18 replies to this topic

[Eddie Jurak]

A lot of Bruins have established new career scoring bests this year:

Tyler Seguin's 27-38-65 blows away his rookie season with career best goals, assist, and points.

David Krejci's 23 goals surpass his career high from 2008-09, though he did not come close to personal bests in assists por points.

Milan Lucic's 34 assists are a new personal best for him, surpassing last year's 32. He has an outside shot at a career high in points (he is currently 4 points off his pace from last year).

Brad Marchand has career highes in goals, assists, and points at 27-27-54, although this doesn't so much refelct improvement from last year as it does just maintaining the consistent level of play he showed last year through the regular season and playoffs, and getting a full season in the top 6.

Zdeno Chara's recent flurry of assists gives him new career highs in assists (40, surpassing his previous high of 37 in 2009-10) and points (52, surpassing his previous high of 51 in 2006-07, his first year in Boston).

Chris Kelly's 20 goals are a new career high for him, surpassing his previous best of 15 (done twice during Ottawa years). His 38 points tie his career best from 2006-07, so one point in the final three games will be enough to set a new mark.

Benoit Pouliot's 14-16-30 is close to his career best. He needs one goal to tie his career high of 15, one assist to tie his career high of 17, and one point to set a new career high with 31.

Andrew Ference's 6 goals surpass his previous mark of 4.

Johnny Boychuk needs one goal to set a new career high with 6, and one point to tie his career high in points from last year with 16.

Jordan Caron's modest 7-7-14 are an improvement over his 3-4-7 from a year ago, though that is msotly about playing time.

[Lose Remerswaal]

Shawn Thornton has a career (NHL only) high in PIM.

Chara is 2nd in defensiveman scoring in the NHL

[The Four Peters]

I'm trying to find career faceoff % numbers but this is certainly a career season for Bergeron. I posted it in the gamethread that he's now tied for 1st in the NHL with a 59.5% on faceoffs. The difference is that he's tied with Joe Pavelski, who has taken 833 faceoffs to Bergeron's 1601. Bergeron is 4th in the league in total number of faceoffs taken, and is first in percentage. What he has done on dot this year is nothing short of incredible, and not many people are talking about it.

[PedroSpecialK]

One thing they've done recently is have Seguin go in first (primarily on icings) to try and get the opposing center thrown out, get thrown out himself regardless, then having Bergeron take the draw w almost no chance of getting thrown out, and sometimes against a weaker opponent. Plus it buys a few extra seconds on icings.

Pretty sure Ryan Callahan called them out on it Sunday.

[j44thor]

One thing they've done recently is have Seguin go in first (primarily on icings) to try and get the opposing center thrown out, get thrown out himself regardless, then having Bergeron take the draw w almost no chance of getting thrown out, and sometimes against a weaker opponent. Plus it buys a few extra seconds on icings.

Pretty sure Ryan Callahan called them out on it Sunday.

That is genius strategy if that is the case. What is Callahan complaining about? There is nothing illegal about that. I'm surprised no one has thought of that strategy before.

[Scoops Bolling]

Zdeno Chara's recent flurry of assists gives him new career highs in assists (40, surpassing his previous high of 37 in 2009-10) and points (52, surpassing his previous high of 51 in 2006-07, his first year in Boston).

I hadn't seen Chara get much Norris consideration talk this year; I wonder if this recent run of assists will change that.

[ForceAtHome]

That is genius strategy if that is the case. What is Callahan complaining about? There is nothing illegal about that. I'm surprised no one has thought of that strategy before.

If Bergeron cheats on the faceoff after Seguin's been thrown out, it can be a penalty. Unfortunately, this rule is very rarely called.

[Spaulding Smails]

I'm trying to find career faceoff % numbers but this is certainly a career season for Bergeron. I posted it in the gamethread that he's now tied for 1st in the NHL with a 59.5% on faceoffs. The difference is that he's tied with Joe Pavelski, who has taken 833 faceoffs to Bergeron's 1601. Bergeron is 4th in the league in total number of faceoffs taken, and is first in percentage. What he has done on dot this year is nothing short of incredible, and not many people are talking about it.

Career faceoff numbers.

11-12: 59.6
10-11: 56.6
09-10: 58.0
08-09: 54.5
07-08: 50.3
06-07: 51.2
05-06: 54.7
03-04: 49.4

[cshea]

I hadn't seen Chara get much Norris consideration talk this year; I wonder if this recent run of assists will change that.

I think Chara will be a finalist, but I don't know if he'll have enough support to overcome Karlsson's insane numbers.

[The Four Peters]

Career faceoff numbers.

11-12: 59.6
10-11: 56.6
09-10: 58.0
08-09: 54.5
07-08: 50.3
06-07: 51.2
05-06: 54.7
03-04: 49.4

Where'd you find those?

I think Chara will be a finalist, but I don't know if he'll have enough support to overcome Karlsson's insane numbers.

I actually think Chara's had a down year defensively, he definitely had a stretch during Feb-Mar where he was pretty pedestrian (by his standards) in the D zone.

[PedroSpecialK]

I think Chara will be a finalist, but I don't know if he'll have enough support to overcome Karlsson's insane numbers.

Karlsson plays almost nada on the PK. It will be interesting to see if Chara finishes 2nd in points (I doubt he will) as that would really challenge whether Karlsson has any argument for "best defenseman".

[Spaulding Smails]

Where'd you find those?

http://www.nhl.com/i...ffPercentageAll

Just keep changing the season.

[cshea]

Karlsson plays almost nada on the PK. It will be interesting to see if Chara finishes 2nd in points (I doubt he will) as that would really challenge whether Karlsson has any argument for "best defenseman".

It's the same argument that we had back in '08/'09 when Green put up ridiculous offensive numbers. Does the offense overcome the defensive deficiencies?

I also agree with TFP about Chara's mediocre Feb-March. That may end up doing him in.

[The Four Peters]

http://www.nhl.com/i...ffPercentageAll

Just keep changing the season.

Sigh. Makes sense. I kept looking around his player profile for an easy season by season chart.

[NYCSox]

I'd probably give it to Weber but I do think this late flurry will get him serious consideration.

[Myt1]

I think Chara will be a finalist, but I don't know if he'll have enough support to overcome Karlsson's insane numbers.

NHL tonight made the point last night that "defensive" minded voters might split between Chara and Weber, leaving Karlsson an easy path.

[Jettisoned]

Karlsson's horrible "defensive game" is a myth. He doesn't block many shots or make big hits because plays defense through takeaways and moving the puck out of his own end and through the neutral zone extremely quickly. He leads all defensemen in takeaways with 63. By comparison Weber's got 50, Chara 27. Most of the criticism of Karlsson's play is basically the hockey equivalent of Nichols Law of Catcher Defense.

[Jettisoned]

Also its pretty stupid to divorce players' "offensive game" from their "defensive game" as if being good at moving the play up the ice away from your own goal and keeping it there doesn't prevent the other team from scoring.

[PedroSpecialK]

Not saying his defensive game is horrible by any stretch. In my eyes, he could pass as an Andy Ference-esque #3-4 defender in his own end. It's up to the voters to determine whether the best offensive defenseman in the game who plays an average to slightly-above-average defensive game is more worthy of a Norris than the second best offensive defenseman in the game who plays arguably the best defensive game. I know how I'd vote, but admittedly I over-value defense in Norris voting.

I disagree with you on "divorcing" offensive vs. defensive play. Yes, Karlsson gives his team an added benefit by having a lot of offensive zone possession. At the same time, he handicaps them by being caught down deep or not being back when a turnover occurs, resulting in a 2-on-1 or 3-on-2. It goes both ways - and those odd-man rushes carry much higher scoring chance probabilities than simple offensive zone possession for an opponent.

Not saying Karlsson isn't a deserving nominee or even a deserving winner - but I wouldn't vote for him over Chara/Weber.

Edited by PedroSpecialK, 03 April 2012 - 11:50 AM.