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The Noon Number

By J.P. Updated
WASHINGTON DC - FEBRUARY 25: Alex Ovechkin #8 sits in the goal of the New York Rangers after missing a shot on goal at the Verizon Center on February 25 2011 in Washington DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON DC - FEBRUARY 25: Alex Ovechkin #8 sits in the goal of the New York Rangers after missing a shot on goal at the Verizon Center on February 25 2011 in Washington DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Getty Images

.18 - Alex Ovechkin's first period points-per-game in 2010-11, down from .46 in 2009-10 and .40 in his career prior to this season. A quick look at Ovechkin's per-period point totals over three different time periods:


 1st Period 2nd Period 3rd Period
Career through 2009-10
 .40
 .44
 .47
2009-10
 .46 .53
 .50
2010-11
 .18 .41
 .42

Put another way, if Ovechkin was scoring this season at his career rates prior to this campaign, he'd have just under six more points combined in second and third periods (or one every 12.5 games)... and just under 17 more first period points (or one every 4.3 games). Ovechkin's slow starts go a long way towards explaining how the Caps are 29th in the League in first-period scoring, and may help to explain the team's slow-to-get-going power-play.

All stats derived from Yahoo! situational stats. All per-period stats are totals for those periods divided by games played, which is imperfect since there have been games that Ovechkin started but did not finish.