Ovechkin &....penalties?

by ns on Dec 8, 2008 3:37 PM EST Comment 13 comments

I stumbled upon this (surprising) stat while checking the Caps' leading scorers. So, through 26 games, Ovi has accumulated 32 PIMs, second to only Brashear who has 45 PIMs. His totals are less that our regular boneheads, i.e. Jurcina, Erskine, Morrisonn. Check it:

	Player	Team	Pos	GP	Points	+/-	PIM
1	Donald Brashear	WSH	L	26	3	-2	45
2	Alexander Ovechkin	WSH	L	26	35	10	32
3	John Erskine	WSH	D	19	2	2	29
4	Milan Jurcina	WSH	D	28	6	-3	26
5	David Steckel	WSH	C	25	7	1	22
6	Shaone Morrisonn	WSH	D	22	2	0	20
7	Sergei Fedorov	WSH	C	13	9	6	16
8	Michael Nylander	WSH	C	27	15	0	16
9	Chris Clark	WSH	R	20	3	-5	14
10	Matt Bradley	WSH	R	28	4	1	12

What really surprised me is when I compared Ovi's PIMs to last year:

	Player	Team	Pos	GP	Points	+/-	PIM
1	Donald Brashear	WSH	L	80	8	-7	119
2	John Erskine	WSH	D	51	9	1	96
3	Matt Cooke	WSH	L	78	23	1	91
4	Matt Bradley	WSH	R	77	18	1	74
5	Shaone Morrisonn	WSH	D	76	10	4	63
6	Mike Green	WSH	D	82	56	6	62
7	Alexander Semin	WSH	L	63	42	-18	54
8	Tom Poti	WSH	D	71	29	9	46
9	Chris Clark	WSH	R	18	9	0	43
10	Alexander Ovechkin	WSH	L	82	112	28	40

Quite a difference, no? Through 26 games of the 2008-09 campaign, Ovi is averaging ~1.23 PIMs/game, compared to ~0.488 in 2007-08, and is only 8 PIMs away from his entire total from last year.

I realize Ovi seems a tremendous amount of ice time and plays a very physical game, but does this trouble/surprise/baffle anyone?

If I didn't check the stats I would never have guessed this to be true. Odd.

Ideas? Thoughts?

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Breakdown

16 minor penalties:

4 interference
3 hooking
1 tripping
1 high stick
1 slashing
1 charging
1 closing hand on puck
1 cross check
1 boarding
1 holding
1 goaltender interference

Looks like he’s just trying to get one of each…

by xiix on Dec 8, 2008 4:24 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

Nice.

Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world

by J.P. on Dec 8, 2008 5:30 PM EST up reply actions

This list confirms what my guy was – that Ovechkin’s been taking too many bad penalties this year. At least one of the interference penalties, the charge, the cross check, and the closing the hand on the puck were all stupid frustration penalties – and there might be more I’m not remembering.

I also agree with grapejoos that Ovechkin’s been on the bad end of three or four questionable calls this year. But I think refs are cracking down league-wide, so that might explain some of it.

by David M. Getz on Dec 9, 2008 10:51 AM EST up reply actions

that should be “what my gut was”

by David M. Getz on Dec 9, 2008 10:51 AM EST up reply actions

I think he gets himself in a little trouble when he tries to do too much, which has been the case at times with all the injuries and when he was struggling early on.

I’d look for his rate to come back to something closer to his career rate the rest of the way.

My two cents.

Oh, and nice FanPost, NS – dig it.

Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world

by J.P. on Dec 8, 2008 5:31 PM EST reply actions

the switch to SBN has been pretty sweet so far.

by ns on Dec 9, 2008 1:22 PM EST up reply actions

p.s. thanks

i can’t seem to figure out how to edit or delete a comment

by ns on Dec 9, 2008 1:26 PM EST up reply actions

I don’t think there’s a way to do so currently.

Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world

by J.P. on Dec 9, 2008 1:37 PM EST up reply actions

I must say

While many of Ovie’s penalties are deserved, I have noticed several relatively green refs calling him for touchy penalties this year. I’m not sure if it’s them trying to show they won’t be awed or what, but it’s irritating.

I also wonder if this is a product of his frustration as the quality of the lineup has been depleted. He definitely seems to be looking for contact more in some games, usually when the offense is struggling.

by grapejoos on Dec 8, 2008 6:17 PM EST reply actions

good points. i think the lineup depletion has contributed quite a bit to this, as you noted.

re: looking for more contact – i get a kick out of seeing Ovi tee up somebody for a hit, only for the intended victim pretty much dive out of the way.

by ns on Dec 9, 2008 1:22 PM EST up reply actions

Btw, everyone – you should click on “actions” and then “rec” to reccommend sweet FanShots/Posts like this.

Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world

by J.P. on Dec 9, 2008 1:37 PM EST reply actions

i'm no expert

but could the increase in penalty minutes somehow be associated with his better +/-? like he’s making that genuine effort to get back and this is part of the continual learning process?

/one other thought as i watch the game tonight…i can think of a few penalties this season (hooking/tripping/interference) when he tried to tie up someone going for the shorthanded breakaway…
//thought?

by Yoshietree on Dec 10, 2008 9:20 PM EST reply actions

Love the call the other night

Love the call the other night on the breakaway. I think he slaps the Bruin on the ass with his stick from behind and gets a hooking call.

by hotdog88gt on Dec 12, 2008 4:29 PM EST reply actions

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