Shutdown Pair

Tag: Sam Reinhart

  • Random Sabres Stats

    Thinking about Leafs/Sabres tonight, I decided to check on some statistics at random.  Here are the results.  This first section is for 5v5:

    • Nicolas Deslauriers is the worst CF% player in the NHL who has played more than 20 games.  Shawn Thornton is the only player worse than him who is at all close in time on ice.
    • Ryan O’Reilly is the best Sabre for CF% at 53.68%, which is 88th for players who have played more than 20 games.  That may not sound great, but that’s right were Evgeni Malkin is.  Main difference is Malkin has a few teammates (some guy named Crosby for one) a bit higher up the list.
    • Johan Larsson and Brian Gionta start in the D zone the most (both over 40%), while Jack Eichel leads the way for Buffalo with starts in the offensive zone, followed by Matt Moulson and Sam Reinhart.
    • 52 goalies have played at least 10 games so far, with both Anders Nilsson and Robin Lehner in the top 12 in save percentage.  However, the top 5 all have 2.00 GAA or lower, while both Sabres goalies are closer to 2.50.

    Now 5v4:

    • Kyle Okposo, Rasmus Ristolainen, Ryan O’Reilly, Matt Moulson, and Sam Reinhart are your Sabres with double digit power play points.
    • Moulson (7) and Okposo (6) lead Buffalo in PP goals, though Eichel is at 5 in half of Okposo’s power play time.
    • Ryan O’Reilly wins 63% of his power play faceoffs.  He’s won more power play faceoffs alone than the rest of the team combined (78 for ROR, 77 for everyone else).  It’s good to have a role.

    And 4v5:

    • Giving up the body – Josh Gorges has blocked 21 shots on the penalty kill, 5 more than the next Sabre.
    • Buffalo has a lone short-handed goal.  Two teams have none, and all the rest have more.  The Flames have 7.
    • This might have something to do with that last one – the Sabres have been short-handed 129 times, the Flames?  170.

    I’m not a stat-head, but these are things that jumped out at me as I clicked around at NHL.com and Puckalytics.  What else would you like to see?

  • A New Season, A New Hope

    The Buffalo Sabres open camp today with three sessions open to the public.  The Sabres site has your full details, but it feels too soon, strangely.  There’s been some turnover in players and coaches – Miller’s really gone? – and there’s a new hope in Sam Reinhart.  Despite all the change (and Darcy Regier being gone) many expect the Sabres to have another year of suffering, to get a shot at Connor McDavid.  Though presumptive captain Brian Gionta and other players say the right things about wanting to win and sneaking up on teams, but they are in an odd spot where many fans would be cool with it if they just didn’t.

    For my part, I just want to watch fun hockey games.  I can see the draw of tanking for McDavid, but if this team gels and makes a playoff run, I’d be happy.  Here’s to fun, and a return to blogging activity this season.  Go Sabres.