Our Election Night Special features no politics and plenty of Sabres talk. We go deep on what seems to be the biggest shortcomings for the Sabres otherwise consistent penalty kill. Chris and Tyler analyze portions of the system which appear to be weak points with how the Sabres rotate in-zone when on the kill. Also on the list, Jacob Trouba’s new contract and a pair of trade rumors which could benefit the Sabres.
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Just two days after watching Frederik Andersen steal two points on the road, Robin Lehner pulled the same stunt at Scotiabank Place, making 32 saves as the Sabres snuck out of Ottawa with a win.
In what is becoming something of a tired refrain, Lehner played another spectacular game for the Sabres on Saturday. Lehner’s 32-save effort secured the fourth-straight game with a save percentage of .930 or better. In fact, five of Lehner’s seven starts this year have seen the netminder turn in a save percentage above .930. The other three starts resulted in .900 or below performances, although one of those three came against Vancouver where Lehner still allowed only two goals.
Saturday was easily his best game of the year, as Buffalo struggled to score yet again and Lehner put the team on his back, to keep the one-goal game in Buffalo’s favor. He had at least four truly highlight reel saves, including a desperation paddle save and a terrific left-pad stop on a two-on-one. Continue reading
Thursday’s loss to the Maple Leafs was really more bad fortune than poor play for the Sabres. Robin Lehner played a strong game in goal only to see his performance eclipsed by Frederik Andersen’s 42-save gem.
Buffalo poured scoring chances on the Leafs goal only to see Andersen make a number of highlight reel saves – none better than his left pad robbery of Zemgus Girgensons. The two goaltenders combined for 70 saves in total as Lehner kept his team in the game for the full 60 minutes while Andersen basically took two points from the Sabres all on his own. It wasn’t all that much different than Buffalo’s 2-1 loss to Vancouver in October when the Sabres simply couldn’t solve Jacob Markstrom.
It may be more beneficial to break down one of Andersen’s numerous dazzling saves as he turned in a truly impressive technical performance. Early in the year, Andersen appeared to be playing well outside of his comfort zone but he was in peak form on Thursday. Lehner’s play was without merit either. In a game where his team dominated, Buffalo’s goaltender didn’t let his squad down. It would have been very easy for Lehner to allow a goal or two more, leaving the game well out of reach for the Sabres.
The one play I chose to take a closer look at was the first Leafs goal where Mitch Marner beat Dmitri Kulikov and Lehner to the far post to open the scoring. It was a goal where Lehner had very little chance to make the save, although it seems to me that he didn’t make the best possible choice either. Continue reading
With the first month of the season in the books, Chris and Tyler look back on what worked – and what didn’t – for the Sabres in October. We touch on a handful of NHL news subjects including a pair of trade rumors which could interest Tim Murray. Listen here or download to your device using the following links:
Anders Nilsson’s second game in a Sabres uniform wasn’t nearly as impressive as his first. As the Sabres slept-walked through the first period against Minnesota, ultimately falling 4-0.
Nilsson’s performance included a pair of rough goals on Minnesota’s first and third tallies and only 18 saves. He wasn’t under nearly as much pressure as he faced against Philadelphia and he was ultimately victimized on a two goals that beat him as he was down a touch early on outside shots.
Minnesota’s first goal, scored by Joel Eriksson-Ek was perhaps the more egregious of the two in question. The third Wild goal, off the stick of Ryan Suter found its way through a screen. Nilsson could have played the shot better – and given the score it was certainly a shot that needed to be stopped – but it wasn’t a terrible goal either. Continue reading
A developing refrain early on this season is Buffalo’s inability to finish games. A squandered lead in Calgary, the inability to finish in Vancouver and now a third period implosion against Philadelphia.
Outside of the game in Calgary, where a weak goal set the OT loss in motion, Buffalo’s goaltending in these contests has been good, if not great. Even prior to Matthew Tkachuk’s tally, Robin Lehner had enjoyed an impressive performance against the Flames. Last night’s collapse had nothing to do with Anders Nilsson’s 38-save effort, of course. Nilsson’s debut was spectacular at times as he held Philly scoreless for over 40 minutes as Buffalo built an impressive lead. It fell apart in the third, however.
Three power play goals erased the Buffalo lead and a pop-gun effort in overtime led Buffalo to a shootout, where they ultimately failed. Philly’s goals were scored on a tip, one timer and goal mouth scramble and none of the three really qualify for the practice that’s growing with these post-game recaps. However, for a goalie who has been accused of playing small in the past, it looks as if Nilsson’s work in Buffalo is already paying dividends. For that reason (and his generally impressive play last night) we’ll look at what I felt was his best save of the evening. Continue reading
The newest episode of The Instigator Podcast highlights the breaking news on Seattle’s arena deal and the struggles in the crease for the Kings, Bruins and Leafs. Chris and Tyler also make an interesting discovery pertaining to the Sabres Corsi numbers while discussion how Buffalo’s forwards are causing limitations for the club’s on-ice performance and off-ice maneuvering.
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The Sabres finished the western portion of their road trip one or two points short of where they realistically should have been. A couple of gifts from the officials in Calgary wound up in an overtime loss – in a game the Sabres were thoroughly outplayed in – while the team was shooting blanks in Thursday’s affair in Vancouver.
Thursday’s loss to Vancouver was a particularly tough pill to swallow as Buffalo carried the play for long stretches only to be foiled by Jacob Markstrom on every prime scoring opportunity they created. Markstom had a set of very impressive stops on Matt Moulson and Kyle Okposo as the night wore on which likely would have been goals in many other occasions. Simply put, the Sabres hit a hot goaltender on Thursday.
Buffalo’s goaltending wasn’t too far off the pace set by Markstrom as Robin Lehner had a strong, if not unspectacular showing. He turned aside 18 of 20 shots, which won’t do much for his sub-900 save percentage but certainly speaks to his ability to stand tall in a tight game. Vancouver’s first goal came on a two-on-one rush where Jannik Hansen beat Zach Bogosian to the crease to tap in a loose puck that snuck through Lehner. Continue reading
The final score really doesn’t properly reflect the way Robin Lehner played against Calgary on Tuesday. In fact, his 3.30 GAA and .890 SV% don’t properly reflect the way Lehner has played through Buffalo’s first three games. It’s also far to early to determine whether or not Lehner is any good as there has only been three games.
Make no mistake, plenty of responsibility from the loss in Calgary sits with Lehner. After staking a lead in the third, Lehner was beaten on an otherwise nondescript shot by Matthew Tkachuk. It’s a shot that should be stopped 10 out of 10 times. Tkachuk is outside the dot with no threat of a backdoor pass. While Lehner gets out of the blue paint to challenge, he doesn’t make the final necessary adjustment as Tkachuk changes the angle for his shot. The subtle extension of his stick (pictured below) drastically changes what the puck is seeing, making for the short side tally that ties the game. Continue reading
After the injuries to Jack Eichel and Evander Kane, Sabres fans had a disappointing outlook for the season to come. However, the team rebounded from their disappointing opener with an impressive win against the Oilers. Chris and Tyler discuss how Buffalo’s system let them down in the home opener but helped carry them in their win against Edmonton.
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Two in the Box 