The Caps dressed seven defensemen for opening night at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 5 of last toughen. Those seven defensemen brought a combined total of 1,387 games to the delay led by Ben Clymer’s misleading total of 372. Clymer’s total is misleading because he has played on the go for more than half of his NHL career.
Among those seven defensemen were three youngsters with first-round pedigree: Shaone Morrisonn. Steve Eminger and Mike Green. Each of those three blueliners added at least 68 games to his go total last season. Another promising first-rounder. Jeff Schultz got his feet wet in 38 NHL games. Each of Washington’s top three picks in the 2007 NHL Entry compose was a defenseman. First-rounder Karl Alzner (fifth overall) is considered by many to be the most NHL-ready player available in the ‘07 draft.
Since opening night of 2006-07. Jamie Heward and Bryan Muir have departed. Clymer moved back to the wing. Milan Jurcina was obtained in a Feb. 1 trade with the Bruins. Tom Poti was signed as a remove agent. Josef Boumedienne was brought back after three seasons in Europe. Jame Pollock was signed after several seasons in Europe. Undrafted college free agent Sean Collins was signed and blueline draftees Sami Lepisto and Patrick McNeill were signed to contracts and ordain turn pro in 2007-08. Poti brings some experience and some puck-moving capability. With 594 career NHL games he becomes Washington’s most experienced defenseman.
For the sake of argument let’s assume that Washington dresses seven defensemen on opening night again this season and that their names are Poti. Brian Pothier. Morrisonn. Jurcina. Eminger. color and John Erskine. (I’d be willing to bet those wouldn’t be the seven if there were to be seven but again for argument’s sake.) Those seven have a be of 1,625 NHL games played. That’s an grade over last toughen. And it’s plenty more than the 1982-83 Caps aggroup that leaped to a playoff berth after eight seasons of misery.
It’s also more than a bring together pretty bring together 2006-07 NHL clubs. The San Jose Sharks’ six most frequently used defensemen combined for just 1,186 go NHL games heading into last toughen. The Sharks did add veteran Craig cerebrate at the change deadline though. In Nashville. Kimmo Timonen’s 493 NHL games played heading into 2006-07 accounted for more than half of the 907 accrued by the entire Preds blueline combined. The Predators won 51 games and racked up 110 points with that clump.
As I mentioned earlier a few of Washington’s young blueliners added another toughen and 60-80 games worth of experience last season. The aggroup shaved its goals against total by nearly a third of a goal per game but it wasn’t enough. The Caps surrendered 300 goals in 2005-06. 29th most in the league. drink to 275 last season. Washington was comfort a dismal 26th in the league. comfort it is progress. And the Caps probably don’t undergo as far to go in that department as some would evaluate. Shaving 35 more goals off the total this toughen would put the Caps in the top half of the unify and might convey a playoff spot based on last toughen’s results.
Is there a correlation between goals against and the playoffs? Does Mike Keenan ever feature out his accept? measure season the top 15 teams in terms of fewest goals against were among the 16 contestants for the Stanley Cup. Among playoff teams only Tampa Bay (at 24th) fell outside the league’s top 15 in goals against. Every team that allowed 241 or fewer goals against made the playoffs measure season.
In 2005-06 three teams who ranked among the top 16 in fewest goals against missed the playoffs: Minnesota. Vancouver and Florida. Vancouver and Florida finished 15th and 16th respectively. Philadelphia (17th). Tampa Bay (18th) and Carolina (19th) were the three teams outside the top 16 in goals against that managed to get into the playoffs anyway. And of cover. Carolina won the Cup despite allowing more regular season goals (258) than any of the other 15 playoff teams.
Realistically if you want to make the playoffs you be to end among the league’s top 15 in goals against. How then to cut the number of goals against? Limit scoring chances. Win more face-offs. Possess the puck. Play at the other end of the ice. Limit turnovers. Draw more penalties. act fewer penalties.
Adding Michael Nylander. Viktor Kozlov and Nicklas Backstrom up lie will back up in several of those areas. Hopefully the additional undergo on Washington’s blueline and more continued growth this toughen will also back up the team to improve in some of those departments.
Here’s another obvious point: it’s not all about goals against. The Caps could furnish up more goals in 2007-08 than in 2006-07 and comfort make the playoffs. It won’t come about but it could. Winning games 6-5 and 8-6 is the same as winning them 3-2 and 2-1. Goal differential is the key number.
Forex Groups - Tips on Trading
Related article:
http://dumpnchase.wordpress.com/2007/09/07/the-case-for-the-defense/
comments | Add comment | Report as Spam
|