The Hockey News: Sam McCaig's blog: THN.com Blog: Best and worst by the numbers

THN.com Blog: Best and worst by the numbers

Simon Gagne has scored four shorthanded goals early this season. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Sam McCaig
2008-11-15 10:22:00

The San Jose Sharks are 10-0-1 at home, with the only blemish a 4-3 overtime loss to Nashville on Remembrance Day. The Detroit Red Wings, meanwhile, are 8-1-1 on the road, for the best away-from-home record in the league. So what happens when the home-strong Sharks host the road-warrior Red Wings in the playoffs? Oh-so-long overtime games, unlike anything we’ve ever seen before?

We can only hope.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Islanders are the league’s worst with a 2-6-1 home record; the St. Louis Blues, meanwhile, are the lowest of the low at 2-4-1 on the road. In other words, don’t waste any time worrying about what a potential Isles-Blues playoff series might look like.

Ain’t. Gonna. Happen.

It’s not a big surprise to see New Jersey’s power play struggling, as the Devils aren’t exactly loaded with firepower (especially since Patrik Elias decided to stop scoring after the lockout). In their first 16 games, New Jersey had seven power play goals, the fewest in the league, and their 12.1-percent efficiency is ranked 29th, a shade ahead of Columbus’ 12 percent.

It is, however, somewhat shocking to see the Devils pulling in at a lowly 27th in penalty-killing proficiency (74.6 percent; Minnesota leads the NHL with a 93.2-percent kill rate).

With Martin Brodeur on the shelf for three-plus months (elbow), the Devils are without their best penalty killer – and the loss of Brodeur is compounded by the fact New Jersey were also without two of its top defensemen (Paul Martin – who returned to the lineup Friday - and Andy Greene) and a pair of two-way centers (Brian Rolston, Bobby Holik).

Anyone notice the NHL’s leading scorer is a Washington Capitals winger named Alex – but it ain’t Ovechkin? Left winger Alexander Semin, spurred by a five-point night against Carolina this week, is clinging to a slim lead over Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin.

Semin also is running away with the plus/minus, at plus-17 after Friday night. That “other” Alex, Ovechkin, ranks second in the NHL at plus-14. Malkin enters the weekend on a 12-game point streak, the longest hot stretch of the season.

Meanwhile, Nashville’s Shea Weber leads in scoring among defensemen. Weber has seven goals in 15 games to lead all blueliners – and tie for the team lead among Preds players.

ODDS ‘N’ ENDS
Philadelphia’s Simon Gagne leads the NHL with four shorthanded goals in 14 games. No one else had more than two…

Related Links

Looks like San Jose’s Devin Setoguchi has arrived. After 11 goals and 17 points in a 44-game NHL debut last season, the Sharks right winger is second in league in shots and was 10th in scoring with nine goals and 18 points. He’s skating on the first line with Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau; that might change when Jonathan Cheechoo returns from injury…

Finally, someone sent an 18-year-old back to junior. The Blues decided defenseman Alex Pietrangelo would fare better spending another season with the Ontario League’s Niagara Ice Dogs. Another Blues rookie, Patrik Berglund, leads NHL first-year players with a plus-9 rating; pretty impressive, considering St. Louis ranked one point out of dead last in the overall NHL standings…

The top four NHL goaltenders, ranked by goals-against average: Brian Boucher, San Jose (1.49), Tim Thomas, Boston (1.76), Erik Ersberg, Los Angeles (1.94) and Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers (1.99). Washington’s Brent Johnson (2.15) and Ottawa’s Alex Auld (2.18) are also among the top 10…

Thomas and Anderson were tied for the overall lead with a scintillating .946 save percentage; Boucher was trying to keep pace at .940…

Meanwhile, Dallas’s Marty Turco continued to struggle (3.69 GAA), while Calgary’s notoriously slow-starting Miikka Kiprusoff (3.49), Philadelphia’s Martin Biron (3.33) and Detroit’s Chris Osgood (3.31) are also looking to improve their numbers…

Zach Parise, 60-goal scorer? The Devils center had 12 goals in 16 games, right on pace for a Steve Shutt-ian season…

Did you know: Phoenix power forward Shane Doan has played 898 games without recording a hat trick. However, he does have 30 two-goal games to his credit…

In case you were wondering: Marian Hossa is on a 45-goal, 115-point pace in Detroit.

Sam McCaig’s From The Point column appears regularly only on thehockeynews.com. Have a point to make with Sam McCaig? You can reach him at smccaig@thehockeynews.com.

For more great profiles, news and views from the world of hockey, Subscribe to The Hockey News magazine.

COMMENTS (9)

Sort: Oldest | Newest Filter: All | Videos

Audrey Posted
(2009-04-30 07:20:12)

I'm actually really surprised he didnt even talk about Montreal's PP who's now 26th when it was 1st for the past 2 years. The team has been seriously struggling lately, Markov isnt where he should be on the PP, he has to be the passer, not the shooter, and forget about Lang out there because he's the only right winger. Even last year there wasnt any and the Habs had no problems at all. They have to go back to what it was last year because the PP is going no where unfortunately.

Dave C Posted
(2009-04-30 07:20:08)

How about we wait until Holik and Rolston have played 20 or so games and then decide? Could make a huge difference.

hockey frank Posted
(2009-04-30 07:20:06)

Ah yes, The Devils, another year of wondering where their scoring has gone . If you go to the wayback machine, to the 97,98,99 seasons and look at their record in the playoffs, 1rst and 2nd round exits. You start to remember how the fans were calling for a sniper in 2000. Enter # 89 Alex Mogilny, and the persence of Claude Lameux. Wonder of wonders, they win a cup. Lou is still stuck in the pre lock out , before the refs started to call everything under the sun days . That system was great then , but lets face it you need to score goals. You need to address the Elias problem head on. THE GUY HASN'T BEEN WORTH HIS SALARY SINCE SYCORA, AND ARNOTT LEFT. The plain simple truth is when the players are available in the off season, and at the trade deadline that can help The Devils offensive issues, everyone else seems to find a way to make the deal except Lou. You loose 4 top 4 defensemen in the span of 3 years and replace them with who? Andy Green !. Why don't you stop worrying about how pretty your arena looks, and focus on spending some money on the product you put on the ice. Oh and by the way, If you want to beat the NY Rangers, you have to beat Lundquist. If he sees it he stops it. You have to get bodies in front of him, and stop shooting everything at his pads and glove. Over the shoulder boys over the shoulder !

baijiansi Posted
(2009-04-30 07:20:05)

I liked Francis-Lemieux-Jagr back in the 90s... When you finish first, second and fourth in scoring you must be somewhat good on D.

Viqsi Posted
(2009-04-30 07:20:04)

The paradoxical bit on Columbus having the worst power play in the league is that they've also (last I checked) got the most even-strength goals in the league, with something like 43. Go figure.

sjk Posted
(2009-04-30 07:20:02)

Hey bawston - could you imagine, given that Semin comes back in form from his 'undisclosed day-to-day injury', a match up between the Semin-Backstrom-Oveckin line and the Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Hossa line? That'd be something to see! Detroit is going to have a hard time with a few of these Eastern Conference teams this year. I love Detroit, but there seems to be so much more ENERGY in Ovi and in the East in general.

james Posted
(2009-04-30 07:20:02)

erik ersberg definately deserves to be the LA Kings starter. he is the reason they are over .500 right now and holding a 1.94 GAA with a team that is having trouble putting the puck in the net is a good thing. how about a crazy turnaround for the Kings defense also. they lead the league in letting the fewest shots against per game, and there special teams is actually good (penalty killing is great). if they put the puck in the net more often they will be a team to watch out for come playoff time.

bawston dude Posted
(2009-04-30 07:20:00)

Hossa is playing very very well. I didnt think he'd catch on so quickly. What do you guys think of the possible Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Hossa line? I cant think of another line that plays that well on O and D. Thats possibly the NHL's best 2 way line......of ALL-TIME. Seriously think about it. I've racked my brain and i couldnt think of a better 2 way line.

John N Posted
(2009-04-30 07:19:59)

Yes, when IS Patrik Elias going to start taking some heat from someone other than his coach? Larry Brooks of the NYPost started referring to him as "The Player Who Used to be Patrik Elias" a few years ago, and some of us in NJ just refer to him as Asst Captain Ceiling because of how often he looks at the ceiling in disbelief after another one of his shots doesn't find the twine. Like there is some magical force that comes out of nowhere to stop these shots. Part of the problem is that he continues to try to make fancy plays rather than effective plays ... perhaps because he has forgotten that former linemates Sykora and Arnott are not here anymore (are they up on the ceiling?). He doesn't make the players around him better, and he eats up a huge $6m cap hit for the next 3 or 4 years after this one. Good grief!