Brian Gionta's goal against Edmonton on Tuesday was his sixth in 26 games this season, meaning he's already halfway to his 79-game total from last season. In fact, as injuries have hampered the Sabres forward group in the early going this season, Gionta has been one of the team's most consistent contributors.
According to puckalytics.com, Gionta leads the team in goals per 60 (1.07) and assists per 60 (0.89). The former number ranks 39th in the NHL.
"It's about helping the team," Gionta said. "It's about doing something that helps the team win. Sometimes it's a goal, sometimes it's about shutting down [other team's] top lines. That's how I measure how the season is going."
That willingness to help the team in any way possible is evident in the fact that the majority of his shifts begin outside the offensive zone. In fact, 45.87 percent of the faceoffs that have been taken when Gionta is on the ice during 5-on-5 situations have come in the defensive zone, a number that ranks ninth in the League.
That tendency to start in the defensive zone signals a change in Gionta's role from years past. His 17.66 offensive-zone faceoff percentage this season is a career low, and he was often over 30 percent in that category with New Jersey and in his first few years with Montreal. Even last season, when he joined Marcus Foligno and Johan Larsson to form the Sabres' checking line, he was still taking 25.46 percent of his faceoffs in the offensive zone.
What hasn't changed is his team-first approach, which is why he's been able to adapt to find success in his new role. In spite of the matchups against opposing team's top players and the defensive-zone starts, he's currently on pace to score 18 goals over the course 82 games. At age 38, that would be his highest mark since 2013-14.
"The biggest thing with him is he hasn't changed," said Gorges, who has been Gionta's teammate since the 2009-10 season when they played for Montreal. "He's always been - and I think that's why he's always had success - is he's a true professional. He does what he needs to do to be successful, he does what he needs to do for the team to be successful. He's a guy that, and I've said this before, young guys should look at and watch and know, this is how you have success for a long time in the NHL."