Sorry for the delay, but I didn't have much free time. These numbers are probably all from the end of January.
Let's get this overwith before these stats change even more. Besides, we're getting further and further away from the midpoint of the season.
1. San Jose Sharks (1st)
-Originally, there was a slight section about how even though the Bruins are first in the league, the Sharks are better. Unfortunately, some cracks have started to show in the Sharks' armor.
Now let's get started, but we'll switch it up and go with the defense first.
Okay, so that goal doesn't represent Brian Campbell's skill set, but it a) is pretty impressive, and b) shows what the Sharks lost when they had to let him walk. So how did they fill the gap?
Dan Boyle (38 points in 44 games), who essentially lost last season (not only did a skate fall out of his locker and slash several tendons in his wrist, but he had to play on the last place Tampa Bay Lightning), is arguably the leading candidate for the Norris Trophy (best defenseman in the league). After posting only 31 points all of last season with Los Angeles, the Sharks' other big defensive acquisition, Rob Blake, has posted 30 in 45 games already. The year Marc-Edouard Vlasic is having (3-21-24) can be attributed to either growth or playing with these guys.
Brian who?
The offense is all about two fellas who went 1st and 2nd overall in 1997. Joe Thornton (1st) is the key player in this machine. His playmaking (12-44-56) has led to a breakout year for Devin Setoguchi (21-24-45). Captain Patrick Marleau (2nd) is experiencing a major resurgence. After seeing his production drop from 78 points in 06-07 to just 48 points last season, he seems to be back on track with 53 points in 47 games. Another big surprise is Ryane Clowe (19-21-40), who also lends some grit to this unit:
The goaltending is maybe the only frustrating position, but it's not bad by any means. Evgeni Nabokov (2.35 GAA, .913 Sv%) is one of the best in the league. It's not a matter of talent, but the Sharks happen to let up the fewest shots per game in the NHL. Therefore, lower save percentage. In the past, Nabokov has had to be a workhorse. However, Brian Boucher (1.88 GAA, .927 Sv%) is the veteran backup they've needed, and he can handle a few more starts so Nabokov can rest up for the playoffs.
FINAL GRADE: A+. All you have to do is watch this team play and you can tell nobody compares. Sure, they have an off night every once in a while, but it's rare. Furthermore, this isn't the team from last year that imploded in the playoffs. With new coach Todd McLellan and the addition of several Stanley Cup winners (Boyle, Blake, Brad Lukowich, and Claude Lemieux), they seem poised to take the next step in the playoffs. Regardless, let's wait and see before we assume they'll be any different.
2. Anaheim Ducks (5th)
-Don't let that 5th place fool you. There are four different teams in 6th-9th only 2 points behind. And each of those teams has played fewer games as well.
Let's start with the goaltending. Jean-Sebastien Giguere. 3.08 GAA and .904 Sv%? Not enough. Sure, take a look at this surprisingly revealing split stats thing. Scroll down to the bottom, look at the Pre and Post All-Star Break categories. You'll notice a significant improvement in his numbers. It's actually an alarming difference. Meanwhile, backup Jonas Hiller has taken advantage of the opportunity to post much better numbers (2.18 GAA, .926 Sv%). It would seem as though Hiller has the upper hand. However, let's cut Giguere some slack; his father died earlier in the season, and it hasn't been easy getting his head back into the game. Hopefully he can resume his regular form in time for the playoffs.
The past two seasons, the Ducks have led the NHL in penalty minutes per game. This year, they're "underachieving" (ranked third in PIM per game). Guys like Ryan Getzlaf (18-43-61) and Corey Perry (16-28-44) like to rough it up relatively often (85 and 72 PIM, respectively). Rookie Bobby Ryan (34 points in 34 games) hasn't caught on yet (12 PIM).
Defenseman Chris Pronger (8-23-31) is having a mildly disappointing season (only 58 PIM!), but we're waiting for a suspension to happen. Surely he's going to attempt a new trick after last year's act:
Meanwhile, Scott Niedermayer has a healthy 36 points in 52 games, while Steve Montador is covering for Pronger (103 PIM).
FINAL GRADE: B. The offense doesn't always come through, and while Teemu Selanne is healthy again (28 points in 35 games), they may still struggle. I'm not sure if Hiller is the man to carry them down the stretch either, so Giguere will have to up his game. As usual.
3. Dallas Stars (6th)
-After their terrible start, the Stars' season seemed lost. However, one Sean Avery suspension and Brenden Morrow injury later, they're back in contention. Oh, and Sergei Zubov is hurt again, which is happening with increasing regularity. But let's look at the rest of the team.
Similar to the Ducks' Giguere, I find it very easy to pin most of the Stars' early season struggles on Marty Turco. People can call Avery the distraction all they want, but Turco was porous and incredibly prone to, say, passing the puck right to an opposing player. However, unlike Giguere, Turco has a) no threatening backup, and b) improved his play. The Stars are in a playoff spot again, and Turco finally got his first career regular season win in Detroit recently. Now it's 1-8-2. The 2.98 GAA and .889 Sv% are far from pretty, but those numbers will improve as he continues to regain his old form.
Defenseman Stephane Robidas didn't quite deserve that All-Star nomination (19 points in 45 games), though it was still nice to see him get it. Robidas has been overshadowed by Zubov and Philippe Boucher, but he's been able to pick up his offense somewhat in their absence. It was good to see Darryl Sydor come back as well, and it seems that trading away Boucher wasn't such a bad thing (7 points in 39 games). Sydor has actually managed more (9 in 39), even if it's a small difference.
With the loss of Morrow, it seemed like the offense was headed for a dropoff. Not so fast. Mike Ribeiro has managed a decent pace (43 in 48), while Brad Richards is in a similar place (42 in 47). Loui Eriksson has been a huge surprise (24-12-36), and Mike Modano can still play (33 in 48). Youngster James Neal has been impressive (15-8-23), though Fabian Brunnstrom has been a moderate disappointment (14 in 31).
FINAL GRADE: B+. Steve Ott can handle Avery's agitating duties, but the fact that they've managed to overcome the loss of Morrow surprises me even more. Still, a postseason trip is all on Turco's shoulders at this point. (Fast forward to the actual date I posted this: the Stars just bulldozed the Rangers 10-2. They're looking more and more like a playoff team.)
4. Phoenix Coyotes (10th)
-The Coyotes as a whole are a "Stuff With Brett" approved team. They've got a lot of youth, but Captain Shane Doan is a personal favorite of mine. Doan leads the team with 48 points in 51 games, but plays in all situations. He's on pace for a career high 32 goals, and each one counts, considering the Coyotes rank 25th in the league goals per game. Despite his age (32), he still likes to enjoy himself (10th in the league in hits with 134). Doan may not be incredibly skilled at anything, but he's a quality all around player.
Over the summer, the Coyotes tried to pump up the offense by swapping Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton for Olli Jokinen. Jokinen, who has put up 91 points in the past, has been moderately disappointing with only 34 points through 41 games. Thankfully, Peter Mueller has followed up on his impressive rookie season with 30 points in 48 games. Mikkel Boedker has impressed as a rookie as well, tallying 22 points in 51 games.
Oh, and Dan Carcillo is the man. Heavy "Stuff With Brett" approval:
The defense is a decent unit. After going the first nine games without a point, Ed "Jovocop" Jovanovski has rebounded to post 23 in 51. Keith Yandle has flown under the radar for the most part, but 20 points in 42 games isn't bad by any means. Zybnek Michalek (17 in 51) may not be the best on offense, but let me point out that he currently leads the league in blocked shots with 175 (second place Brett Clark of the Colorado Avalanche only has 154).
The goaltending has been sub-par at times, but Ilya Bryzgalov has been the savior they've needed in net since last season. At the start of the 2007-08 season, the Coyotes had the dominant goaltending duo of Mikael Tellqvist and Alex Auld. Once the Ducks placed Bryzgalov on waivers, Phoenix jumped at the opportunity, and he posted a shutout in his first game with the team. Auld was sent to the Bruins and was probably on a few other teams until he ended up in Ottawa this season for...surprise...another goaltending tandem! Meanwhile, Bryzgalov has a decent 2.81 GAA and .911 Sv%. He's recovered from a slow start. Thankfully, Tellqvist (2.75 GAA, .913 Sv%) stayed in Phoenix, and he has shown he can handle a few starts when Bryzgalov hits a rough patch.
FINAL GRADE: B-. The offense needs to be better, but this team's strength is its youth. They have a legitimate chance at making the playoffs this year, but look for them to be even better in the years to come.
5. Los Angeles Kings (12th)
-Somewhat surprisingly, the Kings are not in last place in the West. And they're not too far from a playoff spot either. To give you an idea of the situation, Anaheim sits in 5th with 55 points. Colorado is in 14th with 47 points. The Blues aren't much further back with 44. While some teams are still doubtful for the playoffs, everybody is pretty close.
A big reason the Kings have managed to keep up is new coach Terry Murray. After sitting 28th in goals against per game last year (3.21), they've jumped to 8th (2.75). Defense is especially important when you sit 22nd with 2.56 goals per game.
When the offense shows up, it's usually Dustin Brown (20-18-38) and Anze Kopitar (12-26-38) making their way onto the stat sheet. Brown is "Stuff With Brett" approved, and a major reason is that he ranks second in the league with 178 hits. It's debatable whether or not Brown will ever become a top notch scoring threat, but he's showing he can still be useful. Alexander Frolov (21-13-34) has a nose for the net, but his defensive ability his lacking. His contract expires after next season, and it's possible he may be shipped sometime soon. After seeing the Kings move Cammalleri on draft day, it wouldn't surprise me if Frolov is in a similar situation. I suppose it depends on how likely it is that the Kings make the playoffs.
The defense is young, but this team is being made for the future. Kyle Quincey (3-24-27), picked up on waivers at the start of the season, is showing just how badly he needed to escape the logjam at the Detroit blueline. Rookie Drew Doughty (3-12-15) has had a big impact, logging major minutes and playing in all situations. However, veteran Sean O'Donnell (8 points in 48 games) brings experience to the group, and better yet, he's not a liability.
Center Patrick O'Sullivan's 27 points in 47 games may be disappointing, but he put up similar stats last year in the first half until breaking out for 26 points in the final 31 games. No guarantee it'll happen again, but don't let it surprise you if it does.
Kings goaltending has been rough for a while. Jason LaBarbera was shipped early in the season for a draft pick. Erik Ersberg (2.44 GAA, .901 Sv%) played well at the end of last season (2.48 GAA, .927 Sv%), but has been unable to carry over his success. Jonathan Quick (2.53 GAA, .913 Sv%) has been excellent for stretches, but neither he nor Ersberg are the longterm solution in net. That honor belongs to Jonathan Bernier, who was unimpressive in his call up last season (4.03 GAA, .864 Sv%). Thankfully, though, he's only 20, and has plenty of room to grow and improve.
FINAL GRADE: B-. This was considered a lost season, meant for the youth to just gain experience. The fact that they're still in the race is a credit to this group, and the future remains bright.
FINAL STUFF: Watch the Sharks play, whether it's on Versus, a local channel, or on Yahoo (they occasionally have live games for free). They're on a level unlike any other. The only reason for doubt is their poor record of post season success, but let's wait and see.
Now for a classic
-brett
Let's get this overwith before these stats change even more. Besides, we're getting further and further away from the midpoint of the season.
1. San Jose Sharks (1st)
-Originally, there was a slight section about how even though the Bruins are first in the league, the Sharks are better. Unfortunately, some cracks have started to show in the Sharks' armor.
Now let's get started, but we'll switch it up and go with the defense first.
Okay, so that goal doesn't represent Brian Campbell's skill set, but it a) is pretty impressive, and b) shows what the Sharks lost when they had to let him walk. So how did they fill the gap?
Dan Boyle (38 points in 44 games), who essentially lost last season (not only did a skate fall out of his locker and slash several tendons in his wrist, but he had to play on the last place Tampa Bay Lightning), is arguably the leading candidate for the Norris Trophy (best defenseman in the league). After posting only 31 points all of last season with Los Angeles, the Sharks' other big defensive acquisition, Rob Blake, has posted 30 in 45 games already. The year Marc-Edouard Vlasic is having (3-21-24) can be attributed to either growth or playing with these guys.
Brian who?
The offense is all about two fellas who went 1st and 2nd overall in 1997. Joe Thornton (1st) is the key player in this machine. His playmaking (12-44-56) has led to a breakout year for Devin Setoguchi (21-24-45). Captain Patrick Marleau (2nd) is experiencing a major resurgence. After seeing his production drop from 78 points in 06-07 to just 48 points last season, he seems to be back on track with 53 points in 47 games. Another big surprise is Ryane Clowe (19-21-40), who also lends some grit to this unit:
The goaltending is maybe the only frustrating position, but it's not bad by any means. Evgeni Nabokov (2.35 GAA, .913 Sv%) is one of the best in the league. It's not a matter of talent, but the Sharks happen to let up the fewest shots per game in the NHL. Therefore, lower save percentage. In the past, Nabokov has had to be a workhorse. However, Brian Boucher (1.88 GAA, .927 Sv%) is the veteran backup they've needed, and he can handle a few more starts so Nabokov can rest up for the playoffs.
FINAL GRADE: A+. All you have to do is watch this team play and you can tell nobody compares. Sure, they have an off night every once in a while, but it's rare. Furthermore, this isn't the team from last year that imploded in the playoffs. With new coach Todd McLellan and the addition of several Stanley Cup winners (Boyle, Blake, Brad Lukowich, and Claude Lemieux), they seem poised to take the next step in the playoffs. Regardless, let's wait and see before we assume they'll be any different.
2. Anaheim Ducks (5th)
-Don't let that 5th place fool you. There are four different teams in 6th-9th only 2 points behind. And each of those teams has played fewer games as well.
Let's start with the goaltending. Jean-Sebastien Giguere. 3.08 GAA and .904 Sv%? Not enough. Sure, take a look at this surprisingly revealing split stats thing. Scroll down to the bottom, look at the Pre and Post All-Star Break categories. You'll notice a significant improvement in his numbers. It's actually an alarming difference. Meanwhile, backup Jonas Hiller has taken advantage of the opportunity to post much better numbers (2.18 GAA, .926 Sv%). It would seem as though Hiller has the upper hand. However, let's cut Giguere some slack; his father died earlier in the season, and it hasn't been easy getting his head back into the game. Hopefully he can resume his regular form in time for the playoffs.
The past two seasons, the Ducks have led the NHL in penalty minutes per game. This year, they're "underachieving" (ranked third in PIM per game). Guys like Ryan Getzlaf (18-43-61) and Corey Perry (16-28-44) like to rough it up relatively often (85 and 72 PIM, respectively). Rookie Bobby Ryan (34 points in 34 games) hasn't caught on yet (12 PIM).
Defenseman Chris Pronger (8-23-31) is having a mildly disappointing season (only 58 PIM!), but we're waiting for a suspension to happen. Surely he's going to attempt a new trick after last year's act:
Meanwhile, Scott Niedermayer has a healthy 36 points in 52 games, while Steve Montador is covering for Pronger (103 PIM).
FINAL GRADE: B. The offense doesn't always come through, and while Teemu Selanne is healthy again (28 points in 35 games), they may still struggle. I'm not sure if Hiller is the man to carry them down the stretch either, so Giguere will have to up his game. As usual.
3. Dallas Stars (6th)
-After their terrible start, the Stars' season seemed lost. However, one Sean Avery suspension and Brenden Morrow injury later, they're back in contention. Oh, and Sergei Zubov is hurt again, which is happening with increasing regularity. But let's look at the rest of the team.
Similar to the Ducks' Giguere, I find it very easy to pin most of the Stars' early season struggles on Marty Turco. People can call Avery the distraction all they want, but Turco was porous and incredibly prone to, say, passing the puck right to an opposing player. However, unlike Giguere, Turco has a) no threatening backup, and b) improved his play. The Stars are in a playoff spot again, and Turco finally got his first career regular season win in Detroit recently. Now it's 1-8-2. The 2.98 GAA and .889 Sv% are far from pretty, but those numbers will improve as he continues to regain his old form.
Defenseman Stephane Robidas didn't quite deserve that All-Star nomination (19 points in 45 games), though it was still nice to see him get it. Robidas has been overshadowed by Zubov and Philippe Boucher, but he's been able to pick up his offense somewhat in their absence. It was good to see Darryl Sydor come back as well, and it seems that trading away Boucher wasn't such a bad thing (7 points in 39 games). Sydor has actually managed more (9 in 39), even if it's a small difference.
With the loss of Morrow, it seemed like the offense was headed for a dropoff. Not so fast. Mike Ribeiro has managed a decent pace (43 in 48), while Brad Richards is in a similar place (42 in 47). Loui Eriksson has been a huge surprise (24-12-36), and Mike Modano can still play (33 in 48). Youngster James Neal has been impressive (15-8-23), though Fabian Brunnstrom has been a moderate disappointment (14 in 31).
FINAL GRADE: B+. Steve Ott can handle Avery's agitating duties, but the fact that they've managed to overcome the loss of Morrow surprises me even more. Still, a postseason trip is all on Turco's shoulders at this point. (Fast forward to the actual date I posted this: the Stars just bulldozed the Rangers 10-2. They're looking more and more like a playoff team.)
4. Phoenix Coyotes (10th)
-The Coyotes as a whole are a "Stuff With Brett" approved team. They've got a lot of youth, but Captain Shane Doan is a personal favorite of mine. Doan leads the team with 48 points in 51 games, but plays in all situations. He's on pace for a career high 32 goals, and each one counts, considering the Coyotes rank 25th in the league goals per game. Despite his age (32), he still likes to enjoy himself (10th in the league in hits with 134). Doan may not be incredibly skilled at anything, but he's a quality all around player.
Over the summer, the Coyotes tried to pump up the offense by swapping Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton for Olli Jokinen. Jokinen, who has put up 91 points in the past, has been moderately disappointing with only 34 points through 41 games. Thankfully, Peter Mueller has followed up on his impressive rookie season with 30 points in 48 games. Mikkel Boedker has impressed as a rookie as well, tallying 22 points in 51 games.
Oh, and Dan Carcillo is the man. Heavy "Stuff With Brett" approval:
The defense is a decent unit. After going the first nine games without a point, Ed "Jovocop" Jovanovski has rebounded to post 23 in 51. Keith Yandle has flown under the radar for the most part, but 20 points in 42 games isn't bad by any means. Zybnek Michalek (17 in 51) may not be the best on offense, but let me point out that he currently leads the league in blocked shots with 175 (second place Brett Clark of the Colorado Avalanche only has 154).
The goaltending has been sub-par at times, but Ilya Bryzgalov has been the savior they've needed in net since last season. At the start of the 2007-08 season, the Coyotes had the dominant goaltending duo of Mikael Tellqvist and Alex Auld. Once the Ducks placed Bryzgalov on waivers, Phoenix jumped at the opportunity, and he posted a shutout in his first game with the team. Auld was sent to the Bruins and was probably on a few other teams until he ended up in Ottawa this season for...surprise...another goaltending tandem! Meanwhile, Bryzgalov has a decent 2.81 GAA and .911 Sv%. He's recovered from a slow start. Thankfully, Tellqvist (2.75 GAA, .913 Sv%) stayed in Phoenix, and he has shown he can handle a few starts when Bryzgalov hits a rough patch.
FINAL GRADE: B-. The offense needs to be better, but this team's strength is its youth. They have a legitimate chance at making the playoffs this year, but look for them to be even better in the years to come.
5. Los Angeles Kings (12th)
-Somewhat surprisingly, the Kings are not in last place in the West. And they're not too far from a playoff spot either. To give you an idea of the situation, Anaheim sits in 5th with 55 points. Colorado is in 14th with 47 points. The Blues aren't much further back with 44. While some teams are still doubtful for the playoffs, everybody is pretty close.
A big reason the Kings have managed to keep up is new coach Terry Murray. After sitting 28th in goals against per game last year (3.21), they've jumped to 8th (2.75). Defense is especially important when you sit 22nd with 2.56 goals per game.
When the offense shows up, it's usually Dustin Brown (20-18-38) and Anze Kopitar (12-26-38) making their way onto the stat sheet. Brown is "Stuff With Brett" approved, and a major reason is that he ranks second in the league with 178 hits. It's debatable whether or not Brown will ever become a top notch scoring threat, but he's showing he can still be useful. Alexander Frolov (21-13-34) has a nose for the net, but his defensive ability his lacking. His contract expires after next season, and it's possible he may be shipped sometime soon. After seeing the Kings move Cammalleri on draft day, it wouldn't surprise me if Frolov is in a similar situation. I suppose it depends on how likely it is that the Kings make the playoffs.
The defense is young, but this team is being made for the future. Kyle Quincey (3-24-27), picked up on waivers at the start of the season, is showing just how badly he needed to escape the logjam at the Detroit blueline. Rookie Drew Doughty (3-12-15) has had a big impact, logging major minutes and playing in all situations. However, veteran Sean O'Donnell (8 points in 48 games) brings experience to the group, and better yet, he's not a liability.
Center Patrick O'Sullivan's 27 points in 47 games may be disappointing, but he put up similar stats last year in the first half until breaking out for 26 points in the final 31 games. No guarantee it'll happen again, but don't let it surprise you if it does.
Kings goaltending has been rough for a while. Jason LaBarbera was shipped early in the season for a draft pick. Erik Ersberg (2.44 GAA, .901 Sv%) played well at the end of last season (2.48 GAA, .927 Sv%), but has been unable to carry over his success. Jonathan Quick (2.53 GAA, .913 Sv%) has been excellent for stretches, but neither he nor Ersberg are the longterm solution in net. That honor belongs to Jonathan Bernier, who was unimpressive in his call up last season (4.03 GAA, .864 Sv%). Thankfully, though, he's only 20, and has plenty of room to grow and improve.
FINAL GRADE: B-. This was considered a lost season, meant for the youth to just gain experience. The fact that they're still in the race is a credit to this group, and the future remains bright.
FINAL STUFF: Watch the Sharks play, whether it's on Versus, a local channel, or on Yahoo (they occasionally have live games for free). They're on a level unlike any other. The only reason for doubt is their poor record of post season success, but let's wait and see.
Now for a classic
-brett
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