If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry

A few years back when my grandmother was suffering from Alzheimer’s, my family developed a motto called, “If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry”.  If any of you have had a loved one with the disease, you understand that things happen, on a regular basis, that are both funny and sad at the same time.  They will tell the same stories over and over, call you the wrong name on occasion, and overall just not be the person that you once knew them to be. 

So you can either focus on the sad aspect of the event and let it tear you apart, or you can laugh at the funny moments and feel a little better.  Sometimes the best way to get through a tough time is to have a good laugh.  That is the approach that I have decided to take with this season of Sabres hockey.  We should just laugh at how bad things get, rather than jump off bridges and maim ourselves.  So let’s take a look at some early season statistics, and have a good laugh together!

Shots Against:

After 11 games, the Sabres are being outshot cumulatively by nearly 100 shots on goal.  Their opponents have averaged 34.5 shots on goal, while the Sabres have averaged a league low 25.7 shots on the opponent’s net.  Furthermore, Buffalo has been outshot in 9 of the 11 games they have played, and have been outshot by double digits in 7 contests.  The only two games that they outshot their opponent, they had 3 and 4 more shots.  If you look at Corsi & Fenwick numbers, they are even uglier.

LOL – okay that was a good laugh to get us started

The Powerplay:

Last season the Sabres finished second to last in the NHL with a 14.1% success rate.  This season they have managed to lower that percentage to 10.5%, and they look lost on almost every man advantage situation.  Their entries are pathetic and they aren’t getting shots through from the point.  Unless they correct those two things, among other things, we’ll see them end up at the bottom of the league in powerplay efficiency yet again.

Oh that’s a funny one – hope you got a good laugh there

Periods Won/Lost/Tied:

You’ll often hear coaches and players alike say that they need to take every period as a new game and “win the period”.  Let’s look and see how the Sabres are doing in winning periods.  So far, through 11 games, they have played 35 periods (including OTs).  They have managed to outscore their opponent in 5 of those 35 periods, or 14.3% of the time.  They have lost 19 of those and tied on 11 occasions.  That’s not going to win you many games.

LMAO – boy this is getting good

1^st Period Differential:

We all have felt the pain of the Sabres slow starts, and the team continually addresses it in the media, but let’s look at how bad it’s actually been.  The Sabres are yet to hold a lead after one period and have gone into the locker trailing by at least one goal in 9 of 11 games.  Overall, they are being outscored 14-1 in the first period this season.

Okay – I nearly fell out of my chair laughing on that one!

Ron Rolston’s Tenure:

Since Rolston took over the reins from Lindy Ruff, the Sabres have taken the ice 42 times.  They have managed to win only 8 of those 42 games in regulation.  That’s over half of a season’s worth of games now.  Only 8 wins in regulation??? 

Now that’s something to bust a gut over.

So here’s the lesson to take from all of this “suffering”.  When you are watching the next Sabres game, if things start to go bad, find something to laugh at.  You won’t have to look far, and it will make you feel a little bit better.

For more Sabres stats nuggets in 140 characters or less, follow me on Twitter (@SabresStats).

LET’S GO BUFFALO!!