Published by hockeybuzz.com, 12-30-2019
So your the Buffalo Sabres heading into the second game of a home-and-home against a division rival while being outscored 22-10 on a very treacherous 1-4-1 slide with a weak forward group even weaker due to injury. The team you're playing is the Boston Bruins, who sit third in the NHL, have the NHL's best goal differential (+33,) the league's second best goals-against average (2.42,) are seventh in goals/game (3.40,) and have the third best powerplay (26.7%) and the third-best penalty kill (84.7%.) The keys to victory revolve around playing your game while limiting mistakes and keeping it close in a place where the home team has lost only once all season.
Such was the task at hand for the Sabres last night and props to them for playing their game. Buffalo took it to Boston much of the night but the Bruins did what most top teams do while facing weaker opponents--take advantage of miscues.
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Monday, December 30, 2019
December quick hits--the forwards
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 12-27-2019
A sense of normalcy returns to the Buffalo Sabres as they take on the Boston Bruins tonight. Buffalo says good bye to a rather rigorous opening 2 1/2 months to the season which saw them with compacted schedules before and after the 11 total days spent participating in the 2019 Global Series. The trip to Stockholm, Sweden had them play a back-to-back set with the Tampa Bay Lightning with a total of nine days surrounding their arrival and return from Sweden.
After a rough early November, consecutive losses to Tampa in Stockholm and a sluggish post-Global Series return, their poor record balanced out their hot start and when you add inconsistent play for the remainder of their 21 games in 39-day stretch, you have a team that is presently 17-14-7 coming out of the Christmas break. Those 41 points have them on a pace for 88 points which is at the higher end of the preseason general consensus.
A sense of normalcy returns to the Buffalo Sabres as they take on the Boston Bruins tonight. Buffalo says good bye to a rather rigorous opening 2 1/2 months to the season which saw them with compacted schedules before and after the 11 total days spent participating in the 2019 Global Series. The trip to Stockholm, Sweden had them play a back-to-back set with the Tampa Bay Lightning with a total of nine days surrounding their arrival and return from Sweden.
After a rough early November, consecutive losses to Tampa in Stockholm and a sluggish post-Global Series return, their poor record balanced out their hot start and when you add inconsistent play for the remainder of their 21 games in 39-day stretch, you have a team that is presently 17-14-7 coming out of the Christmas break. Those 41 points have them on a pace for 88 points which is at the higher end of the preseason general consensus.
Friday, December 27, 2019
December Quick hits--Goalies and Defensemen
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 12-26-2019
The Sabres just concluded a stretch of 21 games in 39 days with an 8-8-5 record and head into the NHL Christmas break having lost four of their last five games (1-3-1.) All of those losses came on the road and contributed to a 6-11-4 road record that places them near the bottom of the league which is in stark contrast to their 11-3-3 record at home.
For head coach Ralph Krueger and company, having the last change at home gives makes it very difficult for the opposition to matchup their best checking lines against Buffalo's potent top line. The Sabres know how to play a tight road game, and have done so on occasion, but having an inept middle-six up-front makes things extremely difficult and puts plenty of pressure on the defense and goaltending.
The Sabres just concluded a stretch of 21 games in 39 days with an 8-8-5 record and head into the NHL Christmas break having lost four of their last five games (1-3-1.) All of those losses came on the road and contributed to a 6-11-4 road record that places them near the bottom of the league which is in stark contrast to their 11-3-3 record at home.
For head coach Ralph Krueger and company, having the last change at home gives makes it very difficult for the opposition to matchup their best checking lines against Buffalo's potent top line. The Sabres know how to play a tight road game, and have done so on occasion, but having an inept middle-six up-front makes things extremely difficult and puts plenty of pressure on the defense and goaltending.
You know what many in WNY will be doing for some seven hours today?
Getting their fill of the professional sports scene featuring the Sabres and the Bills.
The driving force behind the excitement of a Buffalo doubleheader today really begins with the Buffalo Bills as they head to Foxborough, Massachusetts with the opportunity to tie the New England Patriots in the standings. Buffalo is 10-4 so far this season and has the swagger of a contender ready to knock down the champ and though it might not happen, BillsMafia has no fear as they know the vaunted Patriots era is coming to a close soon and their beloved Bills are on the upswing ready to take their place in the East.
Thursday, December 26, 2019
"21 games to Christmas" comes to a close tonight in Ottawa
Time flies.
It wasn't long ago that the Buffalo Sabres were returning home from Stockholm, Sweden after participating in the 2019 Global Series. Buffalo had just finished a back-to-back against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Sweden and were struggling after losing both of those games which led to a four-game losing streak in tow. The Sabres had a travel day from Stockholm back to the States, two league-mandated days off then one practice before they hit the ice at home against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Playing in the Global Series meant a compact schedule both prior to and after those two games and after coming home they were looking at a stretch of 21 games in 39 days which head coach Ralph Krueger labeled, "21 games to Christmas."
"The reality is we have the 21 games 'til Christmas and we're breaking it up into little groups. We've got five games, two-day pause; six games, two-day pause; six games, two-day pause; four games."
It wasn't long ago that the Buffalo Sabres were returning home from Stockholm, Sweden after participating in the 2019 Global Series. Buffalo had just finished a back-to-back against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Sweden and were struggling after losing both of those games which led to a four-game losing streak in tow. The Sabres had a travel day from Stockholm back to the States, two league-mandated days off then one practice before they hit the ice at home against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Playing in the Global Series meant a compact schedule both prior to and after those two games and after coming home they were looking at a stretch of 21 games in 39 days which head coach Ralph Krueger labeled, "21 games to Christmas."
"The reality is we have the 21 games 'til Christmas and we're breaking it up into little groups. We've got five games, two-day pause; six games, two-day pause; six games, two-day pause; four games."
Saturday, December 21, 2019
Life without Jack Eichel proved pretty ugly for the Sabres last night
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 12-20-2019
I had an interesting little twitter exchange with a Leafs fan the other day after the Buffalo Sabres lost 5-3 at Toronto. It started with this tweet from Steve Kournianos of The Draft Analysis:
"All I heard on the radio today was how Jack Eichel's better than Auston Matthews and he (Matthews) doesn't dominate games etc.
Two goals against a surging division rival (Buffalo) and (now) one point out of 2nd place. Huge win. Huge Performance.
You should try to give the kid some credit every now and again."
Friday, December 20, 2019
A crowded Eastern Conference pack, Sabres at Philly and a bit on Jeff Skinner
Seeing the Buffalo Sabres second in the Atlantic Division at this stage of the season is a good sight, especially with the rough patch they went through in November and considering they still have some glaring holes in the lineup. At 16-12-7 their 39 points is places them just barely in front of a group of teams at least 10 points behind the division leading Boston Bruins. The Montreal Canadians and Toronto Maple Leafs are one point behind Buffalo while the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers are two points behind.
However, as we look at points-percentage in terms of the standings, the Sabres .557 points/game is behind Tampa (.578,) Florida (.561) and Montreal (.559) and in front of Toronto's .543.
As of now this is the pack that will more than likely be battling for spots two and three in the division behind the Bruins. Tampa is the most complete team and despite their choppy start it's not too far of a reach to see them in one of those two spots while Toronto certainly has enough firepower up front to go along with solid goaltending to overcome any shortcomings on defense. The Lightning and Leafs were both considered favorites to be in the Atlantic's top-three prior to the season and they're both beginning to look the part right now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)