IKnowPhysics

Sabres are 0-17-1 when scoring 2 or fewer. 5-6-2 when scoring 3. 6-4-0 when scoring 4. 21-0-1 when scoring 5. Sabres are 14-0-0 when allowing 2 or fewer. 12-7-1 when allowing 3. 4-7-2 when allowing 4. 2-14-1 when allowing 5. Extreme case, but our third-best goals-for offense has a better record overcoming 5+ scored against us than when we need our sixth-worst goals against team defense and seventh-worst goaltending save percentage to bail us out when we only score 2.

Any reason why it's: Dahlin-Samuelsson Power-Jokiharju and not: Dahlin-Jokiharju Power-Samuelsson ? The latter pairings are simply redonkulous, like crazy good, according to xGF and xGA: I'll hang up and listen.

One of my favorite players on the team today and is definitely showing signs of a very, very high ceiling. One stat that's easy to gloss over from the last post is his IPP, or individual points percentage. This is a percentage of how many goals are scored when he's on the ice and he gets the goal or an assist. At 83% over the last 15 games, he's contributing to almost every successful play when he gets ice time. Huge for a rookie to make those kinds of contributions at this level and huge for his confidence, as evidenced by that play.

Quinn over the past 15 games 5v5 (Sabres forward rank, overall NHL forward rank) Individual: G/60 1.64 (2nd, 29th overall) Total A/60 1.64 (2nd, 52nd overall) P/60 3.29 (3rd, 17th overall) IPP 83.33 (3rd, 64th overall) SH% 27.78 (1st, 11th overall) ixG/60 0.6 (9th, 251st overall) iHDCF/60 2.96 (6th, 249th overall) Takeaways/60 2.3 (4th, 108th overall) While the total shot rates aren't high, Quinn is sniping everything he gets while also generating assists at a top winger level. The neat part is that his two way game is coming along, as the on ice stats show: CA/60 49.28 (2nd best, 51st overall) GA/60 2.3 (2nd best, 139th overall) xGA/60 2.78 (4th best, 208) HDCA/60 12.49 (2nd best, 196) HDGA/60 1.31 (4th best, 167)

Agreed. Here's Mittelstadt's WOWY, showing Olofsson falling off the cliff without him: https://hockeyviz.com/fixedImg/wowy/2223/BUF/mitteca98/wrap

Mittelstadt's statistical evolution over the season has been interesting. His even strength play was insufferable in November, but he was crushing it on the power play. As of late January, he was generating P/GP at a solid 2nd line rate. But his recent individual 5v5 stats in the past 15 games are ***** bonkers (ranked among Sabres forwards, then league forwards): G/60 0.89 (8th, 128th overall) Total A/60 2.44 (1st by a mile over Quinn at 1.64, 7th overall) 1st Assists/60 0.91 (4th, 84th overall) 2nd Assists/60 1.52 (1st, 6th overall) Total P/60 3.35 (2nd, 15th overall) ixG/60 0.63 (9th, 238th) iHDCF/60 1.83 (12th, 336th) So he's been a premier setup man for offense, but simply doesn't shoot or get the puck in high-danger areas to score goals. But here's the thing: it works somehow. Here are the on-ice stats when Mittelstadt in the past 15 games (same rankings): GF/60 4.87 (1st, 4th overall) GA/60 2.74 (6th lowest) GF% 64.00 (2nd, 57th overall) HDCF/60 10.66 (8th) HDCA/60 15.53 (6th lowest) HDGF/60 2.13 (3rd, 68th overall) His line has elite top-of-league 5v5 goal production when he's been out there lately. And even though Mittelstadt doesn't shoot or get pucks in high danger areas, his teammates capitalize on his setups both inside and outside high danger areas. They are pouring goals into the opposing net and Mittelstadt is setting them up.

KEVYN ADAMS GOT HIS GUY.

Still needs to work on skating acceleration and top speed in addition to more consistency on second efforts in puck battles, but I'm loving everything else about his game.

It's the new rental player: rental cap space.

Luke Schenn to the Leafs.

Two words. NICHOLAS ***** PICHOLAS

Take an L to the Leafs and the world falls apart? Don Granato will be fine.

Added bits. Specifically ANA, CHI, CBJ, and MON. Arguably NYI, PHI, PIT, and STL. And likely several more that would just be happy to have Power's potential for the next few seasons. And if anyone hasn't seen him play in person, Power is noticeably huge. Tied for 6th tallest in the league. Which, considering that it sometimes takes tall players longer to develop, only makes it all the more remarkable that he's this capable this soon.

A defensemen playing this well in 2nd pair usage and in all situations and in unsheltered usage is remarkable, let alone a rookie. There are likely several teams out there right now in which Owen Power would be the number one defensemen.

I'd settle for an episode of Judge Judy with wrestlers as plantiffs/defendants and Stone Cold as bailiff and they play it totally straight faced. It'd have been nice to have Mean Gene as the post-decision interviewer a la People's Court.

Waiting to see today's practice lines.

Granato stuck with it for periods one and two, and it was a disaster. Bad passes, no coordination, no timing, no confidence. Period three, they went back to mostly original lines, and the pace, coordination, passing, confidence, and aggressiveness came right back. I gotta believe we'll see the original lines in Anaheim because not doing that would be playoff suicide.