Crunching Numbers: Sabres Outshot by Devils, Win 4-1

by David Oleksy on Oct 29, 2009 9:15 AM EDT in Crunching Numbers

The Sabres scored two goals in the first six minutes of the game on their way to a 4-1 victory in New Jersey against the Devils. After the two quick goals it was the Devils that had more chances but Ryan MIller was once again outstanding.

There were some really interesting statistics when I broke down the numbers. Obviously the Sabres scored three even strength goals and they allowed the Devils to score none. Was tat because of good defense or good goaltending? It was probably a combination of both but the numbers show it was good goaltending.

The Sabres had some key players on the ice for plenty of Devils shots but I have to believe that many of them were not quality shots.

Follow the jump for full statistics.

		Game Stats
#	Player	Pos	TOI	+/-	FO%	Hits	GV	TK	BS
4	Steve Montador	D	15:18	2	-	0	0	2	0
9	Derek Roy	C	14:49	0	60%	1	0	1	0
10	Henrik Tallinder	D	18:59	0	-	1	0	1	0
13	Tim Kennedy	C	13:11	1	60%	0	0	2	0
19	Tim Connolly	C	17:37	1	17%	1	0	1	1
21	Drew Stafford	RW	13:39	0	-	0	0	0	0
25	Mike Grier	RW	16:32	1	-	0	0	0	1
26	Thomas Vanek	LW	15:04	0	-	1	0	0	0
28	Paul Gaustad	C	16:38	1	68%	2	0	0	0
29	Jason Pominville	RW	15:56	1	67%	2	0	2	0
34	Chris Butler	D	24:50	1	-	2	0	0	0
36	Patrick Kaleta	RW	10:05	1	-	0	0	1	1
37	Matt Ellis	LW	9:45	1	100%	0	0	1	0
38	Nathan Paetsch	D	15:10	2	-	0	0	0	0
41	Clarke MacArthur	LW	13:54	1	100%	1	0	0	0
52	Craig Rivet	D	21:28	1	-	0	1	0	0
55	Jochen Hecht	LW	15:58	1	33%	0	0	2	0
57	Tyler Myers	D	22:03	0	-	2	0	0	0
TOI = Total Time on Ice				GV = Giveaways
FO% = Faceoff percentage				TK = Takeaways
Hits = Total Hits				BS=Blocked Shots

			Even Strength Individual Stats						Even Strength On-Ice Totals
#	Player	Pos	EV TOI	G	A	Shots	S A/B	S Miss	SOGF	SOGA	SOG Diff	Tot SF	Tot SA	Corsi
4	Steve Montador	D	13:57	0	2	1	2	0	7	2	5	9	2	7
9	Derek Roy	C	11:27	0	0	0	0	0	6	6	0	9	7	2
10	Henrik Tallinder	D	16:39	0	0	0	1	0	9	8	1	15	9	6
13	Tim Kennedy	C	13:06	1	0	2	0	0	6	5	1	7	5	2
19	Tim Connolly	C	12:19	0	0	2	0	0	8	4	4	9	9	0
21	Drew Stafford	RW	10:12	0	0	2	0	0	5	6	-1	7	8	-1
25	Mike Grier	RW	13:54	0	0	2	0	0	7	9	-2	9	9	0
26	Thomas Vanek	LW	12:19	0	0	4	0	0	6	8	-2	9	9	0
28	Paul Gaustad	C	11:18	1	0	1	1	0	4	10	-6	7	12	-5
29	Jason Pominville	RW	12:13	0	1	1	0	1	8	5	3	10	10	0
34	Chris Butler	D	17:06	0	0	1	1	0	9	15	-6	11	22	-11
36	Patrick Kaleta	RW	9:46	0	0	2	0	0	4	4	0	6	5	1
37	Matt Ellis	LW	9:22	0	1	0	0	0	4	2	2	6	3	3
38	Nathan Paetsch	D	14:26	0	0	0	0	0	6	1	5	8	1	7
41	Clarke MacArthur	LW	11:50	1	0	2	0	0	8	3	5	9	8	1
52	Craig Rivet	D	16:45	0	1	1	0	0	9	15	-6	11	22	-11
55	Jochen Hecht	LW	13:32	0	1	1	0	1	5	9	-4	7	9	-2
57	Tyler Myers	D	17:56	0	0	1	2	0	9	7	2	14	8	6
EV TOI = Even Strength time on ice								SOGA = Team shots against while on ice
EV TOI = Even Strength time on ice								SOG Diff = Difference shots on ice
S A/B = shots attempted and blocked								Tot SF = Total shots including blocked/missed
S Miss = Shots missed the net								Tot SA = Total Shots Ag. Including blocked/missed
SOGF = Team Shots while on ice								Corsi = Difference in Total Shots

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.

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Comments

Enjoy the ride while you can…Once you face Washington and Pittsburgh, you will find out where you stand as far as a Cup contender.

by SA-Town on Oct 29, 2009 10:56 AM EDT reply actions

Enjoy the ride while you can…Once you face Washington and Pittsburgh, you will find out where you stand as far as a Cup contender

we’re no fools SA-Town. We’re Buffalo fans – we have the Bills. We know better than probably any fan base that you go down quicker than you go up. It’s how Buffalo team rolls.

Thank you and we will enjoy the ride – since that’s what it’s all about – watching good fun entertaining hockey games and hopefully winning more than losing.

There’s always a better team or a better player – we’re just going to take it one game at a time and go from there.

Remember – it’s only October – we’re not clueless – but we’ll have fun and roll from there.

You also remember that there are no guarantees – no team is a lock – the worst team in the league last year can win this year. That’s how it goes.

now….chill dude

I am so clever that sometimes I don’t understand a single word of what I am saying
Trent Edwards - Backup QB until furthur notice. Care to prove me wrong Trent?

by J2 on Oct 29, 2009 3:02 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Rec'd

Don’t come on our site and bash our team SA-Town. We will face Washington and Pittsburgh. Frankly I’m not worried about them. Last season we went 4-3-1 against them combined (2-2 v WSH, 2-1-1 v PIT). If you followed the Sabres, you’d realize it’s not the good teams that we lose to, it’s the bad ones. The only team I am now, or ever will, worry about is the Sabres because they are the only team that can stop us!!

B-B-B-Byrd Byrd Byrd, Byrd is the Wyrd!"

by willgarr15 on Oct 29, 2009 4:38 PM EDT up reply actions

I think you forgot to include the Islanders in that list.

All your tshirt needs.

by twoeightnine on Oct 31, 2009 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions

Uhh..

This is a SABRES blog.
Last time i checked it says “Buffalo Sabres Blog for Intelligent Fans”.
Not, Hey Come Here and Bash The Sabres!
Constructive criticism is different.

The Almighty Caps have played two more games than the Sabres.
Last time I checked Buffalo was the team with 17 goals against, while Washington carries a horrific 32 goals against. Once again, they’ve only played a mere two games more than the Sabres.

Now, it may just be me but Miller seems a lot more in tune than either of those teams goalies.
..And stop me if I’m mistaken, but isn’t that what you need to win the cup?

Now, for the Pens.
The only difference is that they’ve played more games than the Sabres.
That looks to be the only major difference between the Sabres & the Penguins.

by joeish on Oct 29, 2009 12:31 PM EDT reply actions

I think any team would have a good record if they played the Islanders, Toronto, Atlanta, and Tampa as much as you guys have and will in the next week.

Play someone that made it to the top 16 last year, and see what you got…

Great win vs. Detroit…I will give that…

Be careful not to burn out Miller…this is an olympic year…

by SA-Town on Oct 29, 2009 12:58 PM EDT reply actions

Yup all those wins against Toronto.

You did post on Friday at 10pm right?

All your tshirt needs.

by twoeightnine on Oct 29, 2009 5:46 PM EDT up reply actions

Every division has a bottom feeder...

that the better teams prey on. We play Boston (who was clearly in the top 16 last year) as many times as we play Toronto (save division and all). Likewise, we play Montreal the same number of times, and I believe they were a playoff team last year as well. Your point is interesting, that we beat up on the Isles and the Leafs, yet the Pens are in the same division as the Isles and have been beating up on them for years, but they play harder teams? Not to mention that Washington has been trouncing lowly Florida or Atlanta for ages, so I guess the Caps play harder teams more often than the Sabres too. Smart guy.

by Tatunka on Oct 29, 2009 6:46 PM EDT up reply actions

To be fair, the tops of the other two Eastern divisions have played a harder strength of schedule. Both the Pens and the Canes have beaten NYR (8-4-1), and the Pens have beaten the 6-2-2 Sens.

The Sabres have only played 3 teams that are currently above .500: Coyotes and last night’s game against NJD, plus their sole regulation loss against Atlanta.

That being said, the season is still very young, and anything can happen between now and April (see: last season). As for Miller burning out, he played 76 games just two seasons ago. The only reason he didn’t get as much play time last year was the injury from being run into behind the net. Had that collision not happened, the Sabres would have been a top 16 team.

by The Burl 8 on Oct 29, 2009 1:14 PM EDT reply actions

Oops

I meant Caps, not Canes…my bad

by The Burl 8 on Oct 29, 2009 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't think it matters.

It doesn’t matter how good the teams are that we played.
They wouldn’t be in the NHL if they couldn’t win on any given night.
The fact that we beat a few bad teams is a step up from where we recently were losing against these types of teams.
We haven’t given up in one game (when a SOLID goalie is in for us) , our work ethic for the games against the teams we’ve played, however good they are, is still fantastic.

by joeish on Oct 29, 2009 1:52 PM EDT reply actions

Agreed

I was just saying, those teams have been tested a little more than us. It doesn’t mean that they ARE better than us, just that they’ve had a little more chance to prove it. Also, like I said, it doesn’t really matter so much what happens in October, but how a team finishes.

Pens/Caps fans can talk all they want but we’ll have to wait to see how we play against those teams in Nov (Caps) and Dec (Caps then Pens).

by The Burl 8 on Oct 29, 2009 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Yepyep

Oh, I know, no worries.
I just don’t want anyone to overlook our success as JUST playing bad teams.
But I do agree with you.
I’m excited to play some better teams.
That will pretty much prove how this season will turn out.
I want to see us roll these four lines against a good team.

Btw.. I was mostly just arguing with the NON-Sabres fan in here.
I wasn’t tryin’ to disagree with you, just so ya know lol.

by joeish on Oct 29, 2009 2:24 PM EDT up reply actions

The Sabres handled the Pens and Caps just fine last season. They handled the Bruins quite well also. It was the bad teams the Sabres had trouble with last season.

It’s nice to see the Sabres be so good that fans from other teams feel the need to question the validity of their record. They only play the games on the schedule.

D.O.
www.diebytheblade.com - An SB nation destination for Sabres fans everywhere

by David Oleksy on Oct 29, 2009 3:11 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

HELL YES.

COMPLETELY AGREE.
He said exactly what i was thinking.

& that’s why I didn’t mind winning against teams that aren’t as good.
That’s a step for us.
& exactly.
Don’t criticize the Sabres for winning the games they are given.
ESPICALLY if you aren’t a Sabres fan.
But, once again, he’s right.
It’s nice to see other fans take notice. :D

by joeish on Oct 29, 2009 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions