Holding Tempo: Eight mid-season totals that set the stage for uncommon statistical feats

In addition to the apparent – that every one had been NHL defensemen – Bobby Orr, Denis Potvin, Paul Coffey, Al MacInnis and Brian Leetch have a couple of issues in widespread. All received the Norris Trophy. All had been end-of-season all-stars. All have a Stanley Cup on their resume. All 5 are additionally within the Corridor of Fame. However there additionally occurs to be a uncommon statistical accomplishment that hyperlinks the quintet of all-time nice defenders: they’re the one blueliners in NHL historical past who’ve recorded 100-point campaigns.
Now, we’re not bringing this up as some kind of obscure reality of the day. There’s extra to it than that. You see, when Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson stepped out on the ice in opposition to the Ottawa Senators Tuesday evening, he had recorded 52 factors in 43 video games. When he left the ice having posted two assists within the Capitals’ 6-1 blasting of the Senators, his stat line learn 54 factors in 44 outings. And that’s necessary why? Nicely, do some fast math and it seems that Carlson, who at present leads all NHL defensemen in scoring by 9 factors, finds himself again on tempo to achieve the 100-point plateau.
After all, discuss of Carlson’s scoring tempo is well-trod floor round these elements. We’ve dissected Carlson’s manufacturing, written about his potential to win the Norris Trophy and spoken to his teammates about the way in which he’s carried out this season. However Carlson scoring on the clip he was earlier within the season, again when a couple of huge video games made it seem as if he was about to problem the all-time scoring report for blueliners, was one factor. That we’re now previous the halfway level of the marketing campaign and he finds himself as soon as once more in line to hit the century mark is one other. And given we’re within the again half of the season, it’s about time we begin questioning if Carlson has a authentic shot on the mark.
That mentioned, pressured to place cash down on it at present, we’d seemingly guess in opposition to it. And hey, that’s not as a result of we don’t need to see Carlson turn out to be the primary defenseman since Leetch’s 102-point season in 1991-92 to place up a three-digit level whole. Relatively, it’s the truth that he’s solely barely sustaining his 100-point tempo and this stuff are likely to taper off as we get deeper into the season.
Even when Carlson fails to achieve 100 factors, although, there are nonetheless some marks he’ll be chasing down, ones that, whereas not as monumental, are each bit as spectacular. To wit, if he reaches 84 factors, it’ll be the single-highest scoring season by a defenseman within the post-lockout period. If Carlson reaches 90 factors, he’ll be the primary defenseman to hit that plateau for the reason that 1993-94 marketing campaign when Ray Bourque led all blueliners with 91 factors. And a 95-point end would give Carlson the fourth-highest single-season level whole by a defender prior to now three many years. All of these are outstanding in their very own proper.
However Carlson’s level whole isn’t the one on-pace quantity value noting as we embark on the second half of the NHL marketing campaign. Listed below are seven different on-pace totals value keeping track of the remainder of the way in which:
David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins – On Tempo For: 60 goalsThere was a time the place 60-goal seasons weren’t that unusual. Between 1980-81 and 1995-96, there have been 29 cases of a participant scoring 60 or extra objectives in a single marketing campaign. Not frequent sufficient to name it a simple milestone to achieve, however not rare sufficient that it appeared so unfathomable participant would attain the mark in any given yr. Now, although? Now a 60-goal season has turn out to be hockey’s model of a lunar eclipse. It occurs, however it’s uncommon sufficient that it’s particular whenever you see it.
And it simply so occurs we may even see one this season. Although he’s solely simply on tempo to achieve the plateau, David Pastrnak’s 32 objectives by 44 video games places him at a good 60-goal clip. Solely Steven Stamkos (2011-12) and Alex Ovechkin (2007-08) have managed the feat within the post-lockout period. Serving to Pastrnak, little doubt, has been his energy play efficiency. He’s on tempo to attain 28 energy play objectives, essentially the most in a single season since Mario Lemieux’s 31 in 1995-96.
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers – On Tempo For: 126 pointsOK, so, let’s get this half out of the way in which: technically, if McDavid is ready to keep his present scoring tempo, it received’t even be the best scoring season prior to now two campaigns. That honor would nonetheless belong to Nikita Kucherov, who set the post-lockout period report with a 128-point marketing campaign in 2018-19. However does anybody for a second doubt McDavid’s means to not solely keep this tempo however improve it earlier than season’s finish? Anybody? In any respect?
There may be not one other single offensive expertise who is sort of as dynamic as McDavid and he has potential to have a multi-point recreation on any given evening. Because it stands, McDavid is already properly on his technique to capturing his third Artwork Ross Trophy in 4 seasons and he’ll be a digital shoo-in to be named a Hart Trophy finalist whether or not the Oilers make the post-season or not.
Even when McDavid falls wanting surpassing Kucherov and “solely” finishes with 126 factors, will probably be the second-highest scoring season within the post-lockout period.
Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche – On Tempo For: 66 pointsThe Calder Trophy is mainly a one-horse race at this level, and that’s even after you think about that Makar has missed eight video games this season. Proper now, Makar – who, for the unaware, is a defenseman – is three factors off the rookie scoring lead, two factors away from the next-highest scoring freshman blueliner and finds himself on tempo for 19 objectives and 66 factors. That’s vital for a couple of causes.
First, it could make Makar solely the 10th rookie defenseman in NHL historical past to eclipse the 60-point plateau. Second, it could make him one in all solely 13 defenders to attain greater than 15 objectives of their rookie season. And most significantly, it could tie Makar for the fourth-most factors by a rookie defenseman in NHL historical past. Solely Leetch, Phil Housley, Gary Suter and Larry Murphy had increased totals of their first season.
If it wasn’t for these missed video games, the Calder race wouldn’t even be a dialog. Heck, it may not even be one proper now.
Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets – On Tempo For: 30 goalsWerenski has been white sizzling in latest weeks. Matter of reality, there may not be one other rearguard within the NHL who has had a greater eight days than Werenski. Think about: on Dec. 31, Werenski celebrated the final day of the last decade with a hat trick in opposition to the Florida Panthers, adopted that up with a two-goal recreation two video games later in opposition to the San Jose Sharks after which punctuated one heck of a run with one other two-goal effort Tuesday in opposition to the Anaheim Geese. That’s eight objectives in eight days.
With that in thoughts, perhaps stating Werenski’s 30-goal tempo is a bit deceptive. In spite of everything, previous to this week, he had seven tallies in 32 video games. That works out to an 18-goal tempo. Not fairly the identical factor. However, hey, his on-pace quantity is his on-pace quantity, and Werenski’s latest flurry of lamp lighting stands to place him in uncommon firm. Solely 9 defensemen in NHL historical past have scored 30 objectives in a single season, and just one within the post-lockout period (Mike Inexperienced, 2008-09).
Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets – On Tempo For: 2,100 pictures againstThe trickle-down impact of the Jets’ patchwork protection, which itself is the results of low season departures and the surprising absence of Dustin Byfuglien, is that Hellebuyck has needed to be a workhorse for Winnipeg. At a time when goaltenders are being given extra relaxation and second-stringers usually tackle extra duty, the alternative has been true for the Jets, who’ve trotted Hellebuyck out to start out 34 of their 43 video games, and he’s appeared in one other two outings alongside the way in which.
It’d be one factor, too, if Hellebuyck was showing in these video games behind an insulating protection that made his life straightforward. That hasn’t been the case, nevertheless. The Jets netminder has seen extra rubber than some other keeper – a whopping 1,107 pictures – and has turned apart 1,018 pucks heading into Wednesday’s motion. As such, Hellebuyck stands to face upwards of two,100 pictures, which has solely occurred to an NHL netminder 60 occasions in league historical past. If he picks up the tempo (or performs in additional video games), he might additionally put up the 26th 2,000-save season in NHL historical past. The final to take action was Frederik Andersen in 2017-18.
David Perron, St. Louis Blues – On Tempo For: 13 game-winning goalsThe introduction of Three-on-Three time beyond regulation has modified the frequency with which some gamers have accrued game-winning objectives lately, however that makes David Perron’s present game-winning objective tempo no much less spectacular. A outstanding seven occasions this season, it has been Perron who has fired the Blues into the lead for good. The breakdown is as such: two of Perron’s winners have come on the ability play and 5 have come at even energy. As well as, three have been regulation winners, the opposite 4 have been within the further body.
Now, sustaining a game-winning objective tempo is a bit completely different from maintaining a scoring tempo. Typically the sport winners are racked up by nothing greater than likelihood. If he scores to place the Blues forward by three and the opposition rating two objectives to shut the hole, Perron earns the sport winner. That mentioned, his constant time beyond regulation contributions give him an opportunity if St. Louis continues to want the fourth stanza to unravel issues.
If Perron can rating 13 GWGs, he’ll be one in all a dozen gamers in NHL historical past to achieve that mark. If he one way or the other hits 14, he’ll match a mark shared by solely 5 different NHLers.
Detroit Purple Wings – On Tempo For: 47 pointsLate in Wednesday’s assembly with the Montreal Canadiens, the NHL basement-dwelling Purple Wings authored a late come-from-behind victory on the energy of objectives by Frans Nielsen and Filip Zadina. And it’s due to that win that Detroit’s on-pace whole had a four-point swing. If that they had misplaced to the Canadiens, the Purple Wings can be on tempo for 43 factors by season’s finish, and that might have made the already grim outlook on the rest of this season only a tiny bit extra bleak.
Granted, it’s not as if the win over Montreal supplied any actual glimmer of hope, even when Zadina scoring the winner was one thing of a vivid spot in an in any other case forgettable season. In reality, even after escaping the competition in opposition to the Canadiens with two factors, the Purple Wings now discover themselves on tempo for 47 factors. To place that into context, it could be the worst single-season level whole for any staff within the post-lockout period, a degree whole one fewer than that of the 2016-17 Colorado Avalanche.
However wait! It will get worse. If the Purple Wings solely keep their present tempo and end with not more than 47 factors, it is going to mark the single-lowest level whole by any staff for the reason that flip of the millennium. The final staff to complete with a decrease level whole – and one in all solely 40 groups with a single-season level whole of 47 or much less – was the 1999-00 Atlanta Thrashers.
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Tags: detroit pink wings, winnipeg jets, lists, boston bruins, washington capitals, st. louis bluesConnect: In regards to the AuthorJared ClintonJared Clinton is a author and net editor with The Hockey Information. He is been with the staff since 2014. He was born, raised and resides in Winnipeg, the place he might be discovered lacking the web on outside rinks throughout city.