The Noon Number: A (lot of) Time to Kill

-41:00 - Difference between the amount of time the Caps have spent on the power play and the time they’ve spent on the penalty kill, most in the Eastern Conference.

Now, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing - having a power play that uses the full two minutes every time out is, by definition, ineffective, while a penalty kill that doesn’t ordinarily last two minutes would be similarly suboptimal, and a combination of the two would lead to a positive differential if both units had the same number of opportunities. And the Caps currently rank fifth and 19th in power play and penalty kill efficiency, respectively.

But... the Caps’ minus-23 differential between power play opportunities and times shorthanded is the most in the East (Anaheim’s minus-58 is the most in the League), and seventh-most overall. (As points of reference, Carolina’s plus-49 tops the circuit, with Philly in second at plus-37.)

Bottom line? The Caps have a very good power play and a mediocre penalty kill but, as a result of the discrepancy between the penalties they’ve drawn and taken, are dead even in special teams goal differential, with 48 goals scored on the power play and 48 allowed on the kill. Change the penalty differential, change your fortunes, Caps.