Sabres PP might be the best I have ever seen...literally a machine

[Stoner]

1 hour ago, Curt said:

Sabres are on pace to have the best PP in the league, by %, and also be last in the league in 5-on-5 scoring.  That’s absolutely crazy.

It is crazy. And not good. I am far too lazy to do any research, but I'd bet there's not as much correlation between power play success and ultimate playoff success as people might think. Power plays are fickle and can't be relied on. Also we all know what happens in the playoffs with the whistle.

[LTS]

1 hour ago, Curt said:

Sabres are on pace to have the best PP in the league, by %, and also be last in the league in 5-on-5 scoring.  That’s absolutely crazy.

A few seasons back, when Kane, ROR, Eichel, Reinhart were on the PP weren't the Sabres something similar?  The PP was fantastic because they could load all their talent onto the ice at once but when that talent was spread out the team could not score because the drop off in talent was bad... and also the coach was brutal.

I think it was Bylsma's last year.  Perhaps I will go look it up.

[Stoner]

3 minutes ago, LTS said:

A few seasons back, when Kane, ROR, Eichel, Reinhart were on the PP weren't the Sabres something similar?  The PP was fantastic because they could load all their talent onto the ice at once but when that talent was spread out the team could not score because the drop off in talent was bad... and also the coach was brutal.

I think it was Bylsma's last year.  Perhaps I will go look it up.

16-17, #1 overall. 24th in GF/G.

[Thorner]

6 hours ago, Curt said:

Sabres are on pace to have the best PP in the league, by %, and also be last in the league in 5-on-5 scoring.  That’s absolutely crazy.

If this doesn’t say “system” I’m not sure what does 

[SwampD]

7 minutes ago, Thorny said:

If this doesn’t say “system” I’m not sure what does 

Right now is the first time this entire decade where I thought it was coaching.

[Thorner]

Just now, SwampD said:

Right now is the first time this entire decade where I thought it was coaching.

Well you’re a smarter man than most. Been burned by that myself. 

[pi2000]

16 hours ago, Curt said:

Sabres are on pace to have the best PP in the league, by %, and also be last in the league in 5-on-5 scoring.  That’s absolutely crazy.

There's several reasons for this...

1. Their PP1 is the same lineup as last season with the exception of adding Hall to the mix.  Their umbrella of Dahlin, Olofsson, and Eichel have been together for a few seasons, have elite puck movement and shooting skills.   
2. 3 of the bottom 5 PK teams are in their division.
3. They're 2nd in the league in offensive zone PP face off win %.

Why they're struggling to score 5v5...

1. Historically low shooting % at even strength (5.3%).     As someone who played at a high level, I have no explanation for this.    The amount of posts they've hit, etc. is unlike anything i've ever seen.    You may have a game here and there where the team just can't score no matter what.... but this team, this season, has had many many games like this.    This is not RK's fault.    This is by far the worst case of bad puck luck I've ever seen.     Consider, there's only been 1 team in the past 13 years (couldn't find stats before 2007) that had an even strength shooting % less than 6%...  the 2014-15 Coyotes tank squad.    There are 8 former 20 goal scorers on this team, the shooting % can only improve as they play more games.    It has to.   

[IKnowPhysics]

42 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

1. Historically low shooting % at even strength (5.3%).

In my mind, this is one of the biggest mysteries about this team.  I simply can't wrap my head around why this is happening and what the players or the coaches can do differently.  And it's killing them.  It crushes their goal stats, it prevents them from gaining leads, it prevents them from coming back in games.  And with big goalie questions, they need to be piling on the goals, but loads and loads of these high danger shots just vanish into thin air.  It's maddening to us, and I'm sure it's 100x more maddening to the players.

[GASabresIUFAN]

39 minutes ago, IKnowPhysics said:

In my mind, this is one of the biggest mysteries about this team.  I simply can't wrap my head around why this is happening and what the players or the coaches can do differently.  And it's killing them.  It crushes their goal stats, it prevents them from gaining leads, it prevents them from coming back in games.  And with big goalie questions, they need to be piling on the goals, but loads and loads of these high danger shots just vanish into thin air.  It's maddening to us, and I'm sure it's 100x more maddening to the players.

Fire RK and allow the creative players to create and force everyone else to forecheck and crash the net.  RK has placed an engine governor on the offense with how he has utilized his lines, Skinner, Montour and Dahlin and it shows every night.

[Curt]

9 hours ago, pi2000 said:

Why they're struggling to score 5v5...

1. Historically low shooting % at even strength (5.3%).     As someone who played at a high level, I have no explanation for this.    The amount of posts they've hit, etc. is unlike anything i've ever seen.    You may have a game here and there where the team just can't score no matter what.... but this team, this season, has had many many games like this.    This is not RK's fault.    This is by far the worst case of bad puck luck I've ever seen.     Consider, there's only been 1 team in the past 13 years (couldn't find stats before 2007) that had an even strength shooting % less than 6%...  the 2014-15 Coyotes tank squad.    There are 8 former 20 goal scorers on this team, the shooting % can only improve as they play more games.    It has to.   

 

8 hours ago, IKnowPhysics said:

In my mind, this is one of the biggest mysteries about this team.  I simply can't wrap my head around why this is happening and what the players or the coaches can do differently.  And it's killing them.  It crushes their goal stats, it prevents them from gaining leads, it prevents them from coming back in games.  And with big goalie questions, they need to be piling on the goals, but loads and loads of these high danger shots just vanish into thin air.  It's maddening to us, and I'm sure it's 100x more maddening to the players.

Yes, the SH% is an issue, and probably a lot of that is bad luck.  However, they are also near the bottom of the league in just about every statistic related to 5 on 5 offense. It’s not just the SH%.  They are not generating nearly enough offensive chances either.

[Kruppstahl]

I liked the way Philly really pressured the point man, who was usually Dahlin, and made him make very fast decisions.

It really negated the smooth running of the PP at least much of the time.

Watch for it again today if you watch the game.

Philly may have just shown the league how to deal with our PP.

 

 

 

[pi2000]

22 minutes ago, Kruppstahl said:

I liked the way Philly really pressured the point man, who was usually Dahlin, and made him make very fast decisions.

It really negated the smooth running of the PP at least much of the time.

Watch for it again today if you watch the game.

Philly may have just shown the league how to deal with our PP.

 

 

 

It's a high risk PK strategy.  If Dahlin gets moving and rotating they can break this pressure generating scoring chances from the high slot or down low as the D press up.

[Kruppstahl]

39 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

It's a high risk PK strategy.  If Dahlin gets moving and rotating they can break this pressure generating scoring chances from the high slot or down low as the D press up.

Yeah, but that didn't really happen too much.  Dahlin struggled to make the right decision in a fast amount of time.

I'm a fan of these pressuring tactics on the PK in general.  Sitting back and letting the PP get comfy and in a position they are familiar with doesn't help keep the puck out of the net.

 

 

 

[North Buffalo]

Topic not aging well

[Broken Ankles]

20 hours ago, pi2000 said:

There's several reasons for this...

1. Their PP1 is the same lineup as last season with the exception of adding Hall to the mix.  Their umbrella of Dahlin, Olofsson, and Eichel have been together for a few seasons, have elite puck movement and shooting skills.   
2. 3 of the bottom 5 PK teams are in their division.
3. They're 2nd in the league in offensive zone PP face off win %.

Why they're struggling to score 5v5...

1. Historically low shooting % at even strength (5.3%).     As someone who played at a high level, I have no explanation for this.    The amount of posts they've hit, etc. is unlike anything i've ever seen.    You may have a game here and there where the team just can't score no matter what.... but this team, this season, has had many many games like this.    This is not RK's fault.    This is by far the worst case of bad puck luck I've ever seen.     Consider, there's only been 1 team in the past 13 years (couldn't find stats before 2007) that had an even strength shooting % less than 6%...  the 2014-15 Coyotes tank squad.    There are 8 former 20 goal scorers on this team, the shooting % can only improve as they play more games.    It has to.   

I respect your take on puck-luck/ shot % and the concept of it improving as the season moves along, but if this afternoons game is a microcosm of the season, it will not improve without a change in behavior and effort.  The Montour play alone speaks volumes to why the Sabres are at historic lows.  I mean wide open net and he shoots directly into the goaltender.  KO on the 2 on 1.  Get the puck elevated a few inches and it’s a goal.  Hall and Eakin with similar efforts.  No rebounds, and quite honestly lack of strength (by most) to gain position in front of the net for an opportunity.  Way too many one and done with this team.  The seemingly high number of “posts” aside, their shooting % is not going to be league average.