Sabres Try to Avoid Olympic Hangover

by David Oleksy on Mar 2, 2010 11:00 AM EST Comment 5 comments

Way back in the summer we wondered what effect the Olympics would play in the NHL season, especially for those that participated in the games. The Sabres had five players that took part in the games and two of those players, Toni Lydman and Jochen Hecht also took part in the 2006 Olympics.

I started to wonder how those players played before and after the Olympics back in 2006 in effort to predict how they might fare this season. Below I will take a look at how those players played four seasons ago,

Jochen Hecht

	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-
Before	54	15	15	30
After	10	3	9	12

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Jochen Hecht	60	13	16	29	5	29	1	0	1	0	174	7.5

Toni Lydman

	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-
Before	50	1	11	12	14
After	25	0	5	5	-5

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Toni Lydman	45	1	10	11	2	24	0	0	0	0	35	2.9

It will be interesting to see how the final 22 games play out for the two players I listed above. Both players have similar stats this season in comparison to their stats in the 2005-2006 season. Jochen Hecht had decent numbers after the tournament but he also missed time due to injury. Toni Lydman appeared to struggle after winning the silver medal with Finland in 2006.

In 2006 the Sabres had three Olympians in addition to Hecht and Lydman. None of those players remain on the team but I thought it would be fun to look at their before and after stats anyway. Most players showed almost no effect from their participation.

Teppo Numminen

	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-
Before	50	0	30	30	-3
After	20	2	8	10	+9

Maxim Afinogenov

	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-
Before	51	14	28	42	+6
After	26	8	23	31	0

Chris Drury

	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-
Before	55	17	25	42	-10
After	26	13	12	25	-1

The effect is minimal but it looks like some players gained some momentum. It's not fair to compare Sekera and Tallinder to the players I have listed but overall I think we can expect them to at least maintain their current level of play.

As for Sekera I think he gained some valuable experience and should be in the lineup for the Sabres down the stretch. Sekera played against some of the best players in the world and he was effective for the surprising Slovaks. Sekera was the only Sabres player that actually scored a goal in Vancouver.

There are 22 games left for the Sabres to overtake the Ottawa Senators and regain the division lead. The Sabres will need everyone to step up and the players who played in Vancouver will be a key part of this squad down the stretch.

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Sekera better start getting in the lineup. He impressed the hell out of me during the Olympics and showed hes ready. He played with and against all the big lines in Vancouver these past 2 weeks, and played great. He needs to be in over Butler/Montador

"Hey ey ey ey"

by bflo on Mar 2, 2010 12:12 PM EST reply actions

I’m still scratching my head as to why Montador was left in as we approached the Olympic break. He was clearly struggling in January and early February, and then there was the most recent Carolina debacle. He’s a been a liability of late.

Just checked his +/- in his last 10: +2, -2, -1, -1, -2, 0, -2, -3, 1, 0). Ugh.

"Few of us have chosen our clubs, they have simply been presented to us; and so as they slip from the Second Division to the Third, or sell their best players, or buy players who you know can't play, . . . we simply curse, go home, worry for a fortnight and then come back to suffer all over again." Nick Hornby, "Fever Pitch"

by kramertoneman on Mar 2, 2010 12:35 PM EST up reply actions

Just checked his +/- in his last 10: +2, -2, -1, -1, -2, 0, -2, -3, 1, 0). Ugh.

Ugh is right. No reason Monts should have been out there during the stretch. He was CLEARLY struggling and Sekera was just sitting there, in the pressbox. Montador needed more than just a game off. Hopefully Lindy stays with Sekera tonight…

"Hey ey ey ey"

by bflo on Mar 2, 2010 3:15 PM EST up reply actions

Hecht did not play in Turin

Both he and Marco Sturm were injured just days before the Turin Games started, leaving Team Germany exceptionally shorthanded of top line talent. I think psychologically there is going to be a difference between 2006 when he wasn’t there and 2010 where the Germans played very poorly.

"I could have conquered Europe, all of it, but I had women in my life." - King Henry II of England

by Calvert on Mar 2, 2010 6:58 PM EST reply actions

That is true

He was there and selected for the team but did not play in a game. He still had a long break because of injury and I thought it would be good to put him on the list.

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

by David Oleksy on Mar 2, 2010 7:09 PM EST up reply actions