Team Stats

1986–87 Regular Season

Coaches: Scotty Bowman, Craig Ramsay, Ted Sator
Total Players: 43
Related1986–87 game results1986–87 standings
Season Summary

28-44-8, 64 points, a -28 goal differential.

Team Totals
280
308
-28
18.6%
75.6%
3.85
GF
GA
DIFF
PP%
PK%
GAA
NHL
16th
14th
18th
17th
18th
14th
CONF
8th
9th
10th
10th
10th
9th
DIV
3rd
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
ALL-TIME
34th pct
25th pct
23rd pct
41st pct
7th pct

All-time is where 1986–87 ranks among Sabres regular seasons, as a percentile: GF, GA and DIFF since 1970–71 (55 seasons), PP% and PK% since 1977–78 (48). GF, GA and DIFF are relative to each season's league scoring. Higher is better, GA included.

Goal differential
LEAGUE MED -9BUF -28-75+88
One dot per NHL team.
Team Leaders

Skater Scatter

Any two stats, one dot per skater. What is xG?

Dot size is ice time per game. Above the dashed line: more Goals than xG.

X axis:
Y axis:

No skaters match these filters. Lower the games-played floor or widen the position filter.

More cuts on the Stats Playground scatter.

Win DNA

Yes-or-no box-score traits, and how often the Sabres won with and without each. Correlation, not cause.

How this is measured

Every counting stat runs higher in a win (you score more when you win), so each game gets a yes-or-no question instead, and the win rate when yes is set against the win rate when no. The gap is the lift, in percentage points. A trait can be a symptom of a good night as much as a reason for one. Shot-attempt share (CF%) is left out: in a single game the trailing team piles up attempts, so out-attempting the opponent has gone with a lower win rate.

28-44 in 72 decided games, 1986–87 regular season, with 4 of those losses in overtime.
Wins (28)Losses (44, 4 in overtime)
3+ scorersD combined 3+ ptsScored firstDepth goal50%100%

The wider the gap on an axis, the more that trait separates a win from a loss.

The raw split, wins vs losses

The totals the table above deliberately doesn't lead with. Goals and points from both positions climb in wins, but the defense's share of the offense barely moves, which is why the question is who else scored, not whether the D did.

PER GAMEWINS (28)LOSSES (44)
Forward goals4.182.02
Defense goals0.710.52
Forward points10.074.98
Defense points3.071.75
Different goal scorers4.112.41
D share of points23%26%
D share of shots24%28%

Skaters

PlayerNo.GPGAPTS+/-PIMPPSHGWGSOGS%
Dave Andreychuk2577254873-14413022549.8%
Phil Housley9678214667+15781220010.5%
Christian Ruuttu2176224365+106231116813.1%
Mike Foligno1775302959+13176111518516.2%
John Tucker754173451-42140010416.3%
Adam Creighton2256182240+52660310916.5%
Doug Smith2362162440-1910670215810.1%
Mike Ramsey5808313901092101565.1%
Wilf Paiement1156201737+310820311717.1%
Paul Cyr2273111627-151220011318.4%
Clark Gillies9611017270831021069.4%
Scott Arniel1163111425-1590039012.2%
Tom Kurvers285561723-1322101718.5%
Lindy Ruff445061420-1474011956.3%
Ken Priestlay123411617+383004922.4%
Gilbert Perreault11209716-261013525.7%
Jim Korn205241014-31580003511.4%
Shawn Anderson374121113+323000267.7%
Normand Lacombe19394711-108100488.3%
Robert Logan26227310+501002231.8%
Mark Napier31155510-501004012.5%
Gaetano Orlando23272810-616000248.3%
Joe Reekie2956189+682000561.8%
Mike Hartman1817336+2690001915.8%
Jeff Parker2915336070001030.0%
Uwe Krupp4426145-923000342.9%
Don Lever910325-34301837.5%
Paul Brydges1615224+46000825.0%
Mikael Andersson3416033-2000060.0%
Mark Ferner313033+2900050.0%
Lee Fogolin29022-2800050.0%
Bill Hajt242302204000110.0%
Bob Halkidis216112+319000425.0%
Phil Russell5602201200020.0%
Steve Dykstra437011-8179000210.0%
Richie Dunn32011+2200010.0%
David Fenyves317101-20000333.3%
Richard Hajdu282000+1000010.0%
Jim Hofford312000-14000080.0%
Doug Trapp1920000000010.0%
Total280466746175268528242611.5%

Goalies

PlayerNo.GPWLTGAASV%SO
Tom Barrasso3046172323.66.8732
Jacques Cloutier3140111953.78.8690
Daren Puppa3130214.24.8350
Total284482

A goalie is credited a game played for any appearance, relief included, so GP sums above the team's own games played by the number of relief outings. The Total row leaves GP out for that reason.