Alex Ovechkin’s slump, big nights for Abdelkader, Datsyuk and Smith; lineup news, fantasy tips and more in Scott Cullen’s Statistically Speaking.
Brooks
Robinson Orioles Jersey . Held scoreless in Wednesday’s 4-2 loss to
Detroit, Capitals LW Alex Ovechkin has now gone a career-worst five consecutive
games without a point. It’s not burying Ovechkin to point out that he’s in a
slump (and I’ve already been something of an Ovechkin apologist in the past),
but it’s easy to see that Ovechkin is really doing a lot well right now, even if
the points haven’t been coming as expected over this short span of games. In the
first nine games of the Barry Trotz era in Washington, Ovechkin has posted a
career-best Corsi% (measuring even-strength shot attempts) of 59.4%. OVECHKIN
POSSESSION STATS YEAR CORSI% CORSI REL% 2007-08 58.1% +4.2% 2008-09 57.4% +4.2%
2009-10 57.8% +7.2% 2010-11 53.9% +4.0% 2011-12 47.4% -2.3% 2012-13 49.2% +0.7%
2013-14 49.3% +2.5% 2014-15 59.4% +5.0% What’s encouraging about these numbers
is that Ovechkin is driving play like he did earlier in his career, and a far
cry from his 2011-2012 season when his offensive production hit career-low rates
(65 points in 78 games). Like last season, Ovechkin is not getting much help
from linemates – his lone assist this year has come on the power play – but
thanks to a recent decline in shots on goal, his 4.22 shots on goal per game
ranks as the second-lowest of his career. In the first four games of this dry
spell, Ovechkin had mustered just seven shots on goal and that’s some reason for
concern, because he’s always been a high-volume shooter, leading the league in
shots on goal in eight of his nine seasons but, let’s not overreact, it was just
four games. Wednesday, against Detroit, Ovechin attempted 13 shots, with seven
on goal, against the Red Wings, which is a good way to get out of a scoring
slump. Because Ovechkin’s underlying numbers have been so good, there’s not so
much reason to worry about this slump, because those signs point to goals and
points coming back at a more regular rate soon. HEROES Justin Abdelkader –
Hard-hitting winger who gets to play a complementary role with some elite
players in Detroit and he scored two goals and an assist in Wednesday’s 4-2 win
at Washington. He scored a career-high 28 points last season, but has eight
points (5 G, 3 A) in nine games this year, riding a 22.7% shooting percentage
that won’t last, but he is also playing a career-high 16:30 per game and
generating a career-best 2.44 shots on goal per game. Pavel Datsyuk – The
Magician tallied a goal and an assist, with a team-leading eight shot attempts
(4 SOG) in the win at Washington. Datsyuk has five points in four games since
returning from injury, and the Red Wings have eased him in, playing 18:42 per
game. The last season in which he averaged less ice time per game (than this
admittedly very small sample) was 2005-2006. Craig Smith – The Predators’
leading goal-scorer, with 24, last season, Smith buried a pair of goals on nine
shot attempts (5 SOG), while posting quality possession stats (17 shot attempts
for, 10 against, 63.0%) in a 4-1 win at Edmonton. ZEROES Niklas Kronwall – The
Red Wings’ No. 1 defenceman had a rough night, possession-wise, on for five shot
attempts for and 18 against (21.7%). His worst forward matchups, head-to-head,
were against Capitals C Nicklas Backstrom (2 shot attempts for, 10 against,
16.7%) and RW Joel Ward (2 for, 13 against, 13.3%). Mark Arcobello – Despite not
starting an even-strength shift in the defensive zone, the Oilers’ centre had
his team’s worst possession stats (9 shot attempts for, 16 against, 36.0%).
SHORT SHIFTS Red Wings C Henrik Zetterberg had a pair of assists…Predators D
Roman Josi had two assists and blocked seven shots…Predators G Pekka Rinne
stopped 26 of 27 shots for the win in Edmonton. LINEUP NEED TO KNOW Capitals RW
Eric Fehr was scratched from the lineup as second-year RW Tom Wilson was
inserted into the lineup for his first game of the season after suffering a
broken ankle in the summer. Predators C Calle Jarnkrok, still looking for his
first point of the season, was scratched from the lineup in Edmonton Wednesday.
Predators D Seth Jones played a season-low 14:46 at Edmonton, though had a solid
possession game (15 shot attempts for, 9 against, 62.5%) in that limited role.
FIRSTS Predators C Matt Cullen played his first game of the season, picking up
an assist while playing 15:18. FANTASY FOCUS A few players, available in more
than half of TSN leagues, to monitor on a busy 10-game night in the NHL: Jori
Lehtera – Someone in St. Louis has to get the puck to the Blues’ scoring wingers
and with injuries to Paul Stastny and David Backes, Lehtera is clearly the best
option down the middle. He has six points in seven games and is centering
Alexander Steen and Vladimir Tarasenko heading into tonight’s matchup with
Anaheim. Michael Raffl – Getting moved to the Flyers’ top line with Claude
Giroux and Jakub Voracek is working well for Raffl, who has four goals and five
points in the past five games. Tonight, the Flyers go to Tampa Bay, which isn’t
an easy matchup, but Raffl is still available in nearly 99% of TSN leagues. Seth
Griffith – The rookie winger has emerged as the Bruins’ best option on the right
side with David Krejci and Milan Lucic, scoring three goals and five points in
the past four games. Really, anyone on the Bruins is worth a look since they are
in Buffalo to play the Sabres. Much of the data included comes from
www.war-on-ice.com, www.puckalytics.com, www.hockeystats.ca and
www.naturalstattrick.com Scott Cullen can be reached at
[email protected] Ubaldo
Jimenez Orioles Jersey . -- Chris Tillman paid no attention to the
Baltimore bullpen as it started to stir in the ninth inning.
Manny Machado
Orioles Jersey .com) - Coming off a pair of tough losses last week, the
Syracuse Orange will try to put an end to their first losing skid of the season
when they pay a visit to the Maryland Terrapins at the Comcast Center on Monday
night in Atlantic Coast Conference action.
http://www.oriolesapparelsshop.com/darren-oday-jersey-c-21/ . -- James Harden scored 31 points, including 25 in the second half, and the
Houston Rockets dug out of a double-digit, first-half hole to beat the Orlando
Magic 101-89 on Wednesday night.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Colorado Avalanche
will try to record consecutive victories for the first time this season, but in
order to do so theyll have to earn their first win in Philadelphia in over eight
years. The Avalanche hope to break a three-game skid in the City of Brotherly
Love when they visit the Flyers for Saturdays clash at Wells Fargo Center.
Philadelphia hasnt lost at home to Colorado since dropping a 4-3 overtime
decision on Jan. 14, 2006. The Avs last road regulation win over the Flyers came
on March 16, 2002. Colorado halted a three-game slide with Thursdays home
shootout win over Toronto, but last seasons Central Division champions have yet
to claim consecutive victories in 2014-15. The Avs have an 0-0-3 record
following wins so far this season. The Avalanche notched a 4-3 win against the
Maple Leafs thanks to Alex Tanguay, who scored the deciding marker in the third
round of the shootout. Each of the first three shooters -- Nathan MacKinnon and
Matt Duchene for the hosts and Tyler Bozak for the visitors -- converted their
chances. James van Riemsdyk of the Leafs followed by missing the net on his shot
to end the second round, then Tanguay beat Jonathan Bernier with a wrister to
end the contest. Duchene, Tanguay and Nick Holden lit the lamp in regulation for
the Avalanche. Reto Berra came up with 33 saves over the games first 65 minutes
and improved his record to 2-0-1 on the season with the shootout victory. Berra
was fantastic in the shootout, Colorado forward Gabriel Landeskog said. We stuck
together. Nothing was going to stop us tonight. Semyon Varlamov is expected to
start tonight. Colorados No. 1 netminder is 1-1-1 with a 2.81 goals against
average in four career games (three starts) against the Flyers. Former Flyers
forwards Danny Briere and Max Talbot will return to Philadelphia tonight. Briere
may not suit up, however, as the 37-year-old has been a healthy scratch in each
of the last five games for Colorado. He has two goals and one assist in 10 tilts
this season. Talbot has two helpers while playing in all 15 games for the Avs.
Philadelphia has won its last two games and the Flyers will try to match a
season high for consecutive victories when they welcome the Avalanche tonight.
The Flyyers won three straight from Oct.
Joey Rickard
Jersey. 22-28 and have come out victorious in five of their last seven
games. Craig Berubes boys are playing the third part of a four-game homestand
Saturday after beginning the stay in South Philly with a pair of 4-1 decisions.
The Flyers downed the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday before beating the Florida
Panthers on Thursday. Steve Mason has started the last three games for the
Flyers and he could get a chance to pick up a third straight victory tonight.
Mason fell to 0-4-1 after losing at Florida last Saturday, but he rebounded with
consecutive wins over Edmonton and the Panthers. Mason stopped 34 shots to help
Philly get revenge against the Panthers on Thursday for last weeks 2-1 setback.
Four different Philadelphia players lit the lamp in the rematch against Florida.
Its huge to come out quick and get that two-goal cushion, Mason said. When you
can get out to a quick start like that, it definitely makes thing more relaxed
and gives you a sense of confidence out there. Sean Couturier, Michael Del
Zotto, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Jakub Voracek tallied while Brayden Schenn
posted two assists for the Flyers, who improved to 4-1-2 as the host this
season. Voracek pushed his point streak to seven games on Thursday and he has
reached the scoresheet in 12 of 13 tests this season. The Czech winger has 19
points (6 goals, 13 assists) and is tied with Pittsburghs Sidney Crosby for the
NHL scoring lead. The Flyers could have Brayden Coburn back in the lineup
Saturday, as the defenseman aims to return from an injured left foot. Coburn,
who hasnt played since the season opener in Boston on Oct. 8, has been skating
for a few days, but with Philadelphias next game after Saturday not scheduled
until Nov. 14 against Columbus, Berube could opt to give the blueliner the extra
rest. Fellow defenseman Andrew MacDonald, who has missed the last six games with
a lower-body injury, resumed skating on Thursday but he wont play tonight. Im
sure they are all excited about those guys skating again, Berube said of his
team. The Avalanche and Flyers have split their last six meetings overall and
Philadelphia posted a 3-1 decision when the clubs last met on Feb. 6 at Wells
Fargo Center.
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