This is where last year's Sabres collapsed...

Posted by: Ironsides



Last season's Sabres started 9-3-3 and had us all believing that they were a changed team that was committed to playing better defensively; they then proceeded to lose five straight games, all in regulation, got zero of 10 points, and plummeted to 9-8-3. That skid was a major reason why the Sabres missed the playoffs by a couple points.

This year, the Sabres are 10-4-1, good for 21 points (identical to last season). I think we're all too smart to buy into them just yet, though, as the 15-game mark is exactly when the collapse began in 2008-09.

With that in mind, I did some research of last year's team through 15 games to this season's. Here is what I found...

2008

Goals for: 47 (3.1 GPG)
Goals against: 36 (2.4 GAPG)
Shots for: 447 (29.8 SPG)
Shots against: 448 (29.9 SAPG)
Power play: 19 for 77 (25 percent)
Penalty kill: 56 for 63 (89 percent)
Key forwards' performance: Vanek - 15 GP, 12 goals, three assists; Connolly - Five GP, two goals, four assists; Roy - 15 GP, two goals, six assists; Pominville - 15 GP, five goals, six assists; Stafford - 13 GP, two goals, one assist.

2009

Goals for: 43 (2.9 GPG)
Goals against: 34 (2.3 GPG)
Shots for: 505 (34 SPG)
Shots against: 450 (30 SAPG)
Power play: 13 for 74 (17.6 percent)
Penalty kill: 43 for 54 (79.6 percent)
Key forwards' performance: Vanek - 13 GP, five goals, three assists; Connolly - 15 GP, four goals, 11 assists; Roy - 15 GP, three goals, nine assists; Pominville - 15 GP, four goals, seven assists; Stafford - 15 GP, five goals, three assists.

Pretty similar stats. The optimistic person would say this year's team has gotten off to a better start without Vanek tearing it up, though the counterpoint to that is the fact that Connolly, unlike last season, hasn't missed a game yet; also, it's clear the team is still giving up too many shots and has declined drastically on special teams. Again, the optimist would say they're 10-4-1 despite Vanek's disappearance and poor special teams.

I'm looking at tomorrow's game versus Calgary almost like the beginning of a new season. This is where last year's team's fade began, and the stats from the two seasons are fairly similar; let's see what this group of guys is made of as we approach the final 67 games.

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