Monday Roundup
by J.P. on Nov 3, 2008 6:08 AM EST
1 comment
Alright, it's time for Silver Lining Monday*, which today features the penalty kill. The Caps PK got off to a rough start, allowing seven goals against in its first 24 times shorthanded (70.8% effective), but has gone 31-for-36 (86.1%) since to raise the efficiency to a nice, round 80% on the season, which is still not great (it would have ranked 26th in the League last season), but it's certainly a significant step in the right direction.
Unfortunately, as the PK has gotten better, the power play has gotten worse, as shown below:
But as this is Silver Lining Monday, we're going to focus on the PK. What has been driving the improved kill efficiency? Well, statistically, it's hard to say - the amount of time shorthanded doesn't seem to be much of a factor, and neither do the total number of shots against or the per game average shots against per minute (I won't bore you with those charts, but note that since the PK started this turn around in Game 5, the Caps have had three games in which they've been shorthanded for more than 13 minutes - not good). But one major driver seems to be the goaltending (which likely includes the defense limiting quality chances against):
As you can see, GAA is down, SV% is up. Granted, both stats had plenty of room for improvement after that rocky start, but they have, indeed improved. In fact, heading into last night's game, the Caps were 17th in the League in four-on-five save percentage - plenty of room for improvement, to be sure, but far better than their rank in overall save percentage, a woeful 27th prior to last night (Colorado, Nashville and Dallas were worse).
Now, it may not seem like a great revelation to attribute a better PK to better goaltending, and indeed, it's no great epiphany. But given that the team isn't cutting down on the penalties it's taking and isn't limiting the shots against on the kill, it's good to know that the last line of defense is holding up its end of the bargain... shorthanded, at least.
* Just because it's Silver Lining Monday doesn't mean you can't piss and moan in the comments.
Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:
The way the "Semin disses Crosby" quote has been covered is beyond annoying on so many levels. First of all, the mainstream media's attribution of credit for the quote is shameful, but unsurprising (recall their coverage of the Ovechkin Hart t-shirt story). Secondly, I must have mis-read the quote, because I don't recall Semin saying he was better than Crosby, and yet I see comparison's between the career accomplishments of the two everywhere, as if the only people who can criticize a player are those who are more skilled than the subject of their criticism. Finally, how big a stiffy did Don Cherry get (sorry for the visual) when he saw that a Russian claimed that an American is better than a Canadian? If a Swede had agreed, Cherry would have spontaneously combusted.... The Bears rookie line of Oskar Osala and "two Frenchies" was pretty awesome in the third period yesterday (and for a couple more prospect notes, head over to TRS).
0 recs |
1 comment
More from Japers' Rink
Capital Ups and Downs: Week 19
Feb 2010 by J.P. - 325 comments
Recap: Caps 5, Penguins 4 (OT)
Feb 2010 by David M. Getz - 840 comments
Recap: Caps 5, Thrashers 2
Feb 2010 by J.P. - 252 comments
Capitals: Now Breaking the Hearts of Rival Teams' Fans Everywhere
Feb 2010 by Stephen Pepper - 79 comments
Tuesday Caps Clips: Caps @ Bruins Game Day
Feb 2010 by J.P. - 883 comments
Around SB Nation
Penner Continues To Carry Edmonton
Feb 2010 from The Copper & Blue - 0 comments
Don't Wizz On The Electric Fence: Canucks-Lightning Preview
Feb 2010 from Nucks Misconduct - 25 comments
Recap: Ovechkin, Caps rally back, drop Pens 5-4 in OT
Feb 2010 from PensBurgh - 130 comments
Early morning links: Snow in DC, Crosby the Coverboy and remembering Brendan Burke
Feb 2010 from PensBurgh - 5 comments
After a long layoff, Pittsburgh's outgunned by the Habs 5-3
Feb 2010 from PensBurgh - 14 comments
Read More: don cherry, goalies, stats, Francois Bouchard (RW - WAS), Sidney Crosby (C - PIT), Alexander Semin (LW - WAS), Mathieu Perreault (C - WAS), Oskar Osala (LW - WAS), Washington Capitals
Comments
-The Caps are second league-wide in total number of times shorthanded
-First league-wide in average number of times shorthanded per game (6 per game)
-Second in the league in the total number of times shorthanded on the road
-First in the league in the average number of times shorthanded on the road (6.6 per game)
Ironically, at home the Caps are much more constrained, ranking 21st.
Penalties are often the result of a lack of discipline and usually that points directly at the coach. I love Bruce, but he's not been doing a very good job of coaching so far this season. Players who continually make the same mistakes need to feel his wrath, but sometimes it seems like Bruce identifies too much with the players. Maybe Sunday's bag skate will restore some sense of who's in charge and bring some much needed discipline back to the team.
by b.orr4 on Nov 3, 2008 9:13 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
Search
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Japers' Rink
Top 10 NHL leaders in percentage of team’s PP played.
by CP2Devil about 1 month ago
12 comments | 3 recs
Related FanShots on Japers' Rink
by Natty Bumppo about 3 hours ago 1 comment | 0 recs
Semin's high stick penalty on Gonchar, also Laich's rib tickler on Crosby 07 February 2010
by renhoak about 13 hours ago 5 comments | 1 rec
Caps' "Trade Deadline Playbook"
by sixsevenfiftysix 14 days ago 5 comments | 0 recs
Coach's Corner 1/23. Around 6:20, witness Grapes' thoughts on the Bradley-Ovechkin-Downie fight,...
by Bald Pollack 15 days ago 1 comment | 0 recs
"I respect [Sidney Crosby] like a player, like a person, but when I step...
by David M. Getz 19 days ago 42 comments | 0 recs
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
Recent Posts
- A Speed Bump Ahead On the Historic Road?
- Tuesday Caps Clips: Caps/Pens Aftermath, Day 2
- When Caps Goalies Get Red Hot
- Capital Ups and Downs: Week 19
- Monday Caps Clips: Make That Fourteen
- Recap: Caps 5, Penguins 4 (OT)
- Recap: Caps 5, Thrashers 2
- Capitals: Now Breaking the Hearts of Rival Teams' Fans Everywhere
- Friday Caps Clips: A Somewhat Dirty Dozen; Thrashers @ Caps Game Day
- Recap: Caps 6, Rangers 5
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recent FanShots
by Capsfan07 about 1 hour ago 0 comments | 0 recs
by Natty Bumppo about 3 hours ago 1 comment | 0 recs
Ted's on NHL Live right now apparently?
by Icebat about 3 hours ago 7 comments | 0 recs
by renhoak about 7 hours ago 0 comments | 0 recs
by renhoak about 7 hours ago 10 comments | 2 recs
Semin's high stick penalty on Gonchar, also Laich's rib tickler on Crosby 07 February 2010
by renhoak about 13 hours ago 5 comments | 1 rec
Jeff Schultz's Phantom Slash versus Penguins 07 February 2010
by renhoak about 13 hours ago 8 comments | 1 rec
by Your Nation's Capital about 14 hours ago 0 comments | 0 recs
OT Hockey 2/8
by Fehr and Balanced about 20 hours ago 18 comments | 0 recs
Puck Time | For Those Close to Kettler Or Able to Make It There
by UnleashFurry about 23 hours ago 0 comments | 0 recs
Southeast Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Washington
Japers' Rink
|
59 | 41 | 12 | 6 | 88 |
Tampa Bay
Raw Charge
|
57 | 25 | 21 | 11 | 61 |
Atlanta
Bird Watchers Anonymous
|
57 | 25 | 24 | 8 | 58 |
Florida
Litter Box Cats
|
58 | 24 | 25 | 9 | 57 |
Carolina
Canes Country
|
58 | 21 | 30 | 7 | 49 |
(updated 2.9.2010 at 9:00 AM EST)
More great SB Nation Blogs
Baseball
AL West
- Halos Heaven - Angels
- Athletics Nation - Athletics
- Lookout Landing - Mariners
- Lone Star Ball - Rangers
AL Central
- Let's Go Tribe! - Indians
- Royals Review - Royals
- Bless You Boys - Tigers
- Twinkie Town - Twins
- South Side Sox - White Sox
AL East
- Bluebird Banter - Blue Jays
- Camden Chat - Orioles
- DRaysBay - Rays
- Over the Monster - Red Sox
- Pinstripe Alley - Yankees
NL West
- AZ Snakepit - Diamondbacks
- True Blue LA - Dodgers
- McCovey Chronicles - Giants
- Gaslamp Ball - Padres
- Purple Row - Rockies
NL Central
- The Crawfish Boxes - Astros
- Brew Crew Ball - Brewers
- Viva El Birdos - Cardinals
- Bleed Cubbie Blue - Cubs
- Bucs Dugout - Pirates
- Red Reporter - Reds
NL East
- Talking Chop - Braves
- FishStripes - Marlins
- Amazin' Avenue - Mets
- Federal Baseball - Nationals
- The Good Phight - Phillies
General Baseball
Football
NFC North
- Windy City Gridiron - Bears
- Pride Of Detroit - Lions
- Acme Packing Company - Packers
- Daily Norseman - Vikings
NFC South
- Buc 'Em - Buccaneers
- The Falcoholic - Falcons
- Cat Scratch Reader - Panthers
- Canal Street Chronicles - Saints
NFC East
- Blogging The Boys - Cowboys
- Bleeding Green Nation - Eagles
- Big Blue View - Giants
- Hogs Haven - Redskins
NFC West
- Niners Nation - 49ers
- Revenge Of The Birds - Cardinals
- Turf Show Times - Rams
- Field Gulls - Seahawks
AFC North
- Cincy Jungle - Bengals
- Dawgs By Nature - Browns
- Baltimore Beatdown - Ravens
- Behind the Steel Curtain - Steelers
AFC South
- Stampede Blue - Colts
- Big Cat Country - Jaguars
- Battle Red Blog - Texans
- Music City Miracles - Titans
AFC East
- Buffalo Rumblings - Bills
- The Phinsider - Dolphins
- Gang Green Nation - Jets
- Pats Pulpit - Patriots
AFC West
- Mile High Report - Broncos
- Bolts From The Blue - Chargers
- Arrowhead Pride - Chiefs
- Silver And Black Pride - Raiders
General Football
Basketball
Eastern Conference
- Liberty Ballers - 76ers
- Rufus on Fire - Bobcats
- Brew Hoop - Bucks
- Blog a Bull - Bulls
- Fear The Sword - Cavaliers
- CelticsBlog - Celtics
- Peachtree Hoops - Hawks
- Peninsula is Mightier - Heat
- Posting and Toasting - Knicks
- Orlando Pinstriped Post - Magic
- Indy Cornrows - Pacers
- Detroit Bad Boys - Pistons
- Raptors HQ - Raptors
- Bullets Forever - Wizards
Western Conference
- Clips Nation - Clippers
- Straight Outta Vancouver - Grizzlies
- At The Hive - Hornets
- SLC Dunk - Jazz
- Sactown Royalty - Kings
- Silver Screen and Roll - Lakers
- Mavs Moneyball - Mavericks
- Denver Stiffs - Nuggets
- The Dream Shake - Rockets
- Pounding The Rock - Spurs
- Bright Side Of The Sun - Suns
- Welcome to Loud City - Thunder
- Canis Hoopus - Timberwolves
- Blazersedge - Trail Blazers
- Golden State Of Mind - Warriors
General
College
ACC
- Blogger So Dear - Wake Forest
- BC Interruption - Boston College
- Gobbler Country - Virginia Tech
- The 7th Floor - Miami
- Tomahawk Nation - Florida St.
- Carolina March - North Carolina
- Testudo Times - Maryland
- Shakin The Southland - Clemson
- Backing The Pack - N.C. State
- From The Rumble Seat - Georgia Tech
Big 12
- Big 12 Hoops
- I Am The 12th Man - Texas A&M
- The Ralphie Report - Colorado
- Corn Nation - Nebraska
- Clone Chronicles - Iowa St.
- Rock Chalk Talk - Kansas
- Burnt Orange Nation - Texas
- Double-T Nation - Texas Tech
- Crimson And Cream Machine - Oklahoma
- Rock M Nation - Missouri
- Bring On The Cats - Kansas St.
Big East
- Card Chronicle - Louisville
- Rakes Of Mallow - Notre Dame
- Casual Hoya - Georgetown
- The UConn Blog - Connecticut
- The Smoking Musket - West Virginia
- Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician - Syracuse
- Gonzo Ball - Seton Hall
- Protect R Turf - Rutgers
Big 10
- The Rivalry, Esq.
- Bucky's 5th Quarter - Wisconsin
- Hammer and Rails - Purdue
- The Buckeye Battle Cry - Ohio St.
- Hail to the Orange - Illinois
- The Daily Gopher - Minnesota
- Black Heart Gold Pants - Iowa
- The Crimson Quarry - Indiana
- Black Shoe Diaries - Penn St.
- The Only Colors - Michigan St.
- Sippin' On Purple - Northwestern
- Maize n Brew - Michigan
PAC 10
- Building The Dam - Oregon St.
- Bruins Nation - UCLA
- CougCenter - Washington St.
- Addicted To Quack - Oregon
- California Golden Blogs - California
- UW Dawg Pound - Washington
- House Of Sparky - Arizona St.
- Conquest Chronicles - USC
- Arizona Desert Swarm - Arizona
SEC
- Team Speed Kills
- For Whom the Cowbell Tolls - Mississippi St.
- Dawg Sports - Georgia
- Anchor Of Gold - Vanderbilt
- Roll 'Bama Roll - Alabama
- Garnet And Black Attack - South Carolina
- Alligator Army - Florida
- Arkansas Expats - Arkansas
- Red Cup Rebellion - Mississippi
- Track Em Tigers - Auburn
- And The Valley Shook - LSU
- Rocky Top Talk - Tennessee
- A Sea Of Blue - Kentucky
Mountain West
- Mountain West Connection
- Vanquish The Foe - BYU
- Block U - Utah
Independent
General CFB
General CBB
Mid-American
- Red And Black Attack - Northern Illinois
West Coast
- The Slipper Still Fits - Gonzaga
Western Athletic
- One Bronco Nation Under God - Boise St.
Hockey
Eastern - Atlantic
- In Lou We Trust - Devils
- Broad Street Hockey - Flyers
- Lighthouse Hockey - Islanders
- PensBurgh - Penguins
- Blueshirt Banter - Rangers
Eastern - Northeast
- Stanley Cup of Chowder - Bruins
- Habs Eyes On The Prize - Canadiens
- Pension Plan Puppets - Maple Leafs
- Die By The Blade - Sabres
- Silver Seven - Senators
Eastern - Southeast
- Japers' Rink - Capitals
- Canes Country - Hurricanes
- Raw Charge - Lightning
- Litter Box Cats - Panthers
- Bird Watchers Anonymous - Thrashers
Western - Northwest
- Mile High Hockey - Avalanche
- Nucks Misconduct - Canucks
- Matchsticks and Gasoline - Flames
- The Copper & Blue - Oilers
- Hockey Wilderness - Wild
Western - Central
- Second City Hockey - Blackhawks
- The Cannon - Blue Jackets
- St. Louis Game Time - Blues
- On the Forecheck - Predators
- Winging It In Motown - Red Wings
Western - Pacific
- Battle of California
- Five For Howling - Coyotes
- Anaheim Calling - Ducks
- Jewels From The Crown - Kings
- Fear The Fin - Sharks
- Defending Big D - Stars
General
Soccer
Combat Sports
Mixed Martial Arts
- Head Kick Legend
- MMA Mania
- Watch Kalib Run
- MMA For Real
- Cageside Seats
- Gals Guide To MMA
- Bloody Elbow
Boxing
Golf
General
Auto Racing
Cycling
Fantasy Sports
Fitness
Miscellaneous
- Inhistoric
- Required Elements
- Uncommon Sportsman
- Front Office Fans
- Blog Huddle
- And Down The Stretch They Come
Tennis
Best of The Rink
Latest Puck Daddy - NHL from Yahoo! Sports
- Puck Daddy chats with Brandon Yip about life as a rookie, his first NHL game, Colorado’s success this season and the upcoming Olympics
- Puck Headlines: Getzlaf ankle worry; Quick's Olympic mask
- Versus: 'Not optimistic' DirecTV deal in place by playoffs
- Fight Video: Jody Shelley's right hand defeats Orr
- Monday's Three Stars: Lombardi, Stewart with career nights




















