Broken Ankles

Cozens expected goals/60 is less this year than last year, but it’s close. We had better hope the difference is bad puck luck this year and not that’s he’s a perennial below expectation performer. Benson expected goals/60 is significantly below Olofsson’s efforts last year. So it’s puck luck (actual below expected) and fewer quality chances for Benson this year compared to Victor in 22/3. So question mark if you want to say Benson did the work. Lastly, Tage’s expected goals/60 is way below 2022/3. So not bad in terms of actual/expected but generating fewer quality chances per 60. The combination of the two has resulted in his actual goals/60 cut in half compared to last year. All of these are are 5v5 stats.

Here is what Money puck shows in terms of actual scoring against expected goals. @mjd1001 how do you reconcile this chart? It implies that as you suggest, Cozens is just awful. Not comparing previous years, just not converting this year. In fact the worst Sabre by a lot in terms of actual/expected. Notice that Benson is also way below expectations, which makes sense to me and also contributes to lack of scoring. The person he replaced (Olofsson) was at the opposite end of the spectrum last year, scoring way above expectations. I believe little things like this contribute to the lack of overall offense. Where is the Ire for Benson for not only scoring less than Victor but below his even lower expected goals? Why does he get slack? The chart also this suggests Tage is fine in terms of execution. While not scoring near the same rate of last year, this means he isn’t creating quality chances, or at least to the level level of last year.

Interesting note. Yesterday before the Columbus game, the Sabres were +165 against Carolina and today it’s +135. The book seemingly rejecting the fact God doesn’t want this team to win 3 in a row. How is the line not moving in the other direction?

Old school hockey fight. Great stamina from each pugilist. #Haymakers. https://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/n269050

Dearest Rachel, Indications are very strong that this campaign will soon be over. Fear not, as divine providence will return our regiment to western New York in the summer to prepare for a siege in the fall. Tonight’s battle in Ohio could likely affect our recruitment this June. I have no misgivings or lack of confidence in our plan, and even though we are fighting a weaker opponent, Gods will is that if we are not defeated now, it’s a certainty in the Carolinas this weekend. As always, my resolve is strong. Captain Tage Thomas 100th volunteer infantry regiment

Cody or Liev?

7 teenagers talking through the entire showing of One Love this weekend. Absolutely ruined the event. Movie wasn’t spectacular by biopic standards but nevertheless. No one to complain to at the Theatre. I saw one kid both scanning and helping at the kiosk where you buy tickets. Will we have theaters in 25 years? I can say I have no interest in going anytime soon.

Isn’t that the idea? Throw out some babies and get some grown ass men?

It’s OK boys. Donny and his Cracker Jack staff are going to make the proper adjustments and shut this team down in the third and will them to an OT victory!!

Rob Rays key to the game was “play fast”. Must have come up in the producers random draw. How is JJP getting 2 for that?

In contrast, our neighbors up north just signed Keefe to a two year extension this summer but rumors late January was that he was on the hot seat, and the front office might consider a change. Their team is solidly in third place of the division, Keefe just signed an extension and yet he is in the hot seat. But Donny’s subpar performance doesn’t qualify for the same? That’s because they run a business, not a f#*$ing charity. Did you hear anything from Leaf players about support for their coach? Because the players are professional and they know it’s a business about winning. Apparently this memo hasn’t matriculated to the locker room south of the border. Maybe platitudes, but this is all you need to do to ingratiate yourself to the fans. 50 second mark of his post game last night. https://www.nhl.com/mapleleafs/video/auston-matthews-post-game-6347135355112

Looking at the June ‘25 option, if the Sabres retained $3m in a trade, the net dollars paid by Terry would be less than a buyout ($6m vs $8m). Coupled with Skinners actual salary of $7 & $5m, the team acquiring him would only have an actual salary of $4m and $2m respectively. Instead of compensating a team to take on a huge cap dump of $9m per, the Sabres should be able to receive something back, no? And the total cap retained ($6m over two years) is much better than $14m over four.

No buts…Scoring is a problem. Don’t try to dilute that with anecdotal numbers for JJP or Mitts. The GF last year, same games played was 197. It’s 155 this year. That’s 42 goals. The PP rate last year was ~.75 per game. I hear how the Sabres are middle of the pack in even strength and the problem is all special teams. If the PP rate was equal to 22/23, using that ratio it would increase the GF total by 17 goals. 42-17= 25 goals difference. This year the Sabres have scored 2 or fewer goals 23 times. Last year through 53 games it was 8 less. Scoring is a problem. The GA is down YoY by 20 because better overall goaltending and arguably improved play by the defenseman. I do not see much improvement in defensive play by the forward group. Hence the need to shake things up a bit. For me, more on the forward side than D. I’d prefer 5-6 new faces there and 2 new on the Blueline. The game against Florida confirmed it for me that the roster as currently constructed could not win a playoff series against most of the top 16 teams in the League.

Comrie in net, Master Algorithm says game after a Win exceeding 4 goals at home is always followed by a loss, Florida streaking, Panthers present match up problems for the Sabres, injuries to starting line up. This could be ugly. The ONLY thing they having going for them is Bryson is in the line up......(I never thought I would write that sentence, ever).

Pretty sure most of standing room only crowd of the 70’s and 80’s Aud missed their fair share of dental visits. Great F***ing Moniker.

Brilliant idea. Here is an ode to Sabre Space by Chat. In the realm of hockey's digital embrace, There's a forum known as Sabre Space. Where fans unite with passion ablaze, To discuss the Sabres in myriad ways. From roster moves to game day chatter, Sabre Space is where it all does matter. With threads galore and opinions to share, It's a haven for fans who truly care. Through wins and losses, they stand as one, In Sabre Space, the journey's never done. With loyalty strong, like the rising sun, They celebrate victories, each hard-fought one. So here's to Sabre Space, where fans convene, To share their love for the team unseen. In every post, in every meme, Their Buffalo pride forever gleams.

This just isn't true. Johnson is the worst. In the chart below from Natural Stat Trick, I have the top 5 D-men advanced stats for the entire year on top and then January 1st to present below. The data has actual TOI, Shots against, goals against and Expected GA for just PK. Then a calculation of XG, GA and Shots against divided by TOI. The shade is a ranking of each green - top two; Yellow - Third; Orange - 4th; and Magenta- last/worst. YTD Clifton is nothing to write home about, but you can see Johnson has more GA, higher Expected GA and shots, and when you factor in TOI, Johnson still ranks last in two categories and 4th in another. Whereas Clift is 3rd, 3rd and 4th. Where it gets interesting is since January 1st, Power is last in Expected GA per minute, 4th in actual GA per minute while Clifton improves to second in two categories and third in another. Dahlin and Power are on the ice for 4 GA each and Power is seeing more TOI even though seemingly he is struggling. The eye test tells me that Power and Dahlin have struggled as of late on the PK as well. And as much as we bash Mattias, he was consistent throughout the year on the PK. As stated, a lot of this may have to do matchups - who is on the ice against PP#1 vs PP#2, but overall it tells me EJ has been our worst PK defenseman.

I can see why Kyle had no interest last year, with a $6m cap hit. Even with retention, $3m was steep. This year at $2.5m, KO seems much more palatable. But Zemgus garnered zero interest last year, and yet somehow with seemingly worse (scoring and advanced) stats, less TOI (including PK) making slightly more money he is a target of a contender?

Alex is 6th in shots per 60, behind the usual suspects (Tage, Skinner, Cozens, Peterka, Quinn), but third in list as a percentage of shots on net to shots attempted, only behind JJP and Quinn. So the shots are getting through. Are you sure your comments above are not about Benson, or Tage, or Skinner, or Olofsson, or Cozens? My point is lots of problems with this team, but you don’t start with a guy who is a true top six contributing making a mid to low AAV. https://moneypuck.com/stats.htm

Tuch had a few nice drives to the net today, 6 SOG, third highest expected goals and a positive Corsi rating of 57%. Not sure what Alex did to you to earn your distain, but he is #79 on the list of PPG for all forwards. On the same list he is #134 in AAV. And, almost all of those in the top 100 who make less are RFA’s who will be making a whole lot more than him in another year. Guys like McTavish, Raymond, Byfield and Even Mitts. We have two power forwards, and he is the first guy you want gone? https://www.capfriendly.com/browse/active/2024/points-per-game/all/forwards?stats-season=2024&display=aav&hide=clauses,age,expiry-status,salary,caphit,goalie-stats&limits=gp-21-90,goals-5-80,pointspergame-0.3-2.5&pg=2

AJ says not a difficult save. She is being nice to Benson.

You also don’t have to clean up or worry about the toxic waste spilled from the tank cars that catch fire 🔥. (Too soon?) Matt Ellis Travoltified is Mya Edjans. Why do I think Mya (wherever you are) would have been a better option to run our power play.

Final Destination 6: Sabres 23/24.