The Noon Number

by J.P. on Feb 9, 2012 12:00 PM EST in The Noon Number

7 - Caps' high-water mark for the season in terms of wins-minus-regulation-losses. The previous seven times they hit that mark, they lost the next game, but will try again tonight, at home against Winnipeg. The previous seven attempts, and the results:

Record	Result
7-0-0	2-1 loss at Edmonton
9-2-0	5-3 loss at N.Y. Islanders
24-17-2	3-0 loss vs. N.Y. Islanders
25-18-2	3-0 loss at Carolina
26-19-3	4-3 OT loss at Tampa Bay
26-19-4	4-2 loss at Florida
27-20-4	4-1 loss to Boston
28-21-4	???

(H/t brooksengr)

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Aside from Boston I don’t see one game that you’d expect a team to get up for. And Boston was coming off embarrassing losses so you know they were going to be motivated.

Please, call me F&B.

by Rob Parker on Feb 9, 2012 12:04 PM EST reply actions

Alzner?

by RossingtonCollins on Feb 9, 2012 12:15 PM EST up reply actions

Profit.

Capitals goal scored by #22, Mike...

by KNUUUUUUUUUUBLE on Feb 9, 2012 12:06 PM EST reply actions

28-21-4 ???

Profit.

Capitals goal scored by #22, Mike...

by KNUUUUUUUUUUBLE on Feb 9, 2012 12:07 PM EST up reply actions

Hey if BB was still the coach – and the forward line lottery was still in full effect, he might take this as an idea for a new second line. Erskine as a RW – now that would be fun

by Goody2shoes on Feb 9, 2012 12:48 PM EST up reply actions

Subject line.

"My favorite fan base in D.C. Is United's. Period. The end." - Steinberg

Winning trophies on your home field? DC United's done that. Twice. Help Keep United in DC so they can receive a fair deal on a lease and help develop a path to build a stadium with local investment and incentives.

by Bald Pollack on Feb 9, 2012 1:26 PM EST up reply actions

By way of comparison, in 2009-2010 the Caps were as low as +7 in WMRL after Game 17 (10-3-4). They were never that low again in the regular season.

If you've read this far...seek help.

by ThePeerless on Feb 9, 2012 12:31 PM EST reply actions

___

Related, here’s the “Games Over .500” for the previous four seasons prior to this one:

And here’s this year:

Source. Also, I don’t consider 28-21-4 to be seven games over .500, I consider it to be three games over .500, but that’s neither here nor there (though it did make the wording of this post incredibly awkward).

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

by J.P. on Feb 9, 2012 12:54 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

___

Here’s another look at this season, sent to me from the future:

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

by J.P. on Feb 9, 2012 1:03 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs

cold…

If you've read this far...seek help.

by ThePeerless on Feb 9, 2012 1:05 PM EST up reply actions

The flat line represents 0-0-0 in the playoffs, right?

Please, call me F&B.

by Rob Parker on Feb 9, 2012 1:09 PM EST up reply actions

...

Capitals goal scored by #22, Mike...

by KNUUUUUUUUUUBLE on Feb 9, 2012 1:22 PM EST up reply actions

Oh you’ve got to be kidding me.

Capitals goal scored by #22, Mike...

by KNUUUUUUUUUUBLE on Feb 9, 2012 1:22 PM EST up reply actions

I’m not generally a fan of the “.500” based measure, since that isn’t how the league ranks teams (that’s how teams that rank by wins and losses do it). The Caps are plugging along at a 1.13 PPG pace. I look at that one more than the .500-based measures.

If you've read this far...seek help.

by ThePeerless on Feb 9, 2012 1:05 PM EST up reply actions

I think both are useful. Obviously the points percentage is most important, but there’s something to be said for actually winning games coughFloridacough.

Then again, the difference between a one-goal win and a one-goal loss is essentially luck, so “clear wins” also add some context.

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

by J.P. on Feb 9, 2012 1:09 PM EST up reply actions

there’s something to be said for actually winning games

I see your point, but w/r/t making the playoffs, it’s not the team with more Ws that gets in, its’ the team with more points.

Eat, drink, and be merry! And then drink some more.

by SmallZ827 on Feb 9, 2012 1:12 PM EST up reply actions

No question.

To be perfectly honest, I saw this number, thought it mildly interesting, and mailed in a Nooner – they can’t all be gold.

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

by J.P. on Feb 9, 2012 1:14 PM EST up reply actions

I think the visual with the multiple graphs really puts into stark relief the step backward this franchise has taken compared to the previous four years, and that’s where I think the WMRL has its best use.

If you've read this far...seek help.

by ThePeerless on Feb 9, 2012 1:24 PM EST up reply actions

I’m not bashing the number, don’t get me wrong, because especially with as few OTLs as the Capitals have (comparatively) it says to me that they are on the cusp of getting over the standings hump (at least as well as they have done this season). I’m just saying that, after game 82, it doesn’t really matter whether the 2 points came from one win or two losses, it counts the same. (Except insofar as it means that you didn’t get a W in the game where you got the second OTL, but that’s neither here, there, or anywhere, really.)

I just bristle whenever “winning percentage” pops up because Locker (among others, sure) abuses it so much. Florida’s four games under, not seven games over. Locker’s usage makes sense in a time where the third number is a tie, maybe. (Even then, though, I don’t like it. “Winning percentage” is the “percentage of the games you have won,” presumably.)

Eat, drink, and be merry! And then drink some more.

by SmallZ827 on Feb 9, 2012 2:17 PM EST up reply actions

The thing about the number is that every time they reach it, they have a lower points percentage than the last time they did. The points count, and a 0.500 pulls your average down less than a 0, but the 0.500 pulls your average down all the same. Wins are the only thing to push it upward.

by brooksengr on Feb 9, 2012 8:55 PM EST up reply actions

Ouch. Damning with faint praise a bit, there.

by brooksengr on Feb 9, 2012 9:05 PM EST up reply actions

I think it could be a nightmare for us if we make the playoffs.With the cap space that we don’t have. GMGM has made too many bad moves and look at the mess he has us in.Even if we get Backstrom and Green back it still doesn’t help the 3rd and 4th line that much.If the Caps can keep at least 3 out of the big 4 and with the drafrt picks that we have in this years draft the future still looks good.I’ve been waiting since 84 to see them win the Cup and thats all I want before I die.

by Caps Fan since 84 on Feb 9, 2012 3:02 PM EST up reply actions

I’ve been waiting since 84 to see them win the Cup and thats all I want before I die.

I know that club. It’s called “Everyone I Know,” and the annual meeting is at the bar on or about May 1.

"My favorite fan base in D.C. Is United's. Period. The end." - Steinberg

by Bald Pollack on Feb 9, 2012 5:51 PM EST up reply actions

Right. This ain’t baseball. The winning percentage metric is much more useful if you have Ws and Ls and nothing else.

Eat, drink, and be merry! And then drink some more.

by SmallZ827 on Feb 9, 2012 1:10 PM EST up reply actions

Finally, a quality reverse jinx noon number.
Book the W tonight.

It isn’t even anger-inducing. It does not seem to be worth that kind of emotional investment. It might not even be disappointing any more. It is expected.

-Peerless 5.6.2011

by macvechkin on Feb 9, 2012 1:03 PM EST reply actions

Hey, I’m tryin’. I thought this was a fairly optimistic number – for all the struggles this year, all the ups and downs, they have a chance tonight to reach a high-water mark on the season. That’s something.

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

by J.P. on Feb 9, 2012 1:04 PM EST up reply actions