That Aud Smell

They've been somewhat lucky. But there's also a part of that "luck" that they have created -- with quality chances and sometimes keeping the other team's shots to the perimeter.

I agree on the Dahlin take. He'll recover. On balance, though, the game struck me as a weird one. 6-2? Really? The Sabres weren't that badly outplayed, for the most part. In fact, they had the better of play for several stretches of time. They did make a handful of BRUTAL errors, that led to goals. Time to get right tonight. The timing's actually ideal -- hopefully.

Until you’re not.

Until you're not. Or, until your 10-game winning streak turns into a bottom-3-pace skid into irrelevance. Larger point being (as ever): You are your record, sure. The #fancystats offer insight into whether you will also be your record in the coming weeks and months.

To each their own. I'll posit, though: Interest or disinterest in predictive metrics is not a function of your age. I don't understand the #fancystats all that well, but I enjoy engaging with them. As a long-suffering fan, those metrics help me better answer those enduring questions such as "so, is this team for real?" or "are they really as bad as their record indicates?"

In fairness, it's not a flaw -- it's an inherent limitation. You can start with Corsi, to get a sense of some stuff. But then those shot maps are going to be helpful (like the one below (I love the "Geez Buffalo")). And then Tierney has those graphs that indicate shot quality/quantity -- I still don't quite follow those, though. That shot map is a thing of effing beauty, btw. The Sharks had a close edge in raw Corsi from that game, but the Sabres had a clear edge in chances. Rakru has said it: It's not "shoot mentality" and pucks to the net; it's about getting bodies to the net.

The chart seems to suggest that they are pretty good - certainly much improved from last season. I think that those grey values indicate that the squad, on balance, is a bit of a "wash" on certain metrics (i.e., mediocre). @darksabre had it about right upthread in another recent thread, I think - they're better, playing better together, supporting the puck, but need more from their 5v5 game.

^ ESPN's arc is not unlike MTV's. They've become ... brands that were rooted in something (sports, music), but become focused on ... what? "Content"? I dunno. We can all agree that we don't watch it anymore. But the networks didn't make those moves for no good reason. They did it in order to become more profitable. And presumably they did.

Watching that, I can't get past the notion that there are basically "The View" shows, but for dudes.

Ha! No. But seriously. Please clear it up for me.

Is the heat map as simple as blue=good; red=bad?

Let's go, Buffalo! The Rangers are, low-key, a team I get extra amped for. An original-6 thing, no doubt. Also: Sometimes Tierney's charts confuse me. I don't comprehend (all of) the team stats heat map.

Never thought the team would be 10 games into the season and I would wince at the suggestion of trading Scandella, yet here we are.

I (think I) know enough about that chart to conclude that Buffalo did some sh1t pumping tonight.

Better than Drury controlling it. Stu did give us THE greatest media moment in team history. Drunk Muckler at Prior Aviation, denying a plan to trade Fuhr. F bomb on live TV!

Wait a minute. Autocorrect???

I await your creative writing project regarding Head Coach Ralph Krueger.

Was out and about tonight, here and there. I recall several posts about Eichel looking awful in the first. Then our crimson cheeked hero f**ked around and notched 4 points.

Now. FINISH THEM.

Woot. Let’s grab that mo’!!

Huh? I’m not trying to be clever. I’m saying: 14 SOG in a period looks like solid work. No goals to show for it. Just seems like PDO fallin’ a bit.

14 SOG. Solid number. Bad luck?

(PDO, yo.)

NFW that would ever happen. Ever. This is from 2012 (some Superbowl media, I believe).