Games 18-25 were particularly painful for a suffering Buffalo Sabres franchise, going 1-6-1, with what were some of the lowest grades I have ever seen since we started doing the polls – an incredible nine players graded less than 2 out of 5. Considering 1 is the lowest score you can hand out, you don’t have to do the math to understand the malaise.
The next set of eight games got much better though, starting in December as the Sabres went 2-3-3, marking the best stretch for this miserable team this season.
We’re still using Corsi For % as the advanced stat metric beyond just the goals, assists and +/-. For Phil Housley we also have the team’s overall Corsi For % as a measurable stat.
Rate the players’, PP, PK and coach’s performances for these games –
Buffalo Sabres 0-4 Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1 Buffalo Sabres
Colorado Avalanche 2-4 Buffalo Sabres
Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 Buffalo Sabres (OT)
St. Louis Blues 3-2 Buffalo Sabres (OT)
Buffalo Sabres 3-2 Ottawa Senators
Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres 4-5 Carolina Hurricanes (OT)
Apologies if the embedded poll is not showing up, please click here to grade.