sabres went into the third period with a three-goal lead, ready to finish off an early season, four-game road trip with two points gained in a rather decisive manner. Instead, three third period penalties lead to three unanswered third period goals and Buffalo ended up losing in the shootout to the Flyers, 4-3.
If there was ever a case for taking away the "loser point" Buffalo received for losing in the shootout, that game was it. Not only did they blow a third period lead for the second time in three games, they played keep away in the five minute, three-on-three overtime session mustering only one shot on goal. For a team that's now 2-8 in the shootout since Bylsma took over last year, playing keep away in overtime is a curious approach.
Having thick skin is a hallmark of a true professional and the Sabres certainly didn't have that coming into the game last night. How ironic that they as a team didn't have the intestinal fortitude to come out determined on Hockey Fights Cancer Night in Buffalo as a smattering of boos were heard during their 4-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild.
When asked right off the bat whether the previous game had affected his team Bylsma said, "it felt like a little carryover. We were squeezing our sticks a little bit. We weren't able to execute. We got a little nervous with the puck.
"I don't know if that's from the Philly game but that's what it felt like in the first [period]."
If Bylsma wasn't exactly sure there was a carryover, Buffalo forward Ryan O'Reilly certainly felt there was. "We were all trying to be a little too perfect, we didn't want to be the guy making the mistake.
"I felt it. The other guys felt it. We made a lot of personal errors. Guys just made little mistakes and you go into the next game and you want to play hockey but you think 'OK. I don't want to [make a mistake]"
Stop me if you've heard that one before, Sabres fans. How many times during the Darcy Regier/Lindy Ruff years did we come across situations exposing thin skin with lamentations about playing scared?
If the team is feeling this much pressure five or six games into the season, what does it say about the team moving forward?
Granted, losing Jack Eichel and Evander Kane is a big blow to the Sabres. Losing two top-six forwards on a team that's just beginning to climb out of the abyss that was two consecutive last place finishes is a huge blow. But the past two games are more about character than it is about talent and it's a direct reflection on the coaching staff as well as GM Tim Murray, who put this team together. How Bylsma and Murray address this remains to be seen, but they need to get on it pretty quick. The season could slip away as they have five games in seven days coming up.
The loss of Eichel and Kane exposed some deep flaws on this team. The overall speed of the speed of team is diminished considerably with those two out--on the forecheck and backcheck as well--and the teams sniping ability took a hit as well. Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk has been playing extremely well since landing in Minnesota and a team like Buffalo needs all the firepower it can get when facing a top goalie.
It didn't help that starting goalie Robin Lehner has been on the sidelines the last two games due to illness either. Would he have stopped the collapse in Philly? Methinks so, but more importantly Lehner seems to have a much thicker skin and may have been able to help stave off a carryover like the Sabres had last night.
Make no mistake, the Minnesota's Joel Eriksson-Ek's pinpoint laser from below the dot left many awestruck as he hit a teacup-sized area to light the lamp. Then again, had Sabres goalie Anders Nilsson been out in the crease a fraction more, that opening would have been closed. At 6'6" 217 lbs. Nilsson has a large frame, but he was deep in his crease all night, as if looking for a safe-haven, and it made him play small as his .857 save percentage in the game will attest.
Bylsma's been at the helm for over a year now. He transitioned the team from the "just play hard" philosophy of former coach Ted Nolan to a more heady, system-oriented approach which has gotten mixed results, mostly on the negative side. There was a period of adjustment where some players got it right away while with others it took some time. After laying an egg at KeyBank center to open the season, and looking like they were in complete disarray in the 4-1 loss, the Sabres looked the complete opposite in a 6-2 drubbing of the Oilers in Edmonton. However, from their they've taken four steps back.
Perhaps they have too many X's and O's right now and it's clogging up their synapses. Hockey is a game and as we've found out on many occasions the mental aspect is a huge component but sometimes getting back to basics is the best way to get out of a funk. "Just get back to playing hockey," said O'Reilly. "Win the 1-on-1 battles, support each other, play together."
Regardless of how they approach Saturday's matinee against the Florida Panthers at KeyBank Center, the Sabres will need to toughen up. If they can't handle the pressure now, they can kiss the playoffs goodbye.
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