If AO is 'Red Jesus,' David Steckel is...

by TylerG on May 5, 2009 11:20 AM EDT

Sometimes it is difficult to detail how important a third-liner is to a playoff team's success. Not when it comes to David Steckel, the Caps' wunder-killer and hard-hat wearer.

In two games against PIT, Steckel is 2-0-2, +2, and has won 21 of 30 faceoffs (70 percent). He has been the Caps' best penalty-killer: In both games Steckel led the Caps in short-handed time-on-ice. Despite killing penalties against the opponent's top power play unit, Steckel rates out as the Capitals' best PK forward in terms of goals-against-per-60-minutes-on-ice (among forwards who kill an average of two or more minutes per game). The only PIT PPG for which Steckel has been on the ice was last night's 6-on-4 goal.

And what about Steckel at 5-on-5? Against the Rangers, Steckel was a bit of an adventure 5-on-5: He was the Caps' top-rated offensive forward in terms of GFON/60 and he was the worst-rated defensive forward in GAON/60. (True: His job is to match up against the opponents' top line.)

But against PIT Steckel has been simply phenomenal 5-on-5: Once again, no Capital forward has been on ice for as many 5-on-5 goals per 60 minutes than has Steckel, not even Alex Ovechkin. Throughout this series Caps coach Bruce Boudreau has matched Steckel up against the Crosby line. Boudreau said after Game Two that Steckel was on ice for all but two of Crosby's EV shifts. No matter: PIT has not scored an EV goal with Stecks on the ice. (As noted above, the only goal PIT has scored with Steckel on the ice was in a 6-on-4 situation.)

I'm not the only one noticing that Steckel has been the Caps' second-best forward in this series: Boudreau played Stecks for 19:11 in Game One and for 16:31 in Game Two.

Ovechkin and Simeon Varlamov are getting the headlines, but the Caps wouldn't have won either of the series' first two games without Steckel.

If this FanPost is written by someone other than one of the blog's editors, the opinions expressed in it do not necessarily reflect those of this blog or SB Nation.

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They got out of last round due to secondary scoring, and it’s looking to be the difference maker here.

by Ovechwin on May 5, 2009 11:23 AM EDT reply actions

Stecks’ scoring is nice, but his defense is fantastic and imperative.

Modern Art Notes

by TylerG on May 5, 2009 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions

Third line center baby. Third line center.

We've got a goalie who's playing pretty good right now, while you've got one who can't get onto the ice without falling on his ass.

by Bald Pollack on May 5, 2009 11:30 AM EDT reply actions

This was a big question in my mind coming into the playoffs. I thought of the Caps’ centers as:

19 – a great first line center,
91 – a pretty good second line center,
39 and 15 – two fourth line centers, but Steckel had potential to be more; and
92 – a fifth wheel

It’s been great to see Steckel step up. And Stex’s emergence has made it much easier for Boudreau to bench Nylander. This team is much stronger as it is right now. It’ll be interesting to see how Fehr’s absence is dealt with.

by Gould Old Days on May 5, 2009 1:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Red Peter? or Red Luke?

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on May 5, 2009 12:00 PM EDT reply actions

Well, he can’t be David because Goliath was both bigger than David and less whiny than Crosby….

Modern Art Notes

by TylerG on May 5, 2009 12:09 PM EDT up reply actions

by Gould Old Days on May 5, 2009 1:01 PM EDT reply actions

I’d rather Ovie not be Red Jesus. Yeah, he was the savior and all, but look what had to happen to him. I’d like Ovie safely in one piece and preferably with no holes in his hands and feet.

How about Red Jason instead? He and his band of Argonauts are searching for a silver chalice instead of a golden fleece. Of course, he did end up getting crushed by the rotting stern of his boat, the Argo. Maybe in this metaphor, Ovie dies in his old age by getting crushed by the rusting conditioner of an old Zamboni?

by D'ohboy on May 5, 2009 1:50 PM EDT reply actions

If he’s Jason, is Crosby Oedipus?

I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.

by Whiter Mage on May 6, 2009 2:22 AM EDT up reply actions

He does make me want to put my eyes out. . .

Maybe Mario is really his father and. . . I shouldn’t go there.

by D'ohboy on May 6, 2009 7:35 AM EDT up reply actions

Uh, Jason’s story doesn’t have much of a happy ending either…

by Gould Old Days on May 6, 2009 5:34 AM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, but all the bad stuff (or most of it anyways) happens after he successfully gets the Fleece. Whereas, in the other case, death is the “crux” of the story.

by D'ohboy on May 6, 2009 7:34 AM EDT up reply actions

Let’s just say OV is Red Jason Voorhees, who dismantles opponents like singled out teenagers, and can never die. I have no clever solution as to who the rest of the caps would be, though…

by Love and Osechkin on May 6, 2009 2:17 PM EDT up reply actions

Good write-up, Tyler, Stecks has been fantastic. Well Stecks has some OSU pride, so how about Deadeye Buckeye?

by frets on May 6, 2009 9:06 AM EDT reply actions

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