|
2014-15 Individual Stats--January |
|
|
|
|
|
Can there be any individual bright spots for a team that extended their franchise-worst losing streak to 14 games by going 0-12-0 for the month of January?
It all depends.
There are a couple of players' names you'll see every month amongst the leaders in offensive production--Tyler Ennis and Zemgus Girgensons. Although it's not saying much on a team that is on pace to score 144 goals, a total that would be seven less than the Buffalo Sabres scored all last season, kudos to them for their consistency.
Out of the muck that was January, one can find a bright spot for the Sabres, though--forward, Chris Stewart.
Stewart is in a situation where he's an impending free agent at the end of the season and should be headed to a contender any time soon. He's a player that grabs your attention from his linebacker-like size to a resume that includes solid production over the course of his nine-year career. The good news for himself and the Sabres is that he looks to be picking it up after an anemic first three months of the season, something that bodes well for the Sabres as GM Tim Murray gets ready for one last purge of pending UFA's this trade deadline.
Of all the Buffalo players that can be seen as rentals--forwards Drew Stafford, Torrey Mitchell, defensemen, Andrej Meszaros, Andre Benoit, goalies Jhonas Enroth and Michal Neuvirth amongst this years' group--Stewart looks to have the most value. And having him pick up his game just over a month before the trade deadline is a real positive.
Stewart's overall stats--9 goals, 9 assists in 48 games--aren't anything to write home about, but the fact that he garnered nearly half of those totals (4+4) during the 12 games in January is. His four goals for the month is nearly 25% of the 17 total goals the team scored and his four assists constituted a team-best for the month.
Digging a bit deeper, three of Stewart's four assists were primary ones and he seems to have found a home on the Sabres top powerplay unit. Head coach Ted Nolan had Stewart parked in front of the net with the man advantage and it's paid dividends. The Sabres, owners of the worst powerplay in the league, scored powerplay goals in four of the last five games. Stewart had all of his goals in January courtesy of the powerplay including two at Vancouver to finish off the month. He also had two of his four assists with the man advantage.
With only four weeks to go before the March 2nd trade deadline, an increase in production from Stewart makes him all the more attractive to teams looking for a powerforward that can hit, fight and produce. In a thin market for forwards, Stewart solidified his position as the second-best rental forward available behind Arizona's, Antoine Vermette.
Sorry Sabres' fans, that's about all I have on the positive side for the month of January, save for the return of goalie Matt Hackett. Hackett had his knee mangled last season and made his first start after a long, eight month rehab. It wasn't a storybook return as he lost 5-2 to former Sabres goalie Ryan Miller and the Vancouver Canucks, but he looked good in his first game back.
Buffalo Sabres Individual Stats leaders (month by month):
Points
--October: Drew Stafford, 6; Tyler Ennis, 5; Zemgus Girgensons, Marcus Foligno, 3
--November: Ennis, 11; Girgensons, 10; Moulson, 9
--December: Ennis, 8; Grigensons, Stafford, 7
--January: Stewart, 8; Ennis, 6; Girgensons, 4
Goals
--October: Ennis, 4; Girgensons, Foligno, 2; Stafford, Cody Hodgson, Torrey Mitchell, Nic Deslauriers, 1
--November: Girgensons, 5; Moulson, 4; Ennis, Stafford, Chris Stewart, Brian Flynn, 3
--December: Girgensons, 4; Moulson, Foligno, 3
--January: Stewart, 4; Ennis, 3; Stafford, Girgensons, Varone, Zadorov, 2
Powerplay Goals
--October: Stafford, 1
--November: Ennis, 2; Stafford, Moulson, 1
--December: Ennis, Ristolainen, 2; Stewart, Zadorov, 1
--January: Stewart, 3; Girgensons, Grigorenko, 1
Assists
--October: Stafford, 5; Moulson, 2; Twelve with 1
--November: Ennis, 8; Moulson, Girgensons, Gionta, 5
--December: Ennis, Stafford, 6; Gorges, 5
--January: Stewart, 4; Ennis, Moulson, Flynn, Zadorov, 3
Primary Assists
--October: Stafford, Moulson 2; Eight with 1
--November: Ennis, 4; Moulson, Stafford, 3
--December: Ennis, 5; Stafford, Stewart, 4
--January: Moulson, Ennis, Stewart, 3; Flynn, 2
Powerplay Assists
--October: Ennis, Tyler Myers, 1
--November: Moulson, 3; Stafford, 2; Ennis, Myers, Ristolainen, 1
--December: Nine with one each
--January: Ennis, 3; Stewart, Zadorov, 2
Plus/Minus
--October: Sam Reinhart, Brian Flynn, Tyson Strachan -1; Girgensons, Deslauriers, Mitchell, Myers -2
--November: Girgensons +7, Nikita Zadorov +5, Gionta +4
--December: Myers +2, Kaleta, Schaller +1
--January (eight or more games): Ennis, Meszaros, -3; Moulson, Stafford, -4
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: Andrej Meszaros -10; Stafford, Andre Benoit -8
--November: Stewart -6, Gorges, Meszazros, Benoit -5
--December: Ristolainen, Zadorov -10; Strachan -9
--January (eight or more games): Stewart, Gorges, -12; Girgensons, 10, Ristolainen, -9
Goalies (YTD)
Jhonas Enroth
--October: 1-5-1 record; 3.11 gaa; .915 save%; 0 shutouts
--November: 5-9-1 record; 3.11 gaa; .914 sv%; 0 shutouts
--December: 11-13-2 record; 3.16 gaa. .908 sv%, 1 shoutout
--January: 11-19-2 record, 3.42 gaa, .899 sv%, 1 shutout
Michal Neuvirth
--October: 1-3-0 record; 3.26 gaa; .910 sv%; 0 shutouts
--November: 3-5-1 record; 2.85 gaa; .920 sv%; 0 shutouts
--December: 3-8-1 record; 3.29 gaa; .909 sv %; 0 shutouts
--January: 3-13-1 record; 3.39 gaa; .907 sv%, 0 shutouts
Matt Hackett
--January: 0-1-0 record; 4.07 gaa; .892 gaa
Join the Discussion:
»