Buffalo Sabres hockey has been pretty fun as of late. It has not necessarily been good, but it has been fun.
That’s about all we can ask for in a rebuilding season: scoring goals and good vibes.
By the Numbers 📊
Record: 16-27-8 (40 points) | Division: 7th | League: 27th
5v5 Expected Goals-For Percentage (xGF%): 44.2% (30th in the NHL)
5v5 Goals-For Percentage (GF%): 43.8% (27th in the NHL)
Quick Hits
Brandon Biro called up to the Buffalo Sabres, set to make his NHL debut vs. the Canadiens
Victor Olofsson out with a non-COVID illness, set to meet the team in St. Louis for Friday’s game
Craig Anderson: The (good) 40-year-old starter
It’s pretty difficult to believe that #41 on the Buffalo Sabres will be turning 41 years old this May. He was originally drafted in 1999 (!) and even saw half of a season with the Rochester Americans in 2006/07 when they were co-affiliated with the Florida Panthers.
The Sabres’ goaltending corps has been taking a lot of heat this season. It’s difficult for an NHL goaltending group to be good after having to dress six different goalies by the midway point of the season.
According to Evolving-Hockey, since January 15th, Buffalo ranks dead last in expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60) but they are 16th in goals saved above expected per 60 minutes (GSAx/60).
So what does that mean? It means that the Sabres give up a LOT of dangerous chances against. It also means that the Sabres goaltending has been perfectly average, saving exactly what they should be saving (no more, no less).
Let’s talk about Craig Anderson. His GSAx numbers are just slightly above league average with 0.43 goals saved above expected. Simply put: he is stopping what he should be stopping.
What’s significant about that is the fact that he is the first Sabres goalie to save more goals than expected across 10+ starts since Anders Nilsson in 2016/17.
There has only been 8 seasons since 2007/08 where a Sabres goalie with 10+ starts has posted positive GSAx numbers:
Could one bad game push Anderson into negative GSAx numbers? Yes, but one good game can also improve his numbers. Regardless, he has been a steady netminder for the Buffalo Sabres in his small sample size, all while being 40 years old.
In conclusion, goaltending has not been sinking the Sabres ship as of late, it has been keeping it afloat. It has been the play in front of the goalie that has led to less than desirable results.
Skinner, Thompson on pace for 30+ goals each
Just one week after Jeff Skinner scored a hat trick, Tage Thompson managed to scored one too:
The very forgettable 2020/21 season saw Skinner score 7 goals in 53 games with Tage netting 8 goals in 38 games. The 2021/22 season has seen Skinner score 20 in 49 while Tage has 20 in 47.
Tage has more goals this season than he had in his prior 145 NHL games:
With both Jeff Skinner and Tage Thompson on pace for 33 goals each, they can accomplish something no Sabres team has done since 2010/11: two 30+ goal-scorers in the same season. The last duo to do it was Thomas Vanek and Drew Stafford.
The fact that these two are on pace to put up 30+ goal seasons on a rebuilding team is pretty neat and has provided fans with some excitement in a season filled with a lot of losses.
Sabres’ 2022 Heritage Classic uniforms unveiled
The Buffalo Sabres have unveiled the uniforms they will be wearing against the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 2022 Heritage Classic in Hamilton:
I was hoping for more of a Buffalo Bisons inspired jersey, but I guess things could always be worse:
Prospects Update: Kozak putting up numbers, Huglen heating up
Tyson Kozak, Buffalo’s 7th round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, has quietly put together 57 points in 50 games for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. He has an impressive 15 points in his last 9 games.
Kozak was a prospect who had the tools, just not the production, when the Sabres drafted him. Now that he has the production, he’s an intriguing prospect to watch going forward:
Aaron Huglen started to heat up for the Minnesota Golden Gophers with some of his teammates in Beijing for the Winter Oympics. After only having 4 points in his first 24 NCAA games, he has 6 in his last 6.
It’s important to note that Huglen missed nearly two years of development with a back injury, so his developmental path was always expected to take a bit more time. The skill he has is certainly undeniable, just look at that shot:
There has been a lot of talk about a 40-year-old goaltender in this week’s newsletter, so let’s talk about the younger guys. Sabres’ prospects, Devon Levi and Erik Portillo, were both named as semifinalists for this year’s Mike Richter award. The award is given to the top goalie in college hockey:
In “not so good” Sabres prospects news, Isak Rosén is out for at least a month with a broken finger. He was recently loaned to an Allsvenskan team and was just starting to find his touch down there:
Game Preview: Buffalo Sabres @ Montreal Canadiens, 2/23/22
The best way to start a winning streak is by playing the Montreal Canadiens
Canadiens by the Numbers 📊
Record: 11-33-7 (29 points) | Division: 8th | League: 32nd
5v5 Expected Goals-For Percentage (xGF%): 43.6% (31st in the NHL)
5v5 Goals-For Percentage (GF%): 39.4% (32nd in the NHL)
Scouting the Canadiens
New Coach, new energy: Montreal has improved their expected results and have significantly improved their actual results since bringing on Martin St. Louis as the interim head coach
New DZ coverage: along with a new coach also comes some new systems. Montreal has adjusted their defensive zone coverage from a zone to man-on-man. Has it led to better results? Not really
Players to Watch
Tage Thompson (BUF): the big guy has been scoring a lot of fun goals and has 6 in his last 5 games. That top line is clicking and Tage is thriving off those shots in the slot.
Cole Caufield (MTL): after a surprise run to the Cup Finals to start his NHL career, Caufield has had a very rough 2021/22 season. He’s heating up though with 8 points in 6 games since Martin St. Louis took over as head coach.
The Week Ahead
Friday, February 25: @ St. Louis, 8 PM ET (TV: MSG)
Sunday, February 27: vs. Dallas, 2 PM ET (TV: MSG)