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Tierney takes on the question at hand:

I find the xGF/60 number for the Sabres in the Team xG Rates chart a bit surprising. I think it'd be closer to 2.4, but that's going on memory.

Ah, actually, there's an arbitrary-ness almost half of the time. Especially when it comes to construction around and involving quotes. The "rules" are more styles than actual rules - as in those might be the rules of the style, but no final, absolute rule exists. @inkman did, in fact, place the question mark properly according to Strunk and White, for example (a style guide I prefer over most others).

I must not be thought of as a fancy stats person, which is fine, I don't see myself as a fancy stats person, either. However, to get to this point in the thread, you must have rolled over the one verified fancy stat dood who said you have to wait 12 more games for the numbers to mean anything. Also, note that, even though I am not a verified fancy stat guy, more of a dabbler, really, perhaps a few rungs up from a dilettante, I did provide my assessment that there is more skill and coaching going on right now than luck. I would submit, again, not being an actual fancy stat person, so I only assume, or, maybe more accurately, surmise, that your question will raise additional questions like: Different than what? What do you mean by different?

I went through this in another thread, but something like 8 of the 10 games during the streak last year were won by luck statistically. That is not the case, so far, this year.

Having more possession time, which has been my beef for many seasons now, and being more dangerous with that possession, with higher quality shots, indicates that we're on the right path at the moment. As others have noted, there isn't enough data yet to start projecting. Possession time + higher quality shots (xG) = less luck, more skill and coaching.

Despite how the first two periods looked last night, Buffalo actually did a good job and was pretty much "even" with the Sharks in play. Now, this doesn't speak about the season, obviously, but as a current measure of where the team is at, I'd say that statistically hanging with SJ is an accomplishment for a team that really just sucked last year. The shot charts from last night. xG, expected goals, are in Buffalo's favour, meaning shots of a better quality with a better chance of scoring. This same data except linearly as the game progressed. The quality of the shots on goal as the game went on. In-game Corsi For at even strength. I believe this is percentage, based on the final numbers at the end of the chart being percents, and the fact that a CF by itself doesn't tell you anything. CF% indicates possession, so, again, assuming this is percentage (do I need to give that caveat after this?), except for the middle of the first, the Sabres possessed the puck more than SJ, and combined with the other charts, indicates that the Sabres were more dangerous with the puck after right about the game's mid-mark.

We're missing some vital info here. What planet?

Missed watching a lot of third, listened on the radio while I was picking up my kid and his girlfriend. Would have like to have seen Girgensons score in real time. I'm kind of surprised at the assessments in the thread about his being a good game for the Sabres. They must have looked really good in the third.

I think Kreuger is to blame for Dahlin. There has to be some method behind it, but letting Dahlin play to his strengths, offense, makes his defense look bad. I think Dahlin is doing a good job on the PP.

It's taken Vesey some time, but he ain't lookin' too bad.

Oops! The mic was HOT right there!

Well, back to the drawing board for the PP.

Now back to Buffalo and Duff and Peters for the intermission...

Seriously? Ullmark needs to stop that.

Ullmark in net, PP goal against. Yup.

We won.

OMG. When we don't even deserve it.

Dump-n-chase is not possession.

First, @jsb has created the template for GDTs. A+ work (except for your spelling ?). Interesting take, and I think one that has some merit, mainly the Montour getting close part. As for the finale where Joki is in the A. This is a new day, a new beginning. This is good. I think combined with @Tondas theory, there's something to it. Again, combine this with @darksabre 's theory, and I think there's something to all of this. If a Joki-Dahlin pairing works, that basically gives them two other pairs to make changes on that won't negatively affect the future. Any one of Miller, Scandella, Risto, or McCabe can be a trade piece. Montour slots into the empty space. Personally, I would prefer it be Scandella who goes. Meanwhile, they can deploy Joki-Dahlin as they see fit.

You know, gentlemen, this is how rumours get started.

I heard the reports of Risto being happy, but not off the market. When did this come out?