What a beautiful win. Truthfully, this was anything but a beautiful win, but any win in the playoffs is a beautiful win. If you watched the game and wondered if the Sabres had any chances outside of the goal scored by Kaleta, you weren't alone. It was a low chance game for both teams but mostly for the Sabres.

Unfortunately the stats I listed below will not do justice to the play of Ryan Miller in this contest. I, like many people, have been waiting for Ryan Miller to steal a game and he did that on Thursday night. It was easily the best game of the season for Miller.

The Sabres win 1-0 and "The Kaleta" gets the only goal. Nobody could have predicted that before this game started.

Late in the season we started a feature that tracked scoring chances. I've decided to continue doing the scoring chances post because many people like to track it. While this is a very subjective stat and is based mostly on my own opinion, I did use a criteria courtesy of The Copper and Blue. (Editors Note - The stats posted may not be entirely accurate due to distractions like drinking beer and yelling at the TV)

Here is the definition of a scoring chance via Copper and Blue...

a scoring chance is defined as a clear play directed toward the opposing net from a dangerous scoring area - loosely defined as the top of the circle in and inside the faceoff dots, though sometimes slightly more generous than that depending on the amount of immediately-preceding puck movement or screens in front of the net. Blocked shots are generally not included but missed shots are. A player is awarded a scoring chance anytime he is on the ice and someone from either team has a chance to score. He is awarded a "chance for" if someone on his team has a chance to score and a "chance against" if the opposing team has a chance to score.

 Like many others that are using the app, a special thanks to Vic Ferrari for his hard work in creating this and many other apps.

Scoring Chances for NHL Game Number 30121

Team	Period	Time	Note	BUF						Opponent
EAS	1	18:40		21	22	30	34	57	63	19	22	25	35	41	48	5v5
EAS	1	7:59		19	26	29	30	34	57	5	10	15	18	35	44	5v5
EAS	1	7:07		6	8	20	25	27	30	6	19	22	26	35	48	5v5
EAS	1	6:14		28	30	34	36	42	57	6	21	22	35	41	48	5v5
BUF	1	5:24		6	21	22	27	30	63	17	21	25	28	35	41	5v5
BUF	1	4:57		19	26	29	30	34	57	5	10	15	18	35	44	5v5
EAS	1	2:09		4	8	17	20	25	30	19	22	26	35	44	48	5v5
EAS	1	0:44		28	29	30	34	57		10	18	21	28	35	44	4v5
EAS	2	17:19		4	17	22	29	30	63	6	11	13	35	36	41	5v5
EAS	2	10:07		19	30	34	57			17	18	28	35	44	48	3v5
EAS	2	9:28		4	19	30	34	57		17	18	28	35	44	48	4v5
EAS	2	8:25		4	6	25	28	30		19	21	22	25	35	41	4v5
EAS	2	8:23		4	6	25	28	30		19	21	22	25	35	41	4v5
BUF	2	6:03		28	30	34	36	42	57	6	21	22	26	35	48	5v5
BUF	2	4:00		4	17	21	22	30	63	5	10	15	18	35	44	5v5
EAS	2	3:22		21	22	30	34	57	63	17	21	25	28	35	41	5v5
EAS	2	0:47		6	8	21	22	27	30	5	17	21	28	35	44	5v5
EAS	2	0:46		6	8	21	22	27	30	5	17	21	28	35	44	5v5
EAS	2	0:34		19	26	29	30	34	57	5	17	21	28	35	44	5v5
EAS	3	19:00		4	17	19	26	29	30	5	10	15	18	35	44	5v5
BUF	3	14:04	Goal	4	17	28	30	36	42	19	22	25	26	35	48	5v5
EAS	3	11:47		21	28	30	34	42	57	21	22	25	28	35	41	5v5
EAS	3	5:31		28	30	34	36	42	57	5	17	21	28	35	44	5v5

 

This chart tracks individual player ice time as well as scoring chances when the player is on the ice. The green numbers indicate the scoring chances for and the red numbers indicate the scoring chances against.

 

#	Player	EV			PP			SH
4	S. MONTADOR	15:46	2	3	0:00	0	0	2:09	0	3
6	M. WEBER	16:30	1	3	0:00	0	0	4:04	0	2
8	C. MCCORMICK	9:19	0	4	0:00	0	0	0:00	0	0
17	M. GRAGNANI	18:01	2	3	0:49	0	0	0:38	0	0
19	T. CONNOLLY	12:58	1	3	0:49	0	0	2:50	0	1
20	R. NIEDERMAYER	9:43	0	2	0:06	0	0	0:24	0	0
21	D. STAFFORD	14:25	2	5	0:49	0	0	1:35	0	0
22	B. BOYES	14:41	2	5	1:05	0	0	0:00	0	0
25	M. GRIER	8:49	0	2	0:06	0	0	2:38	0	2
26	T. VANEK	12:24	1	3	1:04	0	0	0:00	0	0
27	S. MORRISONN	11:28	1	3	0:00	0	0	1:54	0	0
28	P. GAUSTAD	12:57	2	3	0:50	0	0	5:21	0	3
29	J. POMINVILLE	11:37	1	4	1:04	0	0	4:15	0	1
30	R. MILLER	48:38	5	13	2:00	0	0	8:44	0	4
34	C. BUTLER	19:09	2	7	1:11	0	0	5:06	0	2
36	P. KALETA	12:15	2	2	0:00	0	0	0:09	0	0
42	N. GERBE	12:17	2	3	0:00	0	0	0:00	0	0
57	T. MYERS	16:53	2	7	0:56	0	0	3:53	0	2
63	T. ENNIS	11:58	2	3	1:11	0	0	0:00	0	0

 

This charts the chances for each team by period and by situation. Because we are tracking the numbers for the Sabres, they will be listed first and the opponent listed second.

 

Period	Totals		EV		PP		5v3 PP		SH		5v3 SH
1	2	6	2	5	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0
2	2	9	2	5	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	1
3	1	3	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	5	18	5	13	0	0	0	0	0	4	0	1