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Not the report card grade Sabres fans were hoping for in mid-November pic.twitter.com/TL1clsxreR
— SabresBuzz (@SabresBuzz) November 14, 2016
The Buffalo Sabres find themselves in the basement of the NHL goal scoring statistics.
Buffalo's struggles to score goals is well documented.
THe Sabvres cannit score goals because they continue to bkow excellent scoring opportunities.
On Sunday afternoon, the Vancouver Canucks leap frogged the Sabres.
BUF back in the NHL basement. They are now 30th in NHL in goals scored with 29 in 15 games. 1.93 per game. VAN just won 5-4, 29th now
— SabresBuzz (@SabresBuzz) November 13, 2016
Dan Bylsma's team becomes the only team in the NHL to average less than two goals per game in their first 15 contests.
THe Sabres have already used 25 different players this season. Did you know that only 5 of the 25 players (20%) have a shooting percentage north of ten percent? Nick Baptiste is a 20% shooter. Kyle Okposo is a 15.6% shooter. Matt Moulson and Johan Larsson are tied at 14.3% and Marcus Foligno is 12%. The other 20 players are sub-10% shooters.
The Sares have yet to get a goal from it's defensemen. Conversely, Montreal's Man Mountain Shea Weber already has 7 goals thi sseason, 5 of which are have come on the power play.
Sabres are only team in NHL to be sub-2+ goals per game
— SabresBuzz (@SabresBuzz) November 13, 2016
The Colorado Avalanche have scored the fewest games in the NHL to date. The Avs have lit the lamp just 27 times in 13 games played.
Only COL have scored fewer goals than Buffalo this season. Avs have potted only 27 goals for in 13 games played
— SabresBuzz (@SabresBuzz) November 14, 2016
This week, goals will be hard to come by for the beat up Sabres who will face formidable foes in St. Louis, Tampa and Pittsburgh.
The problem for the Sabres is that their forwards and D are killing heir brilliant goaltending performances by Robin Lehner and Anders Nilsson who are sixth in teh NHL with 2.33 GAA. Tim Murray would be wise to recall Nick Baptiste from Rochester for teh St. Louis game. Murray sent Baptiste, Cole Schieder and Justin Falk to AHL Rochester early Sunday morning. The Amerks played a matinee in Springfield. Baptisite potted two goals in the 3-2 win.
Despite their crisis in confidence in the goals scoring department, the Sabres are in last place in their division and still havemanaged a respectable 5-6-4 record. Bylsma's patchwork roster has impressively earned 14 points in 15 games.
Don't ask me how the Sabres are only four points behind the Ottawa Senators for second place in their Atlantic division.
**
It's time for the Buffalo Sabres to re-group after a brutal week of injuries that led to inconstent performances on the ice.
The bruised and battered Sabres, playing a four minor league call-ups to get by, could only muster two out of a possible eight points this past week.
Buffalo lost 4-0 in Boston on Monday night. Then, they lost 2-1 in the shootout to Ottawa. Then, New Jersey Devils pulled three of four points from the Sabres in their home-and-home series which concluded in Newark on Saturday night.
It was a forgettable week of hockey to be sure.
On Sunday, Tim Murray has assigned forwards Nick Baptiste and Cole Schneider, and defenseman Justin Falk, to the the Rochester Amerks.
The roster moves will save Murray money on the salary cap.
Rochester plays this afternoon on the road in Springfield. Amerks bench boss Damn Lambert could certainly use two of his top goal scorers back in his lineup.
The Sabres are idle on Sunday. However, will practice on Monday. They play in St. Louis on Tuesday night.
Murray will have to make call-ups on Monday morning so that Dan Bylsma can ice a four lines and three D pairs in The Loo.
Baptiste has scored two goals in ten games played. He is -2 and is averaging 8:44 TOI playing on Buffalo's fourth line.
In two games played, Schneider has an assist and is +1 while averaging 7:48 TOI playing with Baptiste and Derek Grant. Schneider was promoted to his hometown Sabres on Wednesday when it was learned that winger Tyler Ennis underwent surgery to repair a nagging groin issue. Ennis is expected to miss "weeks" according to the team.
Falk was -1 while averaging 13:44 TOI in two games played this weekend. Falk was a last minute call-up on Friday when lefty Dmitry Kulikov was ruled out for Friday and Saturday night;s games against the Devils.
For those keeping score at home, here is Tim Murray's score card from this past week:
On 11/9, recalled Cole Schneider from Rochester and assigned forward Hudson Fasching to the Amerks. Murray also activated power forward Evander Kane from injured reserve, and placed forward Tyler Ennis on IR.
On Friday 11/9, Murray called up left D Justin Falk from Rochester.
Dan Bylsma's club has lost 65 man games and counting due to injuries to key contributors.
Cody McCormick (blood clots, October 13; injured reserve) – 15 games Jack Eichel (high-ankle sprain, October 13; injured reserve) – 15 games Evander Kane (ribs, October 14; injured reserve) - 11 games Nicolas Deslauriers (knee, October 30; injured reserve) – 8 games Zach Bogosian (MCL sprain, November 3) – 6 games Hudson Fasching (groin, October 30)- 4 games Tyler Ennis (groin, November 9; injured reserve) – 3 games Ryan O'Reilly (mid body November 11)- 1 game. Dmitry Kulikov (mid body November 10) - 2 games
For now, Murray is doing his dead level best to manage his cap and ice a competitive roster every game.
Despite their horrific luck with injuries, the Sabres have a respectable 5-6-4 record. Bylsma's patchwork roster has impressively earned 14 points in 15 games despite the spate of injuries. THe Sabres are like a "Weeble": they wobble vbut they don't fall down. Entering today's action, Buffalo is only four points behind second place Ottawa in the Atlantic division race.
Bylsma's team cannot score goals. Period. They lost 4-2 in Newark on Saturday night. However, scoring just 29 goals in 15 games played is atrocious. What's more disturbing is that nine of Buffalo's goals scored have been power play goals. Scoring twenty event strength goals in 1 games is unacceptable.
The Buffalo offensive, or lack thereof, is ranked 29th in the NHL with a 1.93 goals for average per game. Only Vancouver is worse with their 27 goals for in 15 games played (1.80 goals for).
The burn in Buffalo's boots right now is that their goalies have only allowed 35 goals against in 15 games which equated to a 2.33 goals against average, which is 6th best in the NHL.
When your team scores 1.93 goals per game and allows 2.33 goals per game, your plan is upside down. When your club fails to bury it;s chances, it undermoines the success of your D-first system and your great goaltending.
The margin for error is as thin as a polished and forged stainless steel sabre right now.
And the answer is a resounding NO if you are wondering if Jack Eichel will miraculously return to action this week and save the day.
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shooter.