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Buffalo Sabres 2017-18 Individual Stats Leaders--February |
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The big news, of course, is that Jack Eichel went down with a high-ankle sprain in Buffalo's 4-2 win at Boston on February 10 and the injury could keep the Sabres' leading scorer out for the rest of the season. However, should the team doctors give the go, and the team agree that he can finish out the season on the ice, Eichel will get a handful of games to close out 2017-18.
Buffalo ended up winning that game against the Bruins despite Eichel being felled early in the first period and the team finished his five games with a 2-2-1 record. After that the Sabres finished the month of February 4-4-1 which included another win vs. Boston and two wins against the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning.
How did they pull it off? With a team effort as seven players scored three or more goals for Buffalo in February. The previous best was six players in November while the other months were either four (twice) or three.
With Eichel out, Ryan O'Reilly took over the reigns for Buffalo leading the team in scoring (12 points,) goals (5,) assists (7,) and primary assists (6.) In addition he lead the team on the powerplay with four goals and also added three assists while pulling off a plus-2 rating and leading all forwards in time on ice. His sidekick through it all was Sam Reinhart who was second to O'Reilly in points (10,) goals (4,) assists (6,) and primary assists (5.) Reinhart was tied for second overall on the team in plus/minus with a plus-3.
Those were the leaders, but the Sabres got secondary scoring as well, most notably from Evan Rodrigues and Scott Wilson, both of whom had four goals. Rodrigues had a particularly good month adding five assists to the mix for nine points which tied him for third on the team with defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.
Although Ristolainen managed to get the job done on the on offense with three goals and six assists from the blueline, his minus-6 rating was second worst on the team behind Kyle Okposo's minus-10. Okposo did manage a goal and five assists on the powerplay, but he recorded only two points 5v5 (1+1) which accounted for the that ungodly plus/minus rating.
Defenseman Marco Scandella lead the team with a plus-4 rating for the month.
In addition to O'Reilly and Reinhart picking up their pace and Rodrigues finding his groove, defenseman Casey Nelson was a pleasant surprise as head coach Phil Housley continued to feed him minutes. From the February 8 game vs. the New York Islanders when Housley paired him with Scandella, Nelson skated under 19 minutes only once, in the last game of the month at Tampa. Nelson responded with a goal and five assists (three primary) and finished second on the team behind his partner Scandella with a plus-3 rating.
Between the pipes for Buffalo, the month of February belonged to backup goalie Chad Johnson. The 31 yr. old, who was rumored as possible trade-bait, finished the month with a 4-2-0 record while lowering his goals-against average (from 3.64 to 3.18) and increasing his save-percentage. Of particular note is that his four wins came against the top two teams in the division--Tampa and Boston. In those four games Johnson allowed a combined seven goals on 113 shots-against for a save percentage of .938.
Finally, the 2018 NHL Trade Deadline came and went with the Sabres making one move as they sent winger Evander Kane to San Jose for conditional 2nd and 4th round picks plus prospect Daniel O'Regan. Kane lead the team in scoring through October and November and was tied for the team lead in goals (15) at the close of December. Between January 1 and February 26, the day he was traded, Kane only scored five goals but still left the with three consecutive 20-goal seasons.
Fans in Buffalo should root for a match between San Jose and Kane that will lead to a long-term relationship as the conditional 2019 second round pick turns into a 2019 first rounder if he re-signs with the club. Or they can root for the Sharks to win the Stanley Cup as that's another condition that could turn the second into a first.
Buffalo Sabres 2017-18 Individual Stats leaders:
Points
--October: Pominville, Kane, Eichel, 12; O'Reilly, 8
--November: Kane, 11; Okposo, 9; O'Reilly, 8
--December: Eichel, 16; Kane, 11; O'Reilly, 8
--January: Eichel, 14; Okposo, 12; Ristolainen, 11
--February: O'Reilly, 12; Reinhart, 10; Ristolainen, Rodrigues , 9
Goals
--October: Pominville, Kane, 6; Eichel, O'Reilly, 4
--November: Kane, 6; Pouliot, 4; Eichel, O'Reilly, Reinhart, Okposo, 3
--December: Eichel, 8; Kane, Okposo, 3; six with 2
--January: Eichel, Reinhart, 5; O'Reilly, 4; Okposo, 3
--February: O'Reilly, 5; Kane, Reinhart, Rodrigues, Wilson, 4; (three with 3)
Powerplay Goals
--October: O'Reilly, 3; Pominville, Kane, Reinhart, 1
--November: O'Reilly, Pouliot, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
--December: Eichel, Kane, Pominville, Rodrigues, 1
--January: O'Reilly, Reinhart, 3; Okposo, 2
--February: O'Reilly, 4; Eichel, Kane, Pominville, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
Assists
--October: Eichel, 8 Pominville, Kane, 6
--November: Okposo, 6; Kane, O'Reilly, 5
--December: Eichel, Kane, 8; O'Reilly, 6; Scandella, 5
--January: Eichel, Okposo, Ristolainen, 9; O'Reilly, 6
--February: O'Reilly, 7; Reinhart, Okposo, Ristolainen, 6
Powerplay Assists
--October: Kane, Ristolainen, 2; six players with 1
--November: Kane, 3; Okposo, 2; three players with 1
--December: Eichel, Ristolainen, 2; Kane, Reinhart, Okposo, 1
--January: Eichel, 7; Ristolainen, 6; Okposo, 4
--February: Ristolainen, 6; Okposo, 5; O'Reilly, 3
Primary Assists
--October: Eichel, 7; O'Reilly, Ristolainen, 4; Kane, Beaulieu, 2
--November: Eichel, 4; O'Reilly, Okposo, 3; four players with 2
--December: Eichel, Kane, O'Reilly, 5; Scandella, 3; McCabe, 2
--January: Okposo, 7; Eichel, O'Reilly, Ristolainen, Scandella, 3
--February: O'Reilly, 6; Reinhart, 5; Okposo, Larsson, Nelson, 3
Plus/Minus
--October: Pominville, +3; Girgensons, Gorges, +1; Pouliot, even
--November: Reinhart, Nolan, Scandella, Antipin, even; Kane, Griffith, Gorges, -1
--December: O'Reilly, +2; Girgensons, Wilson, +1; Larsson, McCabe, even
--January: O'Reilly, +2, Ristolainen, Scandella, McCabe, even
--February: Scandella, +4; Pouliot, Reinhart, Nelson, +3; O'Reilly, +2
Plus/Minus (Bottom)
--October: O'Reilly, -9; Reinhart, -8; Okposo, -7
--November: O'Reilly, Larsson, -8; McCabe, -7; Beaulieu, -6
--December: Kane, Pominville, -7; Ristolainen, -6; Rodrigues, -5
--January: Girgensons, -7; Eichel, Beaulieu, Falk, -6
--February: Okposo, -10; Ristolainen, -6; Larsson, Wilson, Beaulieu, Antipin, -3
Goalies (composite)
Robin Lehner
--October: 4-2-1; 2.78 GAA; .911 Sv%; 1 shutout
--November: 5-11-2; 2.92; . 906, 1
--December: 9-14-5; 2.74; .915; 1
--January: 11-19-6; 2.85; .912; 3
--February: 13-23-8; 2.95; .910; 3
Chad Johnson
--October: 1-3-1; 4.06 GAA; .879 Sv%; 0 shutouts
--November: 1-4-2; 3.59; .885; 0
--December: 1-6-3; 3.78; .881; 0
--January: 2-8-3; 3.64; .884; 0
--February: 6-10-3; 3.18; .896; 0
Linus Ullmark
--January: 1-0-0; 1.00 GAA; .978 Sv%; 0 shutouts
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