This Week In NHL Numbers: McDavid, Draisaitl and recollections of Wayne & Mario

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McDavid’s six-point sport and Draisaitl’s relentless manufacturing draw parallels to Gretzky and Lemieux. Plus: nice Greiss, Makar’s rookie ‘D’ dominance, Kovalchuk’s final purpose, the sensible guess in a bear-dog battle, and extra.The Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have a good time a purpose.|Getty ImagesConnor McDavid had an enormous night time, Leon Draisaitl is having an enormous season, and bears are larger than canine.
Listed below are 10 NHL numbers to think about as we method the first-quarter mark of the 2019-20 season:
2.27The final time a staff repeated as Jennings Trophy winners (for fewest objectives towards), it was Martin Brodeur’s New Jersey Devils in 1996-97 and ’97-98. Don’t look now, however the New York Islanders – the reigning Jennings winners — have the most effective goals-against common (2.27) within the league as soon as once more. There’s an extended technique to go, in fact, however the Isles are doing simply advantageous with out final yr’s Vezina Trophy nominee, Robin Lehner. His alternative, Semyon Varlamov, is performing capably (2.56 GAA, .917 save share), however the actual story is Thomas Greiss, who has the most effective GAA (1.88) and save share (.942) within the NHL. Greiss was nearly nearly as good as Lehner final yr, and he’s exhibiting it was no fluke along with his efficiency so far in 2019-20.
6Hey, even for McDavid, that’s a number of factors in a single sport. In actual fact, the six-spot that McDavid put up towards Colorado on Thursday – on the energy of a hat trick and three assists — represents a career-high for the Edmonton famous person. McDavid tied the Oilers’ staff report with 4 factors within the first interval – matching Wayne Gretzky (six instances) and Jason Arnott – and added two extra within the second. The loopy factor is, McDavid barely gained any floor within the NHL scoring race as his operating mate, Draisaitl, had a career-high 5 assists towards the Avs to hit 41 factors by 21 video games. The final time a participant hit 40-plus factors in 21 or fewer video games, it was Mario Lemieux in 2002-03.
15If a bear and a canine get in a battle, guess on the bear. The identical holds true in hockey. If the Bruins and Coyotes are taking part in, guess on Boston. The B’s have overwhelmed Arizona 15 instances in a row, relationship again to 2010. However wait, there’s one other equally lopsided NHL rivalry on the market: Tampa Bay has dusted Detroit 15 straight instances, too. That was most likely enjoyable for Lightning GM Steve Yzerman, however much less so for Pink Wings GM Steve Yzerman.
18Cale Makar hasn’t run off and hid with the Calder Trophy fairly but. However with 18 factors in 19 video games, the Colorado defender has risen up because the rookie favourite. To place his manufacturing in perspective, he’s on tempo for 78 factors, which might set the NHL report for a rookie defenseman. Larry Murphy at the moment holds the mark, with a 76-point season for Los Angeles in 1980-81. Extra not too long ago, Dion Phaneuf had 49 factors as a freshman ‘D’ to set the salary-cap normal in 2005-06, whereas Buffalo prodigy Rasmus Dahlin had 44 factors in his first yr with the Sabres final season. Makar won’t sustain the near-point-per-game tempo, however he positive appears good for a minimum of 50, and doubtless 60.
+19Ottawa has one of many worst purpose differentials within the NHL at minus-Eight, however one way or the other checking-line middle Jean-Gabriel Pageau is main the league with a plus-19 ranking. He’s obtained a niche on all people else, too. Washington’s John Carlson, previous Boston biggie Zdeno Chara and younger Islanders not-so-biggie Mathew Barzal are tied for second at plus-13. Pageau’s next-closest pursuer on the Sens is tough-guy defenseman Mark Borowiecki at plus-9, whereas Tyler Ennis is “main” Ottawa on the different finish of the plus/minus spectrum at minus-11.
31.6Barry Trotz has nothing left to show as one of many NHL’s premier coaches, however he would possibly need to take heed to Islanders followers screaming “SHOOO-OOOT!” at any time when Josh Bailey has the puck. With six objectives on simply 19 photographs in 17 video games, Bailey leads the league with a deadly 31.6-percent capturing effectivity.
62.1With 41 factors, Draisaitl has had a hand in 62.1 % of Edmonton’s 66 objectives this season. McDavid, as you would possibly anticipate, is subsequent at 56.zero % (37 factors on 66 objectives). The very best non-Oilers participant is Boston’s Brad Marchand, whose 32 factors on the Bruins’ 68 objectives imply he’s been concerned in 47.1 % of the staff’s offense.
90.5San Jose hasn’t gotten off to an excellent begin – at 9-10-1, they sit outdoors the playoff image in 12th place within the West – however don’t blame the penalty kill. The Sharks’ PK has nullified 67 of 74 energy performs, for a 90.5-percent effectivity, the most effective mark within the league. They’re particularly efficient at house, killing off 32 of 33 man-down conditions. San Jose’s PK crew has even delivered 4 shorthanded objectives, tied for second-most within the league.
306That’s the variety of NHL video games it took McDavid to achieve 400 profession factors, making him the 13th-fastest participant in NHL historical past to take action. Gretzky was the quickest, naturally, requiring solely 197 video games to report 400 factors. Lemieux wanted 240 video games, Peter Stastny 247. Sidney Crosby is the one lively participant forward of McDavid, hitting 400 factors in his 292nd sport.
436Ilya Kovalchuk’s profession NHL purpose whole, which ranks fourth amongst lively gamers and 70th all-time. However will he add any extra to that quantity? It definitely doesn’t appear to be he’ll get one other one in L.A.
Tags: nhlConnect: Concerning the AuthorSam McCaigCopy editor Sam McCaig rejoined The Hockey Information in 2017 after beforehand working at THN from 1999 to 2010. His profession excessive for objectives in a season is one.