Crunching Numbers: Sometimes Stats Lie, Sabres Beat Islanders 6-3

If you watched the game on Friday, I don't need to tell you how bad the Sabres were.  If not for some great goaltending from Ryan Miller and, well the opposite from Dwayne Roloson, this game would have had a different result.  The Sabres won the game 6-3 but when you see these numbers, they aren't pretty.

Based on the response to the statistical analysis I have posted for previous games, it seems everyone likes the stats.  Some people had an issue with the chart in previous posts because the narrow/wide view.  In order to accommodate everyone, I have broken it down into two separate charts.

The first chart will be dedicated to game stats and I included the NHL giveaway/takeaway stats.  If you are interested in the giveaway/takeaway stats go read this post from the other day.  I did not count the giveaways and takeaways in the games this weekend but I will start on Wednesday.

This is just a very generic chart with the main stats from the game.  I think I will add the actual faceoff stats in the future but for now we have only the faceoff percentage.  Take the giveaway/takeaway stats with a grain of salt because the stats are basically opinion and not an actual measureable stat.

The Corsi number is a statistic that what created by Sabres goalie coach JIm Corsi.  It is the difference in total shots for and the total shots against.  It factors in all shots that were on net, attempts that were blocked and shots that missed the net.  The idea is that it is a better reflection on a players two-way play because it shows puck possesion as opposed to only shots on goal.

I tried to warn you the stats would be very ugly.  Only Paul Gaustad and Toni Lydman had a positive Corsi rating and Tyler Myers and Matt Ellis had a zero rating.  Every other player had a negative rating with three players in double digits.  This was the first time all season these stats did not look good for the Sabres and they came against the winless New York Islanders.