Published by hockeybuzz.com, 12-05-2016
At least it's not the Eastern Conference Finals, right Sabres fans? The litany of injuries to the Buffalo Sabres' defense corps, is eerily reminiscent of the 2006 ECF when Buffalo went into Game-7 against the Carolina Hurricanes with only two regular defensemen in the lineup. The Sabres were already heading into the game without regulars Henrik Tallinder, Dmitry Kalinin and Teppo Numminen but they soon found out that they'd be without Jay McKee as well. The two remaining regulars--Brian Campbell and Toni Lydman--were joined on the blueline by Rory Fitzpatrick, Doug Janik, Jeff Jillson and rookie Nathan Paetsch.
How that team managed to keep it close with that d-corps, as in a 2-2 tie before the 'Canes scored the game-winner on a powerplay goal halfway through the third period, is almost beyond comprehension.
Ten year's later and it's "Holy flashbacks, Batman!"
The rash of injuries plaguing the Sabres this year happened a bit earlier than the ECF but it's plaguing the team none the less. The injuries up-front, most notably that of Jack Eichel's high ankle sprain, have been well documented but the d-corps is now getting hit hard.
Off-season trade acquisition Dmitry Kulikov missed the opener because of a back injury, came back for 12 games but has been out of the lineup to allow his back to heal properly. He's close to returning but it won't be tonight. Zach Bogosian's out with a lower body injury and he's still at least a couple of weeks away.
Kulikov and Bogosian were replaced by Rochester Americans call-ups Justin Falk and Taylor Fedun who've played admirably for the Sabres.
Yesterday the team announced that Josh Gorges will be out of the lineup for weeks with a fractured foot. Gorges took a shot off of his foot in Buffalo's win against the NY Rangers on Thursday and missed Saturday's matinee vs. the Boston Bruins. The Sabres were looking for a left-handed d-man and went all the way west to call up Brendan Guhle from his Prince George Cougars junior club. Guhle had an impressive NHL debut in the loss against the Bruins.
It was learned on Sunday that Fedun will be sidelined with a shoulder injury so the Sabres once again had to tap into the Amerks roster giving the call to 27 yr. old Eric Burgdoefer and will have him on the third pairing with Falk.
Not much has been said about Burgdoerfer save for the Sabres signed him to a two-way NHL contract this off-season and he was in Rochester. He's played in 22 games for the Amerks with seven assists and 24 penalty minutes. But with a little research we find that his has been a long, determined journey to the NHL.
The 6'1", 207 lb. East Setauket, NY native and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduate has had a long journey that started with the ECHL's Bakersfield Condors. In the 2013-14 season he posted 22 points (11+11) in 67 games while also getting a three game stint in the AHL with the Oklahoma City Barons (EDM.) When Condors head coach Troy Mann was hired by the Hershey Bears (WSH,) he remembered Burgdoerfer and brought him to PA.
“When I got the head coaching job at Hershey," Mann told Desiree Keegan of the Village Times Herald, "I felt that if we were going to sign depth players for us, I preferred players I either coached against or knew personally, and I was pretty adamant about getting 'Burgy' under contract.”
Burgdoerfer joined the Washington organization hand had a brief three-game stint with their ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays, before getting the call to Hershey for good. Mann had high praise for Burgdoerfer, “He’s a real hard-working character kid," he told Keegan, "and became a vital part of our team."
After appearing in 58 games for Hershey in 2014-15 he was re-signed by the Bears and posted 20 points (6+14) in 71 regular season games while also helping them reach the 2016 Calder Cup Finals where they lost to the Lake Erie Monsters (CLB.) Ironically, Burgdoerfer will be paired with Falk who was a key member of the Monsters 4-0 sweep of Hershey in the Finals.
Burgdoerfer is big but also can skate well according to Mann, and was a mainstay on the Bears penalty kill and maybe more importantly, Mann also said that he just continues to get better. "I felt real good leaving Washington in September, when you had guys like Barry Trotz taking notice of him during training camp there," he told Ted Leone of pennlive.com back in May, 2015. Mann had a notion that Burgdoerfer would earn himself an NHL contract like former Bears' Julien Brouillette and Steve Oleksy, two players who'd also spent time in the ECHL and sure enough it happened.
"Their work ethic and their drive to get better is so good that they've earned themselves NHL deals," is how Mann put it to Leone.
"He continued to follow his dream like nobody I’ve ever seen before,” his mother Jane Burgdoerfer told Keegan in the Village Time piece just after her son signed his first NHL contract. “I don’t know anybody that’s worked harder for their goal. His focus and determination has been unwavering."
Jane Burgdoerfer is a big Sabres fan and according to Keegan her son Eric will have a "built-in fanbase" should he get the start on Tuesday versus the Edmonton Oilers. “I would go to Sabres games as a kid," Jane told Keegan. "I have a big, extended family, and they’re out of their minds. We’re all huge Sabres fans. This is the biggest thing that could ever hit Buffalo.”
But first things first. Eric Burgdoerfer will be making his NHL debut against a sleeping bear in the Washington Capitals. Alexander Ovechkin and Co. haven't been themselves so far this season as they sit 18th in the league in goals-for/game. Last year they finished second and it's only a matter of time before they wake up.
Regardless of the opponent, this is Burgdoerfer's NHL debut, just like it was for the 19 yr. old ,Guhle against the rival Boston Bruins on Saturday.
And that's where the Sabres d-corps is at right now.
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Rock 'em, sock'em quick pops for a Sunday
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 12-04-2016
--When Jack Eichel returned to the Buffalo Sabres lineup last week team speed went up measurably. Not just because he's one of the faster skaters in the league, but because the rest of the team found that latent gear that had been lost in all the poo-pooing over his injury. Although they still have some slugs on the team, they're playing at a much faster pace now that Jack's back...when motivated.
--"When motivated" are the operative words when it comes to the Sabres last game vs. the Boston Bruins. Buffalo had an opportunity to come within four points of the Bruins who sit third in the division. They were riding a two game winning streak and had scored nine goals in the process. They came out skating for the first five minutes, then lollygagged until they found themselves down 2-0 in the third period. That's not how playoff teams do it.
--Perhaps the Sabres couldn't handle the tight checking of Boston. No way are the B's as fast as the Sabres but they put the clamps down and forced Buffalo to work. Unforutunately for the Sabres, not many were up to the task. After fighting through a smothering Bruins defense the Sabres then had to get one by Tuukka Rask, one of the best goalies in the league. Buffalo needed dirty goals. They got one. Not good enough.
--Speaking of Pu, one Cliff Pu, Buffalo's third round pick (69th-overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft is off to a great start for the London Knights. The 18 yr. old right-handed center leads his team in scoring and is fifth in the Ontario Hockey League in points (42) and goals (18) in 24 games. Team Canada held it's nose to Pu for the upcoming World Junior Championships.
--John Grigg of Sportsnet.ca had Pu as Team Canada's biggest snub this year but as our good friend Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com/sabres.com points out, Pu is probably second on the snub list. Baker points to Sabres prospect and present Sabres defenseman Brendan Guhle as quite possibly the top Team Canada snub.
--Guhle had been lonesome and forlorn wallowing away in Prince Albert for a last place Raider team before he was traded to the B.C division-leading Prince George Cougars. His good fortune continued when the Sabres recalled him from the Cougars due to an unlucky rash of injuries that have hit Buffalo's blueline. Guhle was quoted as saying that his coach approached him with the news by saying that he was traded to the Sabres. Guhle's response was that he didn't even know a recall like that was allowed.
--The 6'3" 194 lb. defenseman who skates like the wind hit the lineup in Buffalo yesterday afternoon for a 1 O'clock game less than 12 hours after touching down at Buffalo International Airport. And the kid looked good. Actually pretty impressive for a 19 yr. old playing in his first NHL game. Although not without flaws, his skating ability is top-notch and his feel for the game is exceptional which makes him a very intriguing prospect for the Sabres moving forward. Methinks landing in Buffalo for an NHL stint takes away the sting of not being picked for Team Canada.
--Guhle had a shot on goal his very first NHL shift and had an impressive rush up ice that surprised the entire Bruins team before being stopped by Rask who made a big league save on the youngin. Plays like that got him noticed in junior and made him the 51st overall pick in the 2016 Draft.
--And it's plays like that which makes Sabres fans drool over the prospect of him on the blueline. Injuries on Buffalo's defense means Guhle could very well be here for a few more games, maybe nine total but playing in a 10th would kick in the first year of his entry-level contract and the Sabres may not want to go there. I'm of the opinion that it's a good thing. Let him finish his junior career and next year plan on having as a part of the Sabres top-six on defense.
--The defense has held up fairly well with Zach Bogosian, Dmitry Kulikov and now Josh Gorges out with injuries. Two Rochester call-ups--Justin Falk and Taylor Fedun--have done yeoman's work filling in. Their two different players on the same pairing. The 6'5" 220 lb. Falk is intent upon making people pay the price for a play while Fedun is a smooth puck-mover who's on the second powerplay unit. They'd played together for the Amerks and so far for Buffalo they've combined for a plus-1 rating in eight games.
--Cody Franson was Guhle's d-partner yesterday and the rookie said that veteran was instrumental in making the jump more comfortable. Franson, who'll never be known for his skating, has been playing rather well lately, which is something the Sabres desperately need from a player considered to be the No. 3 defenseman for Buffalo right now. He'll need to continue that as the Sabres are facing some serious talent this upcoming week.
--Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers visit KeyBank Center on Tuesday for the second of two meetings between the two clubs. Buffalo smoked the Oil 6-2 on October 16. The Sabres were coming off of a drubbing by the Montreal Canadiens in the season opener and were starting a three-game western Canada swing in Edmonton. Ryan O'Reilly had two goals and two assists in the win while Kyle Okposo scored his first goal in the Blue and Gold.
--That matchup on Tuesday will mark McEichel II as McDavid and Eichel, the top two picks in the 2015 Draft, meet for only the second time. In their first meeting McDavid scored both Edmonton goals in a 2-1 Oilers victory with the second one coming in overtime. Both players have grown since then as McDavid's atop the NHL leaderboard in points (34) and assists (23) while Eichel was like a greyhound out of the gate in his return to the ice. In his first three games of the season after returning from injury, "Jack Flash" has two goals and two assists.
--Before that, however, the Sabres head to D.C. to take on the Washington Capitals. The Caps seem like a simmering volcano waiting to erupt right now. For a team with the firepower of Washington, something doesn't seem right when they have only one player in the top-10 in scoring categories. Alexander Ovechkin's 12 goals have him ranked tied for eighth in the league so far this season and one would think that it won't be too much longer before they crank up the scoring machine. Washington is ranked 18th in goals-for right now, an unusual and probably uncomfortable spot for a team that was second in the league last season.
--The Capitals are off to a solid start at 13-7-3 and are presently sitting tied for fourth in the Metropolitan Division, and in a four-way tie for sixth in the Eastern Conference.
--When Jack Eichel returned to the Buffalo Sabres lineup last week team speed went up measurably. Not just because he's one of the faster skaters in the league, but because the rest of the team found that latent gear that had been lost in all the poo-pooing over his injury. Although they still have some slugs on the team, they're playing at a much faster pace now that Jack's back...when motivated.
--"When motivated" are the operative words when it comes to the Sabres last game vs. the Boston Bruins. Buffalo had an opportunity to come within four points of the Bruins who sit third in the division. They were riding a two game winning streak and had scored nine goals in the process. They came out skating for the first five minutes, then lollygagged until they found themselves down 2-0 in the third period. That's not how playoff teams do it.
--Perhaps the Sabres couldn't handle the tight checking of Boston. No way are the B's as fast as the Sabres but they put the clamps down and forced Buffalo to work. Unforutunately for the Sabres, not many were up to the task. After fighting through a smothering Bruins defense the Sabres then had to get one by Tuukka Rask, one of the best goalies in the league. Buffalo needed dirty goals. They got one. Not good enough.
--Speaking of Pu, one Cliff Pu, Buffalo's third round pick (69th-overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft is off to a great start for the London Knights. The 18 yr. old right-handed center leads his team in scoring and is fifth in the Ontario Hockey League in points (42) and goals (18) in 24 games. Team Canada held it's nose to Pu for the upcoming World Junior Championships.
--John Grigg of Sportsnet.ca had Pu as Team Canada's biggest snub this year but as our good friend Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com/sabres.com points out, Pu is probably second on the snub list. Baker points to Sabres prospect and present Sabres defenseman Brendan Guhle as quite possibly the top Team Canada snub.
--Guhle had been lonesome and forlorn wallowing away in Prince Albert for a last place Raider team before he was traded to the B.C division-leading Prince George Cougars. His good fortune continued when the Sabres recalled him from the Cougars due to an unlucky rash of injuries that have hit Buffalo's blueline. Guhle was quoted as saying that his coach approached him with the news by saying that he was traded to the Sabres. Guhle's response was that he didn't even know a recall like that was allowed.
--The 6'3" 194 lb. defenseman who skates like the wind hit the lineup in Buffalo yesterday afternoon for a 1 O'clock game less than 12 hours after touching down at Buffalo International Airport. And the kid looked good. Actually pretty impressive for a 19 yr. old playing in his first NHL game. Although not without flaws, his skating ability is top-notch and his feel for the game is exceptional which makes him a very intriguing prospect for the Sabres moving forward. Methinks landing in Buffalo for an NHL stint takes away the sting of not being picked for Team Canada.
--Guhle had a shot on goal his very first NHL shift and had an impressive rush up ice that surprised the entire Bruins team before being stopped by Rask who made a big league save on the youngin. Plays like that got him noticed in junior and made him the 51st overall pick in the 2016 Draft.
--And it's plays like that which makes Sabres fans drool over the prospect of him on the blueline. Injuries on Buffalo's defense means Guhle could very well be here for a few more games, maybe nine total but playing in a 10th would kick in the first year of his entry-level contract and the Sabres may not want to go there. I'm of the opinion that it's a good thing. Let him finish his junior career and next year plan on having as a part of the Sabres top-six on defense.
--The defense has held up fairly well with Zach Bogosian, Dmitry Kulikov and now Josh Gorges out with injuries. Two Rochester call-ups--Justin Falk and Taylor Fedun--have done yeoman's work filling in. Their two different players on the same pairing. The 6'5" 220 lb. Falk is intent upon making people pay the price for a play while Fedun is a smooth puck-mover who's on the second powerplay unit. They'd played together for the Amerks and so far for Buffalo they've combined for a plus-1 rating in eight games.
--Cody Franson was Guhle's d-partner yesterday and the rookie said that veteran was instrumental in making the jump more comfortable. Franson, who'll never be known for his skating, has been playing rather well lately, which is something the Sabres desperately need from a player considered to be the No. 3 defenseman for Buffalo right now. He'll need to continue that as the Sabres are facing some serious talent this upcoming week.
--Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers visit KeyBank Center on Tuesday for the second of two meetings between the two clubs. Buffalo smoked the Oil 6-2 on October 16. The Sabres were coming off of a drubbing by the Montreal Canadiens in the season opener and were starting a three-game western Canada swing in Edmonton. Ryan O'Reilly had two goals and two assists in the win while Kyle Okposo scored his first goal in the Blue and Gold.
--That matchup on Tuesday will mark McEichel II as McDavid and Eichel, the top two picks in the 2015 Draft, meet for only the second time. In their first meeting McDavid scored both Edmonton goals in a 2-1 Oilers victory with the second one coming in overtime. Both players have grown since then as McDavid's atop the NHL leaderboard in points (34) and assists (23) while Eichel was like a greyhound out of the gate in his return to the ice. In his first three games of the season after returning from injury, "Jack Flash" has two goals and two assists.
--Before that, however, the Sabres head to D.C. to take on the Washington Capitals. The Caps seem like a simmering volcano waiting to erupt right now. For a team with the firepower of Washington, something doesn't seem right when they have only one player in the top-10 in scoring categories. Alexander Ovechkin's 12 goals have him ranked tied for eighth in the league so far this season and one would think that it won't be too much longer before they crank up the scoring machine. Washington is ranked 18th in goals-for right now, an unusual and probably uncomfortable spot for a team that was second in the league last season.
--The Capitals are off to a solid start at 13-7-3 and are presently sitting tied for fourth in the Metropolitan Division, and in a four-way tie for sixth in the Eastern Conference.
Sunday, December 4, 2016
Gearing up for the Bruins today
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 12-03-2016
Wake up you slumberous Sabre waifs, game time is 1:00 pm today and it's against the hated Boston Bruins in a rivalry that dates back to the Sabres inception--the high-flying Buffalo Sabres vs. the Big, Bad Boston Bruins. And it could be a tad contentious to say the least.
One of my earlier memories is this gem featuring Jim "Schony" Schoenfeld vs. Wayne Cashman at the Aud. To put it into perspective, in 1972 when this incident occurred the Bruins were coming off of two Stanley Cups in the previous three seasons and being in the same division as the Sabres, they weren't about to give the fledgling franchise one inch. Intimidation ruled back then, and the Bruins were the best at it at the time.
But the Sabres wouldn't back down and Schony was the point man in defense of the crest. The fiery red head was a fifth overall pick of Buffalo's that summer and would have non of what the Bruins were dishing out and when Cashman flew into the Buffalo zone to negate an icing call, Schoenfeld checked him through the boards.
Here's the rest compliments of Dan Conroy:
Although it was a lot of fun to watch, those days of dropping the gloves in an instant are long gone and for a while, so was the Sarbes/Bruins rivalry. It takes two for a rivalry and unfortunately for Sabres fans Buffalo hasn't been up to the task. In their last 10 meetings Buffalo is only 2-4-4 and only 3-5-2 in their last 10 at home.
Boston still holds the hammer as proven by a 4-0 win in their first meeting of the season at TD Garden on November 7. The Sabres had won four of the last five prior to the trip to Boston but were thoroughly outclassed. It was a loss that would begin a 3-5-2 tumble to the bottom of the division prior to the return of Jack Eichel.
Jack's back, however, and for the first time this season he'll be facing his hometown Bruins.
In Eichel's first game ever against former favorite team last December, the North Chelmsford native poked the bear to the tune of two goals and two assists in the Sabres 6-3 win in Boston. Eichel and Ryan O'Reilly spurred the Sabres come from behind win scoring four of Buffalo's five unanswered goals. After that game, however, the B's have shut Eichel down. In three meetings after that Eichel had zero points and was a minus-5.
Gearing up for the game today:
--Defenseman Brendan Guhle has been recalled from the Prince George Cougars on an emergency basis. Quick. Do you know where Prince George is on the map? It's north of Vancouver just a few hundred miles from the Pacific Ocean. Guhle had been with the Prince Albert Raiders in Saskatchewan before a trade sent him west to Prince George. He arrived in Buffalo at 1:30 am. The Sabres were able to call up the junior player because of injuries to defensemen Zach Bogosian, Dmitry Kulikov, Josh Gorges and Casey Nelson.
--Head Coach Dan Bylsma said they recalled Guhle because he was a left-handed defenseman and because of his skating ability. The 19 yr. old Guhle impressed at camp in 2015 and was one of the last Sabres cuts this past training camp. He'll be paired with Cody Franson today. When asked by the gathered media whether there will be any restraints put on the youngin, Bylsma said "he needs to use his (skating) abilities to be effective. It would be a mistake to anchor himself behind the goal line."
--How did Guhle hear about his promotion? "Coach said I was traded to the Sabres," was how he put it to the media.
--Robin Lehner gets the start for Buffalo in net after missing his last start because of a minor hip injury. From Sabres PR, Lehner has faced Boston more times than any other NHL team. In 14 career games against the Bruins, he has logged a .923 save percentage and a 2.74 goals-against average.
Wake up you slumberous Sabre waifs, game time is 1:00 pm today and it's against the hated Boston Bruins in a rivalry that dates back to the Sabres inception--the high-flying Buffalo Sabres vs. the Big, Bad Boston Bruins. And it could be a tad contentious to say the least.
One of my earlier memories is this gem featuring Jim "Schony" Schoenfeld vs. Wayne Cashman at the Aud. To put it into perspective, in 1972 when this incident occurred the Bruins were coming off of two Stanley Cups in the previous three seasons and being in the same division as the Sabres, they weren't about to give the fledgling franchise one inch. Intimidation ruled back then, and the Bruins were the best at it at the time.
But the Sabres wouldn't back down and Schony was the point man in defense of the crest. The fiery red head was a fifth overall pick of Buffalo's that summer and would have non of what the Bruins were dishing out and when Cashman flew into the Buffalo zone to negate an icing call, Schoenfeld checked him through the boards.
Here's the rest compliments of Dan Conroy:
Although it was a lot of fun to watch, those days of dropping the gloves in an instant are long gone and for a while, so was the Sarbes/Bruins rivalry. It takes two for a rivalry and unfortunately for Sabres fans Buffalo hasn't been up to the task. In their last 10 meetings Buffalo is only 2-4-4 and only 3-5-2 in their last 10 at home.
Boston still holds the hammer as proven by a 4-0 win in their first meeting of the season at TD Garden on November 7. The Sabres had won four of the last five prior to the trip to Boston but were thoroughly outclassed. It was a loss that would begin a 3-5-2 tumble to the bottom of the division prior to the return of Jack Eichel.
Jack's back, however, and for the first time this season he'll be facing his hometown Bruins.
In Eichel's first game ever against former favorite team last December, the North Chelmsford native poked the bear to the tune of two goals and two assists in the Sabres 6-3 win in Boston. Eichel and Ryan O'Reilly spurred the Sabres come from behind win scoring four of Buffalo's five unanswered goals. After that game, however, the B's have shut Eichel down. In three meetings after that Eichel had zero points and was a minus-5.
Gearing up for the game today:
--Defenseman Brendan Guhle has been recalled from the Prince George Cougars on an emergency basis. Quick. Do you know where Prince George is on the map? It's north of Vancouver just a few hundred miles from the Pacific Ocean. Guhle had been with the Prince Albert Raiders in Saskatchewan before a trade sent him west to Prince George. He arrived in Buffalo at 1:30 am. The Sabres were able to call up the junior player because of injuries to defensemen Zach Bogosian, Dmitry Kulikov, Josh Gorges and Casey Nelson.
--Head Coach Dan Bylsma said they recalled Guhle because he was a left-handed defenseman and because of his skating ability. The 19 yr. old Guhle impressed at camp in 2015 and was one of the last Sabres cuts this past training camp. He'll be paired with Cody Franson today. When asked by the gathered media whether there will be any restraints put on the youngin, Bylsma said "he needs to use his (skating) abilities to be effective. It would be a mistake to anchor himself behind the goal line."
--How did Guhle hear about his promotion? "Coach said I was traded to the Sabres," was how he put it to the media.
--Robin Lehner gets the start for Buffalo in net after missing his last start because of a minor hip injury. From Sabres PR, Lehner has faced Boston more times than any other NHL team. In 14 career games against the Bruins, he has logged a .923 save percentage and a 2.74 goals-against average.
Saturday, December 3, 2016
One!...Two!...Three!...Four!...We want more!
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 12-02-2016
It was a goal-chant that began back in the 70’s at the old Memorial Auditorium when the Buffalo Sabres were scoring plenty of goals in a high-flying NHL as teams routinely scored well over 300 goals in a season. After a Sabres goal the crowd would chant One!...We want two. When they scored a second goal they'd chant One!...Two!...We want three. And so on.
For Buffalo at the time it meant the electricity of Hall of Famer Gilbert Perreault centering the goal machine known as The French Connection. In the 1975-76 season the Buffalo Sabres scored 339 goals (in 80 games) which placed them tied for second in the league. Buffalo opened the season on an eight-game winning streak with six of those games played at the Aud. In those six games the Sabres scored 4, 8, 7, 5, 9 and 3 goals, respectively, which had the home crowd doing a lot of counting.
Shades of that era returned for the 1992-93 season when Pat LaFontaine and Alexander Mogilny lit it up to the tune of 129 goals combined that season. Buffalo's 335 goals in 84 games tied them for sixth in the league. And during the 2006-07 season, the Sabres would be known as the team built for the new NHL with centers Daniel Briere and Chris Drury leading an aptly named "Ferrari Sabres" to a league-leading 308 goals (82 games.)
Mixed in between those three eras, however, were periods of fits and starts, lock-down defensive game-plans and often times either player ineptitude or lack of talent that left the team and fanbase mired in mediocrity or worse. It didn't make for a fun atmosphere and often times the goal chant was either forgotten or shackled by apathy.
All of those darker eras made their presence known in one way or another through the first 21 games of this season as the Sabres were besieged by injuries, especially to Jack Eichel, and they couldn't score if their very existence dependent upon it. Buffalo slogged through those games scoring at a measly 1.81 goals/game clip oft times lulling their fans to sleep. The Sabres were looking like a team that was destined for the bottom third of the league, an area they'd been stuck in for four years.
That all seemed to change when Eichel returned to the lineup on Tuesday in Ottawa. With him back on the ice the Sabres found more energy, speed and drive and proceeded to pull off two wins in a row while also scoring more than two goals in a game. Even though they still hadn't gelled as a team, collectively looking as if they were still finding their legs as a team, they were able to come away with a 5-4 victory over the Senators on Tuesday in Eichel's first game of the season before following it up with a 4-3 win over the NY Rangers.
Last night versus the Metropolitan Division-leading Rangers was Eichel's first home game of the season and he brought something to the ice that Sabres fans haven't seen in a while--moxie. Sure, there was some of that last year, but it was a season where the 19 yr. old Eichel was still getting a feel for his team, his coach and the league in general. Yet even so, he still managed a team-leading 24 goals and was second with 59 points.
Eichel hit the ice these last two games like a greyhound out of the gate and the sheer energy he brought radiated throughout Sabreland from his team mates and coaches, to the last row of the 300's and out to any Sabres fan watching. Not since Perreault have we seen a player that electrifying.
The Rangers are a proving to be throwback to those high-flying NHL eras where the ice seemed wide open and the goalies looked real small in net. They're scoring at a clip that places them 11 goals better than their nearest competitor and with one of the best goalies in the league patrolling the crease, they represented a big challenge for Buffalo last night. Yet, the Sabres came away with a come-from-behind victory. New York went into the third period with a 3-2 lead, but for the first time all season (13 games) the Rangers lost as Eichel scored both the game-tying and game-winning goals in the third.
The cool part about the Eichel effect is that it's all-encompassing at this time. Every player on the team seems to have found another gear and has been at the very least just a bit sharper on the ice. Eichel's first goal of the game came on a speed rush along the wall by Kyle Okposo who made a nifty reach-around pass to spring Eichel for a clear shot to the net. He made no mistake as he blew a snapshot by Henrik Lundqvist. Earlier in the game, the Sabres forecheck really gave the Rangers fits and sustained pressure lead to Buffalo's second goal by Brian Gionta which tied the game at 2-2. The Eichel/Okposo/Sam Reinhart had started the o-zone pressure which lead to Gionta's goal.
Those were the skill goals.
The other two Sabres goals, the first and last, came courtesy of fortuitous bounces which often times is a result of hard work and maybe a touch of moxie. Lundqvist had a center-ice tip from Johan Larsson jump over him and into the net while Eichel's second goal came from a deflection off of a Ranger's skate at the top of the crease. That second Eichel goal, however, also had the Eichel effect on display.
Lundqvist is in his 12th NHL season and is possible (probable?) Hall of Fame material, but on that play he was sprawling in desperation like a rookie while being fully aware of Eichel at the bottom of the faceoff circle to the right of his crease. It's not often where you see a goalie with the poise "King Henrik" go down so fast on a shooter, especially laying out like he did. But it happened. Eichel sent a cross-ice pass and it deflected in for the game-winner.
Buffalo has scored nine goals in two games since Eichel returned to the lineup. In 13 games prior, stretching back to the beginning of November, the team totaled 21 goals. The energy is back at KeyBank Center and the atmosphere is fun again. The only problem is that the goal chant was conspicuously missing last night. Perhaps the fans have forgotten about it as it's been so long since they've been able to get past number 2.
Hopefully with five out of the next six games at home, they can get that chant going again.
It was a goal-chant that began back in the 70’s at the old Memorial Auditorium when the Buffalo Sabres were scoring plenty of goals in a high-flying NHL as teams routinely scored well over 300 goals in a season. After a Sabres goal the crowd would chant One!...We want two. When they scored a second goal they'd chant One!...Two!...We want three. And so on.
For Buffalo at the time it meant the electricity of Hall of Famer Gilbert Perreault centering the goal machine known as The French Connection. In the 1975-76 season the Buffalo Sabres scored 339 goals (in 80 games) which placed them tied for second in the league. Buffalo opened the season on an eight-game winning streak with six of those games played at the Aud. In those six games the Sabres scored 4, 8, 7, 5, 9 and 3 goals, respectively, which had the home crowd doing a lot of counting.
Shades of that era returned for the 1992-93 season when Pat LaFontaine and Alexander Mogilny lit it up to the tune of 129 goals combined that season. Buffalo's 335 goals in 84 games tied them for sixth in the league. And during the 2006-07 season, the Sabres would be known as the team built for the new NHL with centers Daniel Briere and Chris Drury leading an aptly named "Ferrari Sabres" to a league-leading 308 goals (82 games.)
Mixed in between those three eras, however, were periods of fits and starts, lock-down defensive game-plans and often times either player ineptitude or lack of talent that left the team and fanbase mired in mediocrity or worse. It didn't make for a fun atmosphere and often times the goal chant was either forgotten or shackled by apathy.
All of those darker eras made their presence known in one way or another through the first 21 games of this season as the Sabres were besieged by injuries, especially to Jack Eichel, and they couldn't score if their very existence dependent upon it. Buffalo slogged through those games scoring at a measly 1.81 goals/game clip oft times lulling their fans to sleep. The Sabres were looking like a team that was destined for the bottom third of the league, an area they'd been stuck in for four years.
That all seemed to change when Eichel returned to the lineup on Tuesday in Ottawa. With him back on the ice the Sabres found more energy, speed and drive and proceeded to pull off two wins in a row while also scoring more than two goals in a game. Even though they still hadn't gelled as a team, collectively looking as if they were still finding their legs as a team, they were able to come away with a 5-4 victory over the Senators on Tuesday in Eichel's first game of the season before following it up with a 4-3 win over the NY Rangers.
Last night versus the Metropolitan Division-leading Rangers was Eichel's first home game of the season and he brought something to the ice that Sabres fans haven't seen in a while--moxie. Sure, there was some of that last year, but it was a season where the 19 yr. old Eichel was still getting a feel for his team, his coach and the league in general. Yet even so, he still managed a team-leading 24 goals and was second with 59 points.
Eichel hit the ice these last two games like a greyhound out of the gate and the sheer energy he brought radiated throughout Sabreland from his team mates and coaches, to the last row of the 300's and out to any Sabres fan watching. Not since Perreault have we seen a player that electrifying.
The Rangers are a proving to be throwback to those high-flying NHL eras where the ice seemed wide open and the goalies looked real small in net. They're scoring at a clip that places them 11 goals better than their nearest competitor and with one of the best goalies in the league patrolling the crease, they represented a big challenge for Buffalo last night. Yet, the Sabres came away with a come-from-behind victory. New York went into the third period with a 3-2 lead, but for the first time all season (13 games) the Rangers lost as Eichel scored both the game-tying and game-winning goals in the third.
The cool part about the Eichel effect is that it's all-encompassing at this time. Every player on the team seems to have found another gear and has been at the very least just a bit sharper on the ice. Eichel's first goal of the game came on a speed rush along the wall by Kyle Okposo who made a nifty reach-around pass to spring Eichel for a clear shot to the net. He made no mistake as he blew a snapshot by Henrik Lundqvist. Earlier in the game, the Sabres forecheck really gave the Rangers fits and sustained pressure lead to Buffalo's second goal by Brian Gionta which tied the game at 2-2. The Eichel/Okposo/Sam Reinhart had started the o-zone pressure which lead to Gionta's goal.
Those were the skill goals.
The other two Sabres goals, the first and last, came courtesy of fortuitous bounces which often times is a result of hard work and maybe a touch of moxie. Lundqvist had a center-ice tip from Johan Larsson jump over him and into the net while Eichel's second goal came from a deflection off of a Ranger's skate at the top of the crease. That second Eichel goal, however, also had the Eichel effect on display.
Lundqvist is in his 12th NHL season and is possible (probable?) Hall of Fame material, but on that play he was sprawling in desperation like a rookie while being fully aware of Eichel at the bottom of the faceoff circle to the right of his crease. It's not often where you see a goalie with the poise "King Henrik" go down so fast on a shooter, especially laying out like he did. But it happened. Eichel sent a cross-ice pass and it deflected in for the game-winner.
Buffalo has scored nine goals in two games since Eichel returned to the lineup. In 13 games prior, stretching back to the beginning of November, the team totaled 21 goals. The energy is back at KeyBank Center and the atmosphere is fun again. The only problem is that the goal chant was conspicuously missing last night. Perhaps the fans have forgotten about it as it's been so long since they've been able to get past number 2.
Hopefully with five out of the next six games at home, they can get that chant going again.
Friday, December 2, 2016
Buffalo Sabres 2016-17 Team Stats--November
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 12-1-2016
For many Buffalo Sabres fans the season began on November 29th when Jack Eichel came back from his injury. Unfortunately the season officially began 21 games prior and injuries have put them into a hole heading into December.
It's a good thing that the Eastern Conference is wide open right now. Except for a some powerhouses like the NY Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins in the Metropolitan Division plus the Montreal Canadians and surging Tampa Bay Lightning in Buffalo's Atlantic Division, flux is the key word for the rest of the conference. Despite a rough November which featured a 5-6-3 record, the Sabres are only six points out of third place in the division and just four points out of a wild card spot. However, with the three-point game creating league-wide parity, the Sabres need to jump five teams to get to third place in the division and seven teams to make into the second wild card spot.
And so it goes.
It's a minor miracle that Buffalo was able to come out of November as well as they did, considering at one point they were missing their top two centers in Eichel and Ryan O'Reilly, a top-six winger in Evander Kane and two of their top-four defensemen--Zach Bogosian and Dmitry Kulikov. Five Rochester Americans were on recall to hold the fort at one point and they did the best they could.
The Sabres offense took a beating in last month without Eichel and O'Reilly anchoring the top two lines. Head coach Dan Bylsma did some serious juggling and at one point with Kane also on the sidelines had a whole line playing a notch above where they should be. Buffalo's goal scoring dipped below their tank-era futility-mark of 1.87 g/am and hit 1.63 in 13 November games prior to Eichel's return for the last game of the month. Although the five-goal outburst got them back up to 1.95 g/gm on the season, the Sabres are dead last in that department. Take out the powerplay which finished the month at a fifth-best 22.7% clip and it's disastrous.
Defense and goaltending salvaged November for the Sabres as they slightly reduced their goals-against to 2.45 ga/gm (10th) despite averaging two shots-against per game more for the month. The absence of Bogosian and Kulikov, however, took it's toll on the penalty kill as it dropped from an 86.7% kill rate to 78.7% going from seventh to 25th in the league.
For as jumbled as it's been for the team through the first quarter of the season, if the last game vs. the Ottawa Senators is any indication, Eichel's return is huge for the offense as the rest of the lineup falls into place. The Sabres still have issues on the back-end with Bogosian and Kulikov out of the lineup--especially on the penalty kill--but that can be helped by more offense and more speed on the back check.
The Sabres play six of the next seven at home beginning tonight against the offensive juggernaut known as the NY Rangers. The Rangers are averaging a league-best 3.67 goals/game so far this season and have a league-best goal differential of +29. And not only do they bring it with speed and skill, they also have themselves one of the best goaltenders in the league--Henrik Lundqvist.
That, my friends, represents a pretty stiff challenge for the Sabres to begin the month of December.
Buffalo Sabres Team Stats/League Rankings...(Leader):
Wins
--October: 3 (T-23rd)...(MTL, 8)
--November: 8 (T-28th)...(MTL, NYR, 16)
--2015-16: 35 (23rd)...(WSH, 56)
--2014-15: 23 (30th)...(ANA, 49)
Atlantic Division Standing
--October: 7th...(MTL)
--November: 8th...(MTL)
--2015-16: 7th...(FLA)
--2014-15: 8th...(MTL)
Eastern Conference Standing
--October: 12th...(MTL)
--November: 15th...(MTL)
--2015-16: 14th...(WSH)
--2014-15: 16th...(NYR)
League standing/Points
--October: 20th/8...(MTL/17)
--November: 28th/21...(MTL/34)
--2015-16: 23rd/81...(WSH/120)
--2014-15: 3 0th/54...(NYR/113)
Points Percentage
--October: .500 (T-15th)...(MTL, .944)
--November: .477 (26th)...(MTL, .739)
--2015-16: .494 (23d)...(WSH, .732)
--2014-15: .329 (30th)...(NYR, .689)
Goal Differential
--October: -1 (16th)...(MTL, +17)
--November: -13 (25th)...(NYR, +29)
--2015-16: -21 (20th)...(WSH, +59)
--2014-15 -113 (30th)...(NYR, +60)
Goals/Game
--October: 2.50 (21st)...(NYR, 3.89)
--November: 1.95 (30th)...(NYR, 3.67)
--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)
--November: 29.4 (20th)...(PIT, 33.9)
--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)
--November: 2.45 (10th)...(SJS. 2.09)
--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)
--November: 32.5 (26th)...(LAK, 25.4)
--2015-16: 30.6 (22nd)...(NSH, 27.3)
--2014-15: 35.6 (30th)...(LAK, 27.0)
Powerplay
--October: 25.0 (7th)...(NSH, 35.7)
--November: 22.7 (5th)...(CBJ, 27.8)
--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)
--November: 78.7 (25th)...(CAR, 89.7)
--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)
--November: 51.5 (5th)...(ANA, 56.8)
--2015-16: 49.4 (21st)...(ARI, 54.7)
--2014-15: 44.9 (30th)...(BOS, 53.6)
For many Buffalo Sabres fans the season began on November 29th when Jack Eichel came back from his injury. Unfortunately the season officially began 21 games prior and injuries have put them into a hole heading into December.
It's a good thing that the Eastern Conference is wide open right now. Except for a some powerhouses like the NY Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins in the Metropolitan Division plus the Montreal Canadians and surging Tampa Bay Lightning in Buffalo's Atlantic Division, flux is the key word for the rest of the conference. Despite a rough November which featured a 5-6-3 record, the Sabres are only six points out of third place in the division and just four points out of a wild card spot. However, with the three-point game creating league-wide parity, the Sabres need to jump five teams to get to third place in the division and seven teams to make into the second wild card spot.
And so it goes.
It's a minor miracle that Buffalo was able to come out of November as well as they did, considering at one point they were missing their top two centers in Eichel and Ryan O'Reilly, a top-six winger in Evander Kane and two of their top-four defensemen--Zach Bogosian and Dmitry Kulikov. Five Rochester Americans were on recall to hold the fort at one point and they did the best they could.
The Sabres offense took a beating in last month without Eichel and O'Reilly anchoring the top two lines. Head coach Dan Bylsma did some serious juggling and at one point with Kane also on the sidelines had a whole line playing a notch above where they should be. Buffalo's goal scoring dipped below their tank-era futility-mark of 1.87 g/am and hit 1.63 in 13 November games prior to Eichel's return for the last game of the month. Although the five-goal outburst got them back up to 1.95 g/gm on the season, the Sabres are dead last in that department. Take out the powerplay which finished the month at a fifth-best 22.7% clip and it's disastrous.
Defense and goaltending salvaged November for the Sabres as they slightly reduced their goals-against to 2.45 ga/gm (10th) despite averaging two shots-against per game more for the month. The absence of Bogosian and Kulikov, however, took it's toll on the penalty kill as it dropped from an 86.7% kill rate to 78.7% going from seventh to 25th in the league.
For as jumbled as it's been for the team through the first quarter of the season, if the last game vs. the Ottawa Senators is any indication, Eichel's return is huge for the offense as the rest of the lineup falls into place. The Sabres still have issues on the back-end with Bogosian and Kulikov out of the lineup--especially on the penalty kill--but that can be helped by more offense and more speed on the back check.
The Sabres play six of the next seven at home beginning tonight against the offensive juggernaut known as the NY Rangers. The Rangers are averaging a league-best 3.67 goals/game so far this season and have a league-best goal differential of +29. And not only do they bring it with speed and skill, they also have themselves one of the best goaltenders in the league--Henrik Lundqvist.
That, my friends, represents a pretty stiff challenge for the Sabres to begin the month of December.
Buffalo Sabres Team Stats/League Rankings...(Leader):
Wins
--October: 3 (T-23rd)...(MTL, 8)
--November: 8 (T-28th)...(MTL, NYR, 16)
--2015-16: 35 (23rd)...(WSH, 56)
--2014-15: 23 (30th)...(ANA, 49)
Atlantic Division Standing
--October: 7th...(MTL)
--November: 8th...(MTL)
--2015-16: 7th...(FLA)
--2014-15: 8th...(MTL)
Eastern Conference Standing
--October: 12th...(MTL)
--November: 15th...(MTL)
--2015-16: 14th...(WSH)
--2014-15: 16th...(NYR)
League standing/Points
--October: 20th/8...(MTL/17)
--November: 28th/21...(MTL/34)
--2015-16: 23rd/81...(WSH/120)
--2014-15: 3 0th/54...(NYR/113)
Points Percentage
--October: .500 (T-15th)...(MTL, .944)
--November: .477 (26th)...(MTL, .739)
--2015-16: .494 (23d)...(WSH, .732)
--2014-15: .329 (30th)...(NYR, .689)
Goal Differential
--October: -1 (16th)...(MTL, +17)
--November: -13 (25th)...(NYR, +29)
--2015-16: -21 (20th)...(WSH, +59)
--2014-15 -113 (30th)...(NYR, +60)
Goals/Game
--October: 2.50 (21st)...(NYR, 3.89)
--November: 1.95 (30th)...(NYR, 3.67)
--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)
--November: 29.4 (20th)...(PIT, 33.9)
--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)
--November: 2.45 (10th)...(SJS. 2.09)
--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)
--November: 32.5 (26th)...(LAK, 25.4)
--2015-16: 30.6 (22nd)...(NSH, 27.3)
--2014-15: 35.6 (30th)...(LAK, 27.0)
Powerplay
--October: 25.0 (7th)...(NSH, 35.7)
--November: 22.7 (5th)...(CBJ, 27.8)
--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)
--November: 78.7 (25th)...(CAR, 89.7)
--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)
--November: 51.5 (5th)...(ANA, 56.8)
--2015-16: 49.4 (21st)...(ARI, 54.7)
--2014-15: 44.9 (30th)...(BOS, 53.6)
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:
Jack's back? A very good possiblilty at Ottawa tonight
Published by hockeybuzz.com, 11-29-2016
It's been just about seven weeks since Buffalo Sabres forward Jack Eichel was sidelined with a high ankle sprain the day before the season opener. For the Sabres, there were times where it had to feel like seven months.
Buffalo is in Ottawa to take on the Senators tonight. The Sabres have compiled a 7-9-5 record in Eichel's absence and despite slogging through the schedule and finding themselves last in the division at the quarter-pole, hold the forks as there's enough flux in both the division and the conference to keep hope alive.
Although Eichel's injury wasn't' the only major injury to the Sabres, it had the most affect. In his absence the ice tightened up and Buffalo finds themselves scoring at a rate that's below the tank years. Their 1.81 goals/game is dead last in the league while their minus-14 goal differential is last in the conference. Kyle Okposo is the team's leading point producer with 13 ranking him tied for 92nd in the league while Matt Moulson leads the Sabres in goals with seven placing him tied for 43rd.
On a positive note offensively, the Sabres have the 11th best powerplay in the league converting at a 20% clip while Moulson's six powerplay goals rank him second in the league, one behind Montreal's Shea Weber.
The difference between the 5v5 doldrums and an efficient powerplay? Space. And that's where Eichel will help immensely 5v5 as teams will need to accommodate for his speed and skill and are forced to back off when Eichel on the ice. Buffalo should find a little more space in the offensive zone. What they do with it remains to be seen, but it can't get much worse, can it?
No one player makes a team, but in the case of Eichel rejoining the Sabres, his presence makes a huge difference as the forward ranks fall into place. With him back in the lineup, Sam Reinhart goes to his right wing with Evander Kane opposite forming a scoring line that opponents will need to focus upon. Not many teams have two stout checking lines so while the best checkers are occupied with the Eichel line, Ryan O'Reilly, Kyle Okposo and Matt Moulson should draw an easier assignment. And visa versa.
In fact, there's a whole line that's been playing a notch or so above where they should have been the entire season. The two-way line of Johan Larsson, Brian Gionta and Marcus Foligno have been in the top six either as a line or as individual components all season because of the Eichel injury (and the Kane injury as well.) They drop down to a more comfortable slot as the third line.
There are still issues facing the club, however, and much of it stems from the back end. Top-four defensemen Zach Bogosian and Dmitry Kulikov are still out with injuries leaving Justin Falk and Taylor Fedun, both Rochester call-ups, trying to hold the fort as a third pairing. Although they've acquitted themselves quite well, with a full compliment of defensemen, only one would be in Buffalo in a reserve role.
As with the offensive zone, just a little extra space in the d-zone will help the defensemen with their outlet passes. Although it hasn't been a disaster by any stretch of the imagination, any speed this team can get through the neutral zone will be a big plus.
The team is still not saying Eichel's a 100% go, even though Eichel has declared himself ready, but all indications are that he will be in the lineup tonight. Head coach Dan Bylsma was on WGR550 this morning saying that it's "a possibility." Everything has gone well so far and if Eichel wakes up this morning without any ill effects, he should be a go. Or as Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com/sabres.com tweeted, "99% yes. 1% if he wakes up missing a limb."
***
Some other notes for tonight:
--Buffalo's fourth line looks to be Derek Grant centering rookie Will Carrier and Zemgus Girgensons on the right side. Girgensons has been struggling mightily ever since Byslma took over last season and the coach was very sympathetic with his plight. "He's a player who's looking for ways to have success," he told WGR host's Howard Simon and Jeremy White. "Zemgus is one of our hardest workers, he'll go right through the endboards for you. I almost feel he needs a break, a puck off a shin pad to relieve some of the pressure he feels."
--Eichel's injury occurred during practice in front of the net while tangling with Girgensons. It was a weird injury that Girgensons really didn't have a lot to do with. They weren't grappling or anything like that, but Eichel was in an awkward position when his skate got caught in the ice and his ankle twisted. Although fairy tale endings rarely come true, it would be cool to see Girgensons get off the schneid (no goals in 18 games, one all season) with a goal in Eichel's return not only for himself, but for the team as well.
--The Ottawa Senators presently sit second in the Atlantic Division with 29 points on a 14-7-1 record which is 10 points above Buffalo but the Sabres have fared well against their rivals going 1-0-1 so far this season. Buffalo beat Ottawa 2-1 at Canadian Tire Center on November 5 and four days later lost 2-1 in a shootout at KeyBank Center. Sabres goaltender Robin Lehner was in net for both games and is now 2-0-2 in five career appearances against his former club with a .956 save percentage and a 1.30 goals-against average, according to Sabres PR.
***
In the shootout loss to Ottawa, Lehner gave up two goals on two shots while Buffalo went 1-3 on a goal by Sam Reinhart. Lehner's troubles in the shootout have been well documented here, but the Sabres shooters have been struggling as well.
Only five Buffalo players have scored in the shootout since the beginning of last season. Reinhart leads the team with three goals in five total attempts (60%,) Cal O'Reilly is one for two (both this season,) Matt Moulson and the injured Tyler Ennis are both one for three and have yet to shoot this season while Jack Eichel is one for six (all coming last season.)
Ryan O'Reilly (0/6) and Evander Kane (0/4) have yet to take a shot this season while Kyle Okposo has four shots in four shootouts for Buffalo this season but has yet to score a goal.
The Sabres are 1-3 in the shootout this season after finishing only 2-7 last season. Oddly enough, in the two season's prior to Bylsma, the team went a combined 15-5, while the year prior Buffalo was 7-4.
It's been just about seven weeks since Buffalo Sabres forward Jack Eichel was sidelined with a high ankle sprain the day before the season opener. For the Sabres, there were times where it had to feel like seven months.
Buffalo is in Ottawa to take on the Senators tonight. The Sabres have compiled a 7-9-5 record in Eichel's absence and despite slogging through the schedule and finding themselves last in the division at the quarter-pole, hold the forks as there's enough flux in both the division and the conference to keep hope alive.
Although Eichel's injury wasn't' the only major injury to the Sabres, it had the most affect. In his absence the ice tightened up and Buffalo finds themselves scoring at a rate that's below the tank years. Their 1.81 goals/game is dead last in the league while their minus-14 goal differential is last in the conference. Kyle Okposo is the team's leading point producer with 13 ranking him tied for 92nd in the league while Matt Moulson leads the Sabres in goals with seven placing him tied for 43rd.
On a positive note offensively, the Sabres have the 11th best powerplay in the league converting at a 20% clip while Moulson's six powerplay goals rank him second in the league, one behind Montreal's Shea Weber.
The difference between the 5v5 doldrums and an efficient powerplay? Space. And that's where Eichel will help immensely 5v5 as teams will need to accommodate for his speed and skill and are forced to back off when Eichel on the ice. Buffalo should find a little more space in the offensive zone. What they do with it remains to be seen, but it can't get much worse, can it?
No one player makes a team, but in the case of Eichel rejoining the Sabres, his presence makes a huge difference as the forward ranks fall into place. With him back in the lineup, Sam Reinhart goes to his right wing with Evander Kane opposite forming a scoring line that opponents will need to focus upon. Not many teams have two stout checking lines so while the best checkers are occupied with the Eichel line, Ryan O'Reilly, Kyle Okposo and Matt Moulson should draw an easier assignment. And visa versa.
In fact, there's a whole line that's been playing a notch or so above where they should have been the entire season. The two-way line of Johan Larsson, Brian Gionta and Marcus Foligno have been in the top six either as a line or as individual components all season because of the Eichel injury (and the Kane injury as well.) They drop down to a more comfortable slot as the third line.
There are still issues facing the club, however, and much of it stems from the back end. Top-four defensemen Zach Bogosian and Dmitry Kulikov are still out with injuries leaving Justin Falk and Taylor Fedun, both Rochester call-ups, trying to hold the fort as a third pairing. Although they've acquitted themselves quite well, with a full compliment of defensemen, only one would be in Buffalo in a reserve role.
As with the offensive zone, just a little extra space in the d-zone will help the defensemen with their outlet passes. Although it hasn't been a disaster by any stretch of the imagination, any speed this team can get through the neutral zone will be a big plus.
The team is still not saying Eichel's a 100% go, even though Eichel has declared himself ready, but all indications are that he will be in the lineup tonight. Head coach Dan Bylsma was on WGR550 this morning saying that it's "a possibility." Everything has gone well so far and if Eichel wakes up this morning without any ill effects, he should be a go. Or as Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com/sabres.com tweeted, "99% yes. 1% if he wakes up missing a limb."
***
Some other notes for tonight:
--Buffalo's fourth line looks to be Derek Grant centering rookie Will Carrier and Zemgus Girgensons on the right side. Girgensons has been struggling mightily ever since Byslma took over last season and the coach was very sympathetic with his plight. "He's a player who's looking for ways to have success," he told WGR host's Howard Simon and Jeremy White. "Zemgus is one of our hardest workers, he'll go right through the endboards for you. I almost feel he needs a break, a puck off a shin pad to relieve some of the pressure he feels."
--Eichel's injury occurred during practice in front of the net while tangling with Girgensons. It was a weird injury that Girgensons really didn't have a lot to do with. They weren't grappling or anything like that, but Eichel was in an awkward position when his skate got caught in the ice and his ankle twisted. Although fairy tale endings rarely come true, it would be cool to see Girgensons get off the schneid (no goals in 18 games, one all season) with a goal in Eichel's return not only for himself, but for the team as well.
--The Ottawa Senators presently sit second in the Atlantic Division with 29 points on a 14-7-1 record which is 10 points above Buffalo but the Sabres have fared well against their rivals going 1-0-1 so far this season. Buffalo beat Ottawa 2-1 at Canadian Tire Center on November 5 and four days later lost 2-1 in a shootout at KeyBank Center. Sabres goaltender Robin Lehner was in net for both games and is now 2-0-2 in five career appearances against his former club with a .956 save percentage and a 1.30 goals-against average, according to Sabres PR.
***
In the shootout loss to Ottawa, Lehner gave up two goals on two shots while Buffalo went 1-3 on a goal by Sam Reinhart. Lehner's troubles in the shootout have been well documented here, but the Sabres shooters have been struggling as well.
Only five Buffalo players have scored in the shootout since the beginning of last season. Reinhart leads the team with three goals in five total attempts (60%,) Cal O'Reilly is one for two (both this season,) Matt Moulson and the injured Tyler Ennis are both one for three and have yet to shoot this season while Jack Eichel is one for six (all coming last season.)
Ryan O'Reilly (0/6) and Evander Kane (0/4) have yet to take a shot this season while Kyle Okposo has four shots in four shootouts for Buffalo this season but has yet to score a goal.
The Sabres are 1-3 in the shootout this season after finishing only 2-7 last season. Oddly enough, in the two season's prior to Bylsma, the team went a combined 15-5, while the year prior Buffalo was 7-4.
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