Buffalo Sabres winger Jeff Skinner reached the 63-point mark for the fifth time in his career in Monday’s loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
Out of the five times Jeff Skinner scored 63 points in a single season, he’s done it three times with the Buffalo Sabres. The first occurred in 2018-19, a season many fans don’t like to remember thanks to the Blue and Gold’s massive drop-off following an 11-3-1 record in November that ultimately led to a downward spiral as the team once again missed the playoffs.
You know what happened after that. Skinner signed a huge contract extension and “rewarded” the Sabres with 37 points, 21 goals, and 16 assists over the next two seasons (112 games). At that point, many in NHL circles pointed to the contract as one of the worst in the league’s 100-plus-year history.
But Skinner turned things around in 2021-22 with another 63-point season, scoring 33 goals, and 30 assists, before he augmented his play once again this year. So here he stands, with 63 points in 59 appearances, putting him on pace for 83, and shattering his previous career-high.
How many points will Buffalo Sabres winger Jeff Skinner score?
Skinner is part of a formidable first line that, when healthy, includes Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch. The trio have emerged as one of the best in the NHL, thanks to their consistency that catapulted the Sabres into becoming one of the league’s highest-scoring teams.
As the playoffs near, expect a sense of urgency to pick up for Buffalo. But this heightened urgency shouldn’t lead to ill-fated performances the Sabres have suffered through at times in 2022-23 when they overcomplicate the simplest things offensively.
Instead, look for simpler, patient play that will include a lot of shots on net. We saw this last night against the Edmonton Oilers. And although Buffalo scored just twice last night (including a goal from Skinner), they had more than their fair share of good looks. Goaltender Stuart Skinner (no relation to Jeff) was just in the zone, saving 37 of the Sabres 39 shots on goal.
If the Sabres indeed keep their play simple, it shouldn’t surprise you if Skinner zooms past the 83-point mark. And if last night’s contest, plus their win vs. Tampa this past Saturday, held any indication, this is exactly the kind of play you’ll see from Buffalo. And that will benefit Skinner.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)