Monday Roundup

by J.P. on Oct 27, 2008 6:08 AM EDT

Roughly 1/10th of the way through the regular season, here's one stat for each player who has suited up for the Caps so far this season, by jersey number, for discussion:

1 - Brent Johnson: 1-0-1 with a 1.92 GAA and .915 save percentage in games he has started
3 - Tom Poti: No hits on the season so far (in four games played)
4 - John Erskine: Got a 127% raise for next season
8 - Alex Ovechkin: No power play goals (after leading the League last season)
10 - Matt Bradley: On pace for 38.5% more shots than he's ever taken in a season
14 - Tomas Fleischmann: Second-most even strength goals on the team
15 - Boyd Gordon: Team-worst Corsi Rating
16 - Eric Fehr: Only 8:01 of ice time per game
17 - Chris Clark: No goals on only 10 shots on goal
19 - Nicklas Backstrom: No even strength points
21 - Brooks Laich: Team-high penalties drawn per 60 minutes of five-on-five ice time
23 - Milan Jurcina: On pace for 76.7% more shots than he's ever taken in a season
25 - Viktor Kozlov: Team is scoring 4.75 goals per game with him in the lineup, 2.25 goals per game with him out of the lineup
26 - Shaone Morrisonn: Leads the team in blocked shots... and PIMs
28 - Alex Semin: Tied for the League lead in scoring
39 - David Steckel: Team-worst minus-two rating
52 - Mike Green: Leading all NHL defensemen in goals... again
55 - Jeff Schultz: Leading the team in shorthanded ice time per game
56 - Chris Bourque: Has four goals and seven assists in six games for Hershey
60 - Jose Theodore: 42nd-best even strength save percentage in the League (35th-best against while shorthanded)
87 - Donald Brashear: Skating the fewest shifts per game on the team
89 - Tyler Sloan: 100% shooting percentage
91 - Sergei Fedorov: Leads the team in plus/minus
92 - Michael Nylander: Leads the team in takeaway

Got any stats you'd like to discuss? Let's hear 'em in the comments.

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

CK reminds us that tomorrow night's game won't be televised.... What kind of guy drinks a double vodka and water? A $5.25-million, 23-year-old defenseman.... Remember Michael Dubuc who made some noise at Rookie Camp? He potted a hat trick for South Carolina the other night.... The Lightning Ice Girls have a calendar, and it's unclear whether Martin St. Louis is July or August.

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Comments

Many of these stats "scare" me because of this simple mantra that I believe in: "To win consistently in this league, your best players have to be your best players more often than not."
Ovechkin, Backstrom, Clark, and Theodore have all been underwhelming (at least statistically). It's Ovy and Backis that concern me the most, because they are the top scorers on the top scoring line. It's great to have depth to be 4-3-1 without those guys going, but that needs to change really soon. Let's ponder what the record could be if those guys were going right now?

by ~Mark on Oct 27, 2008 9:08 AM EDT reply actions

Lots of good stats, but the one that really strikes me is that the Caps are scoring two goals more a game when Kozlov is in the lineup. Not conincidentally, they scored one goal in Calgary and Phoenix without him and then six when he returns. His presence solidifes the Ovechkin line (though the stats don't show it), but more importantly his being in the lineup allows the second and third lines to be manned with the right players.

by b.orr4 on Oct 27, 2008 9:10 AM EDT reply actions

To me, the Backstrom "0 even strength points" is the biggest nightmare on the list (though obviously intertwined with any stats on Ovi's slow start), and here's another that might be worse - through eight games, Backstrom doesn't have a single primary assist. WTF?

by JP on Oct 27, 2008 9:17 AM EDT reply actions

Don't sleep on the vodka waters...Throw a lime in there and boom, there you go.

by Hooks Orpik on Oct 27, 2008 9:36 AM EDT reply actions

@ Hooks: On the rare occasions that I drink that potato juice, I'll usually go with a Greyhound (vodka + grapefruit juice) or a Vodka Red Bull. I'll also usually drink too much.

by JP on Oct 27, 2008 9:43 AM EDT reply actions

Looking at all these stats snapshots together indicates a team still mucking around in their own version of spring training. Phooey so far. Bruce? Hello, Bruce?

The most worrisome cog to me is JT60.

--- 42nd-best even strength save percentage in the League, while facing 28th-worst (most) total number of even strength shots. So his team is fairly successful in limiting chances. He is not doing his part.

--- 35th-best against while shorthanded, while facing the 6th-worst (most) PP shots against. Here is team sucks in limiting chances. (And/or in committing infractions.) He is not standing on his head shorthanded.

Joe-Zay worries me the most.

by Spud on Oct 27, 2008 10:01 AM EDT reply actions

While JT's save percentage is 42nd, a quick gander at said stats shows he's higher up on the list than one Cristobal Huet, who is ranked 46th...

Just sayin'.

by Murshawursha on Oct 27, 2008 10:03 AM EDT reply actions

My meaningless stat - Olie has a better save % than our boys and is still without a win.

I feel Jose has shown us enough that he can backstop us back to the playoffs - he is still learning the habiots of an everchanging blueline rotation (Feds on and off that rotation, Tyler Sloan) that is still learning the ropes. He still lets in a softie a game, though, I hope that abates.

by Shaggy on Oct 27, 2008 10:10 AM EDT reply actions

Regarding tomorrow night's Comcast blackout, is it going to be blacked out on Center Ice, too? i thought some teams were opting to lift their blackouts on Center Ice (for some reason, i'm thinking Nashville) when they're blacked out locally. Are the Caps not one of those teams?

by CD on Oct 27, 2008 10:12 AM EDT reply actions

Another stat:

8 games, AO has only scored a goal in 1 of those 8 games.

One game. He's been shut out the other 7 games.

Ouch. On the flip side, Malkin is tearing it up and closing the gap. But he plays with Crosbys line so thats not fair to AO. Which is why BB really needs to put together then AO/Feds/Semin line from the world championships and show the world how its done.

ao/feds/semin
flash/nyles/kozlov
laich/backstrom/clark
brash/(stecks/gordon)/brads

this would be beastly.

by edd on Oct 27, 2008 10:17 AM EDT reply actions

@ CD: My understanding is that tomorrow night's game will not be televised anywhere, period.

by JP on Oct 27, 2008 10:17 AM EDT reply actions

While the stats don't look good, I'm not that concerned about Jose. I think he's played pretty solid since the ATL game. The stat that boggles me is that the Caps PK has given up 3 goals in a game as many times as they've given up no goals (2). On the PK and 5-on-5, I see a trend among teams to go cross-ice weak side. I'm no hockey expert (I do have a loud suit or two), but I think someone is suppose to be covering the far post while the goalie squares to the man with the puck. Between that lapse and D-men handing the puck over in our own end, the team is hardly making it easy for Jose to look decent statistically.

by Brian on Oct 27, 2008 10:20 AM EDT reply actions

Ovechkin is missing tomorrows game and maybe more on a day to day basis according to the Capitals website and Tarik's blog.

by Anonymous on Oct 27, 2008 10:43 AM EDT reply actions

Killer stats! I think they show what we know, except for possibly the Vancouver game, the Caps haven't put together a complete effort. They need to reach some type of equilibrium in order to be successful on a consistent basis. For me, goaltending should be good enough and if offense becomes a problem with our forwards, all is lost. It's the defensive positioning/awareness and our ability, or lack thereof, to clear the zone. It's painful most nights. And b.orr4 is right.

by Lisa on Oct 27, 2008 10:43 AM EDT reply actions

This is Center Ice's schedule for tomorrow, the Caps are not on televised here either, damnit all to hell:

October 28, 2008
Channel Time Title Carrier
NH03 7:30 PM Carolina at Montreal RDS
NH04 7:30 PM Tampa Bay at Toronto TSN
NH05 9:30 PM Colorado at Calgary ALT
NH08 9:30 PM Colorado at Calgary ALT
NH07 10:00 PM Boston at Vancouver NESN
NH06 10:30 PM Pittsburgh at San Jose FSP
NH09 10:30 PM Pittsburgh at San Jose FSP

by Shaggy on Oct 27, 2008 10:44 AM EDT reply actions

I believe tickets are still available, have you tried that?

by cupcrzy on Oct 27, 2008 11:11 AM EDT reply actions

In Canada, a "double vodka with water" means a "double vodka on the rocks". Canadians assume water's normal state is frozen.

I'm glad I could clear that up for you... ;)

by Anonymous on Oct 27, 2008 11:27 AM EDT reply actions

most glaring is the Kozlov gpg difference. Who knew?

by bigonetimer on Oct 27, 2008 4:47 PM EDT reply actions

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