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2014-15 Individual Stats--February |
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Before we get to the Buffalo Sabres individual stats for the month of February, the NY Rangers and the Arizona Coyotes made a huge deal today.
The Rangers acquired veteran d-man Keith Yandle, minor league d-man Chris Summers and Arizona's fourth round pick in 2016 for F, Anthony Duclair, D, John Moore, a conditional first round pick in 2016 and a second round pick in 2015.
Y'all can debate the players picks and whatever's of the trade, but I'd like to offer this tweet from Matt Larkin of The Hockey News:
"Things we've learned in past 24 hours: (a) Arizona is really committed to a rebuild"
So let me get this straight, the Coyotes are on a nine-game losing streak and have moved two talented players, including a franchise cornerstone in Yandle within the last 24 hours and what we get is that "Arizona is really committed to a rebuild?"
How about Arizona is really committed to tanking this season for one of the top-two picks in the draft. I can't wait for the "Thumbs down piece" on how this is a travesty and is a slap in the face to the integrity of the game.
And while we're at it, the Toronto Maple Leafs have only four regulation wins through the first two months of 2015. Have heard nary a peep against the "Center of the Hockey Universe" tanking the season for the best opportunity at landing Connor McDavid who hails from Newmarket, ON, a hop, skip and a jump from Toronto.
Aye Carumba!
Anyhow.
The Buffalo Sabres had a solid month in February all things considered. The 0-fer January gave way to a semi-respectable 4-6-3 record this past month.
As seen in the team stats, there were negligible statistical movements from the previous month on the whole, but a couple of players individually started heating up.
Matt Moulson lead the team in points with nine and assists with seven. Right behind him in both categories was perpetual rumor mill darling Chris Stewart. Moulson and Stewart as well as captain Brian Gionta have been whipping boys all year for the disenchanted amongst the Sabres' faithful, but all three managed to have a pretty good month, relatively speaking, as Gionta tied for the team lead in goals for the month.
During the month of February scoring came from many players. It took a while for them to get things going, but after 63 games the Sabres as a team are on last year's pace, which isn't saying much as the team was historically bad. The last three games they've managed to score 13 goals, which ties their best output over a three-game span all season.
As mentioned in the team-stats blog, the Sabres had a month-over-month goal differential at minus-four as they went from a minus-85 to a minus-89 and it's an area where they showed the most progress. A somewhat surprising trio lead the team in plus-minus. Brian Flynn was a plus-7, Mike Weber a plus-6 and Marcus Foligno was a plus-4.
Countering that was a trio of offensive cogs who found themselves on the negative side of the equation. Tyler Ennis, Zemgus Girgensons and Stewart were all minus-4 for the month.
The Sabres goaltending has been much ballyhooed by Sabres-nation and in the case of Michal Neuvirth, they're right from a statistical standpoint. Neuvirth went 3-4-2 this month. He saw his gaa go down by .40 goals/game and his save percentage rise to .918.
In under 20 hours the NHL trade deadline will have come and gone and it looks as if a bevy of players will be headed out the door.
If Sabres GM Tim Murray has his way, players like Stewart and Neuvirth, Torrey Mitchell and Andre Benoit will be headed to a contender. There are eight pending UFA's in Buffalo and Murray has said all along that he doesn't want them to walk for nothing at the end of the year.
When all's said and done this season, I'm sure our hockey friends to the north will continue to chastise Murray for what they perceive as deliberately tanking. I, however, would prefer to view this poor season as Buffalo being "really committed to a rebuild."
'Nuff said.
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; Girgensons, Stafford, 7
--January: Stewart, 8; Ennis, 6; Girgensons, 4
--February: Moulson, 9; Stewart, 7; Girgensons, Gionta, Mitchell, 6
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
--February: Ennis, Gionta, Mitchell, 3; seven with 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
--February: Ennis, Stewart, Myers, Zadorov, 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
--February: Moulson, 7; Stewart, 5; Girgensons, Zadorov, 4
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
--February: Moulson, Girgensons, Stewart, Zadorov, 3
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
--February: Moulson, Stewart, 3; Girgensons, Foligno, Ristolainen, 1
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
--February (eight or more games): Flynn, +7; Weber, +6; Foligno +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
--February (eight or more games): Ennis, Girgensons, Stewart, -4
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
--February (thru the 10th): 13-21-2 record; 3.27 gaa; .903 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
--February: 6-17-3 record; 2.99 gaa; .918 sv%; 0 shutouts
Matt Hackett
--January: 0-1-0 record; 4.07 gaa; .892 gaa
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