The Buffalo Sabres and Seattle Kraken are two of the NHL’s younger, upcoming teams. So who holds the edge in the numbers game?
While the Buffalo Sabres scored a convincing win over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, they are still a hockey team facing the same exact issues that has plagued them since last season. Once again, the Sabres were outshot, outmuscled, and they lost in the faceoff category.
So what’s the story against Seattle tonight? You might expect more of the same, but there is also some good news on that front. Let’s take a closer look at some real numbers provided by Hockey-Reference.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Kraken: Breakdown for October 25th
One thing that jumps out at me is that this Seattle Kraken team loves to hit. And as mentioned, the Sabres just are not an aggressive team unless Ilya Lyubushkin is on the ice. The good news regarding the Sabres lack of aggression compared to their opponents is that they have yet to back down. But is the inevitable wear down coming?
The Kraken are averaging nearly 22 hits per game, compared to the Sabres meager 13 per contest. However, the Blue and Gold hold the edge in blocks with 13.4 per outing, while the Kraken sit at 11.7. Buffalo also holds a huge advantage in the faceoff category, with a season average of a 48.5% FOW% to the Kraken’s 40.0%.
The plus-minus category, while not the best of stats, jumps out at me more than anything else, with the Sabres sitting at +55. The Kraken? Just a meager -17.
Seattle is also shooting at just 9.0% on the season and the Sabres are light years ahead in the category at 15.1%. This is huge, considering goaltenders Eric Comrie and Craig Anderson hold a combined 0.943 save percentage and a 2.20 GAA. On the flip side, the Kraken sit at just 0.860 with a whopping 3.84 GAA.
I do like the Kraken in this one because everyone has a bad game, and we know the Sabres are no exception to that rule. However, as you can see, the Sabres win big when you compare the two teams on paper. But paper will only take you so far. That said, I’m predicting the Kraken play the Sabres much better than many might be anticipating.