Sabres Shooting Percentage: Bound to Rise, or Product of Current Play?

[That Aud Smell]

This has been touched on in a few threads, but it's driving me to distraction and I wanted a thread dedicated to the issue.

 

Last night, by my math, the team shot 5.6%, or so. That'd actually be an improvement on the 3.4% they shot through nine games.

 

So, what's the deal? No puck luck? Or are those soft wristers from the tops of the circles hurting them? Some of both?

 

Thanks. I'll hang up and listen.

[Weave]

Several playmakers, only one finisher.

 

Look at our wings.  Deslaurier on the 1st line right now.  Foligno.  A rookie finding his way.  And the one true finisher playing on the 3rd line with our power forward center.

 

With Ennis and Kane hurt our wings are a hot mess.

[That Aud Smell]

Good stuff.

 

How many games did E Kane play before he was hurt? Part of that 3.4% or whatever is his.

 

Are teams giving the Sabres the low percentage stuff, or are the Sabres just failing to finish? Where on the continuum does our solution fall?

[3putt]

Several playmakers, only one finisher.

 

Look at our wings.  Deslaurier on the 1st line right now.  Foligno.  A rookie finding his way.  And the one true finisher playing on the 3rd line with our power forward center.

 

With Ennis and Kane hurt our wings are a hot mess.

This.  I watched the Oil and Habs last night and you notice both teams do the same thing well.  Their cycles and offensive system is designed to force the defenders to move and they have players looking for open spots.  The sabres tend to grind on the wall and play on the perimeter. Kane and Ennis will help but a true finisher with wheels to keep up with the playmaker is a necessity. Matty is a great finisher and I would like to see if he and Jack could click, but I dont think he has the wheels.  If the finisher is lagging behind, you are essentially attacking with 2 guys.  I think you might see Jack Samson and Kane when he returns.

Notable exception last night was ROR and Legwand who both push to the middle.

[That Aud Smell]

More good stuff.

 

Not for nothing: It's great that the team is carrying play such that they can get 50 shots.

 

Now, to finish more.

[Doohicksie]

I think it's a question of gelling and getting used to their system. You can generate offense from the cycle along the boards, but you have to have multiple players recognizing the opening and one has to peel off toward the net while another passes to him. It's a question of flow and reading each other.

[ddaryl]

We're producing pressure. We're winning faceoffs we're generating hits.

 

Only a matter of time before this team starts to cash in on the effort.  I'm expecting this team to heat up heading into the 2nd half of the season

[LGR4GM]

The NHL needs to fix offense but they won't. The league average sh% is something like 7.4% and that is a joke. Buffalo's time will come, their possession metrics are just too good for this trend to continue long term. We are already seeing signs, give it another 10 games.

[qwksndmonster]

Moulson made his living playing with Tavares. I honestly don't think it's that important for the finisher on a line to have blazing speed.

 

Good call Weave.

[TrueBlueGED]

Good stuff in here.

 

I'm not sure Moulson is really a finisher. To me he's more of a garbage collector who will score a bunch of tap ins and off of rebounds, but he's not going to beat you with his shot very often. I'd put him with Eichel, but I still belive we need a Vanek-like shooter on the wing.

[SwampD]

Good stuff in here.

 

I'm not sure Moulson is really a finisher. To me he's more of a garbage collector who will score a bunch of tap ins and off of rebounds, but he's not going to beat you with his shot very often. I'd put him with Eichel, but I still belive we need a Vanek-like shooter on the wing.

I thought that's what a finisher was.

[3putt]

Moulson made his living playing with Tavares. I honestly don't think it's that important for the finisher on a line to have blazing speed.

 

Good call Weave.

That was 5 years ago with much younger legs.  Jack is much faster than Tavares.  I get your point but time waits for no one.

[SwampD]

That was 5 years ago with much younger legs.  Jack is much faster than Tavares.  I get your point but time waits for no one.

But when you are playing with a guy with speed, you don't need have to have speed. You just need to know where to go.

Edited October 30, 2015 by SwampD

[Drunkard]

I didn't watch the last game, but I think the main reason our shot percentage is so low is that we don't camp out in front of the net and block the goalies vision enough. Surprisingly, Reinhart seems to be doing it more than others and until guys like Moulson, Foligno, and others follow suit our shot percentage is going to stay low. Goalies these days are too good at stopping pucks when their view is not obstructed. Crowding the crease doesn't make for exciting, fast paced hockey, but it's still the most effective way to score.

[TrueBlueGED]

I thought that's what a finisher was.

Maybe, sure. I think we're getting caught up with language though. What I'm looking for is someone who can score with their shot, not positioning.

 

Edit: separately, a truly enterprising individual could critically look at shot charts for this team and compare it to some higher scoring teams to see if it's more puck luck or shot location driving the low percentage.

Edited October 30, 2015 by TrueBlueGED

[That Aud Smell]

I don't see a meaningful distinction between a finisher, and a "garbage man" who collects tap-ins, jam-ins. That's Andreychuck. That's Esposito.

 

There is a nuanced skill in being where you're supposed to be, when you're supposed to be, in order to get a "garbage" goal.

 

And that's generally more about a sense of timing than speed.

[Weave]

I thought that's what a finisher was.

 

That is one kind of finisher.  The only kind we have at the moment.

[That Aud Smell]

So, is a sniper a kind of finisher?

 

Thinking Audette, for example.

[LGR4GM]

I didn't watch the last game, but I think the main reason our shot percentage is so low is that we don't camp out in front of the net and block the goalies vision enough. Surprisingly, Reinhart seems to be doing it more than others and until guys like Moulson, Foligno, and others follow suit our shot percentage is going to stay low. Goalies these days are too good at stopping pucks when their view is not obstructed. Crowding the crease doesn't make for exciting, fast paced hockey, but it's still the most effective way to score.

Reinhart's hockey IQ allows him to feel that and know where he needs to go. I hope he sees more success and other players follow.

[Weave]

So, is a sniper a kind of finisher?

 

Thinking Audette, for example.

 

Absolutely.  

[Marvelo]

I didn't watch the last game, but I think the main reason our shot percentage is so low is that we don't camp out in front of the net and block the goalies vision enough. Surprisingly, Reinhart seems to be doing it more than others and until guys like Moulson, Foligno, and others follow suit our shot percentage is going to stay low. Goalies these days are too good at stopping pucks when their view is not obstructed. Crowding the crease doesn't make for exciting, fast paced hockey, but it's still the most effective way to score.

 

If Reinhart intends to camp out, fine. But he better watch himself. Ask Pat Lafontaine, Thomas Vanek and others who made a designated living camping out. A broken jaw from errant shots is part of the stock and trade and if that was me, I'd be wearing a different kind of mask, kind of like an offensive lineman. To me it's common sense; it's the fastest game on earth. The bare-faced guys who insist on it, well they can have it. Better a cage than a broken jaw or worse. 

Edited October 30, 2015 by Marvelo

[BetterDays06]

Eichel's time will come. He has 35 shots through 10 games and he passes the puck like an assist machine. The shots and effort are there, I think defense and goaltending are something GMTM has to focus on right away

Edited October 30, 2015 by EICH15

[pi2000]

The NHL needs to fix offense but they won't. The league average sh% is something like 7.4% and that is a joke. Buffalo's time will come, their possession metrics are just too good for this trend to continue long term. We are already seeing signs, give it another 10 games.

 

They need to make goalie equipment smaller.   I'm not talking about leg pads, glove and blocker.   I'm talking about pants and chest protector.     I'm not talking about thickness.     I'm talking about width, height and length.    I'm not talking about making goalies more susceptible to injury.   I'm talking about making a 160lb goalie look like a 160lb goalie and not a 325lb goalie. 

Edited October 30, 2015 by pi2000

[WildCard]

Several playmakers, only one finisher.

 

Look at our wings.  Deslaurier on the 1st line right now.  Foligno.  A rookie finding his way.  And the one true finisher playing on the 3rd line with our power forward center.

 

With Ennis and Kane hurt our wings are a hot mess.

That about sums it up, spot on

Edited October 30, 2015 by WildCard

[Drunkard]

They need to make goalie equipment smaller. I'm not talking about leg pads, glove and blocker. I'm talking about pants and chest protector. I'm not talking about thickness. I'm talking about width, height and length. I'm not talking about making goalies more susceptible to injury. I'm talking about making a 160lb goalie look like a 160lb goalie and not a 325lb goalie.

The players union will fight that tooth and nail under the guise of protecting players, even if smaller pads could prove to be just as safe. It would be easier to just make the nets bigger.