TWO of their top 4 will help anchor the back for a stacked Team Canada at the Olympics next yr. Theodore/Alex could very well be Canada's #1 pairing . Martinez is a two-time Stanley Cup champion.. .........Hague/Whitecloud are a quick combo but YOUNG , we shall see.
Knights r on fire...playoff hockey around the corner
Knights r on fire...playoff hockey around the corner
+625 for the Cup today. Don't know how Colorado will come back from Covid and Tampa Bay will be a tough out. I think this is Fleury's swan song and he goes out a winner. They have gained a lot of points by simply beating up Anaheim and San Jose (it seems) every other game so, as someone said, that step-up in class will be interesting.
r the Penguins seriously in 1st place in the East division? WOW. He aint going to win, but for the aging superstar, how can he not be a nominee?
(tell ya, watching the Leafs 24/7- my pick for Leaf MVP would be Hyman, what a fuckin yr this guy has had-- he ups any line they put him on. Took Keefe long enough to get fuckin thornton off the 1st line and put Zach there. )
https://www.si.com/hockey/news/an-obscure-name-has-entered-the-hart-trophy-race-heard-of-him
In a season headlined by scintillating performances from the game's young superstars, Sidney Crosby has quietly carried a hobbled Penguins team to first place. He's a sleeper MVP candidate.
But if we view Crosby’s work through the prism of the Hart Trophy definition, in which the award goes to the player judged most valuable to his team, Crosby’s case becomes especially interesting.
His individual on-ice impact is undeniable. With him on the ice at 5-on-5, the Penguins outscore their opponents 34-23, and their margin without him is 72-61. So the rest of the team holds the same plus-11 goal differential as Crosby alone, despite the fact Crosby’s most common opponents faced are a who’s who of elite play-drivers. His top six most faced players this season: Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock and Adam Fox on defense and Brad Marchand, Josh Bailey and Patrice Bergeron at forward. Five of those six players are massively impactful.
With Crosby on the ice at 5-on-5, the Pens outchance their opponents 359-286. Without him, they’re outchanced 640-628. So they’re plus-73 with him and minus-12 without him. He’s driving the play despite consistently facing top-tier competition. Among 216 forwards with at least 500 minutes played at 5-on-5 this season, he grades out as good but not elite in metrics like points per 60 and primary assists per 60, but that’s likely because of his defensive responsibility. He’s ranks second among all NHL forwards in neutral zone starts per 60, and the top 10 is populated with two-way pivots such Bo Horvat, Joel Eriksson Ek and Jordan Staal and pure checkers such as Barclay Goodrow and Casey Cizikas. Crosby also sits in the 93rd percentile in takeaways per 60. On top of his major two-way responsibility, he’s been a man on a mission since his co-superstar center, Evgeni Malkin, went down with a lower-body injury in mid-March. Since Malkin’s last game, March 16, the Penguins have gone 14-4-2. Crosby during that 20 game stretch: nine goals, including two game-winners, and 27 points in 20 games. He’s playing some of the most meaningful hockey of his career, elevating an injury riddled team to first place.
<aside class="m-in-content-ad-row l-inline not-size-a not-size-b" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; max-width: 100%; position: relative; clear: both; float: none; margin: 0px 0px 20px; -webkit-box-pack: center; justify-content: center; overflow: visible; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: droid-serif, serif; font-size: 18px;">
</aside>
So does that mean Crosby has a chance to pull a 2017-18 Taylor Hall and snatch the Hart from McDavid? Doubtful. McDavid is the most valuable player in the league by any measure in 2020-21, not just because of the eye-popping point total. At 5-on-5, the Edmonton Oilers are plus-88 in scoring chances with McDavid and minus-183 without him. Absolutely staggering. (LOL!!)
(tell ya, watching the Leafs 24/7- my pick for Leaf MVP would be Hyman, what a fuckin yr this guy has had-- he ups any line they put him on. Took Keefe long enough to get fuckin thornton off the 1st line and put Zach there. )
https://www.si.com/hockey/news/an-obscure-name-has-entered-the-hart-trophy-race-heard-of-him
In a season headlined by scintillating performances from the game's young superstars, Sidney Crosby has quietly carried a hobbled Penguins team to first place. He's a sleeper MVP candidate.
But if we view Crosby’s work through the prism of the Hart Trophy definition, in which the award goes to the player judged most valuable to his team, Crosby’s case becomes especially interesting.
His individual on-ice impact is undeniable. With him on the ice at 5-on-5, the Penguins outscore their opponents 34-23, and their margin without him is 72-61. So the rest of the team holds the same plus-11 goal differential as Crosby alone, despite the fact Crosby’s most common opponents faced are a who’s who of elite play-drivers. His top six most faced players this season: Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock and Adam Fox on defense and Brad Marchand, Josh Bailey and Patrice Bergeron at forward. Five of those six players are massively impactful.
With Crosby on the ice at 5-on-5, the Pens outchance their opponents 359-286. Without him, they’re outchanced 640-628. So they’re plus-73 with him and minus-12 without him. He’s driving the play despite consistently facing top-tier competition. Among 216 forwards with at least 500 minutes played at 5-on-5 this season, he grades out as good but not elite in metrics like points per 60 and primary assists per 60, but that’s likely because of his defensive responsibility. He’s ranks second among all NHL forwards in neutral zone starts per 60, and the top 10 is populated with two-way pivots such Bo Horvat, Joel Eriksson Ek and Jordan Staal and pure checkers such as Barclay Goodrow and Casey Cizikas. Crosby also sits in the 93rd percentile in takeaways per 60. On top of his major two-way responsibility, he’s been a man on a mission since his co-superstar center, Evgeni Malkin, went down with a lower-body injury in mid-March. Since Malkin’s last game, March 16, the Penguins have gone 14-4-2. Crosby during that 20 game stretch: nine goals, including two game-winners, and 27 points in 20 games. He’s playing some of the most meaningful hockey of his career, elevating an injury riddled team to first place.
<aside class="m-in-content-ad-row l-inline not-size-a not-size-b" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; max-width: 100%; position: relative; clear: both; float: none; margin: 0px 0px 20px; -webkit-box-pack: center; justify-content: center; overflow: visible; text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: droid-serif, serif; font-size: 18px;">
</aside>
So does that mean Crosby has a chance to pull a 2017-18 Taylor Hall and snatch the Hart from McDavid? Doubtful. McDavid is the most valuable player in the league by any measure in 2020-21, not just because of the eye-popping point total. At 5-on-5, the Edmonton Oilers are plus-88 in scoring chances with McDavid and minus-183 without him. Absolutely staggering. (LOL!!)
