Buffalo Sabres Twelve Days Of Christmas: Day Five
On the fifth day of Christmas, the Buffalo Sabres gave to me…..
…. five 20-goal scorers!
Is this a reasonable expectation for the Buffalo Sabres? I think so – and here’s why it’s just one of the things I’m asking for this holiday season. (Realistically, maybe it won’t happen this season – but there’s no reason we couldn’t get this in years to come.)
Having players who can score regularly, and consistently, is important. It’s great to be able to get offense from across the board, including your defense (looking at you, Rasmus Ristolainen), but it’s equally important that your big offensive players are producing.
Anaheim Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said after Thursday’s 3-0 loss that “when our best players aren’t our best players… you’re not going to win the game.” That may sound pretty common-sense, but I think it rings true.
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Over the past few years, there have been a few 20-goal scorers on the Buffalo Sabres roster. Tyler Ennis hit that mark last season, the only Sabres player to do so.
The year prior, both Ennis and Cody Hodgson hit the 20-goal marker, while the season prior to that saw only Thomas Vanek hit 20 goals.
Now let’s look at the Stanley Cup winners over the past few seasons.
Last year’s Chicago Blackhawks team had four 20-goal scorers: Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Brandon Saad and Marian Hossa.
The Los Angeles Kings team that won the Cup in 2014 had just two 2o-goal scorers: Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter.
While having a crop of 2o-goal scorers is by no means a guarantee of success, let’s put it this way: it can’t hurt. Having a solid group of players – even two, three, or four – that produce regularly and consistently can help a team greatly.
The last time a Buffalo Sabres team had more than two 20-goal scorers in their midst was the 2011-12 season, when Jason Pominville, Vanek and Drew Stafford all hit that mark.
The ’06-’07 Sabres team – arguably the most successful Sabres squad in recent history – had six players score at least 20 goals. Four of those players (Vanek, Chris Drury, Pominville and Daniel Briere) also broke the 30-goal mark.
Good things happen when you score.
If they stay at their current goal-scoring paces (and played in each of the 49 remaining games), four Buffalo Sabres would meet the 20-goal mark: Ryan O’Reilly, who currently has 11 goals in 33 games; Jack Eichel, with nine goals in 33 games, and Sam Reinhart, with eight goals in 33 games. Evander Kane would also hit that mark, as he currently has seven goals in 23 games this season and is on pace for 21 if he played in each of the remaining games.
Close to that marker are Rasmus Ristolainen (seven goals in 33 games, on pace for 17 in 82) and Jamie McGinn (seven in 33, on pace for 17 in 82).
Could we see the Buffalo Sabres have at least three 20-goal scorers this season – and more in years to come?
Next: Sabres' Weekly Three Stars
Only time can tell, and as I’ve said, it’s no guarantee of success, but having multiple 20-goal scorers in your midst definitely can’t hurt. Potentially having a defenseman (Ristolainen) in that list would just make it that much more awesome.