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| (Photo via senators.nhl.com) |
I will compare statistics from the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons to demonstrate how this team has turned their luck around. I will use averages for certain points and raw numbers in others even though only half the season has passed. These are the 3 main reasons why the Sens are in a very good place and a team to watch:
1 - Offensive in the 3rd period: The Sens were downright terrible in the third period last season. In 82 games, they scored 63 goals while giving up 93. A -30 goal differential is a nasty stat to take home while other teams are playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Flip it to 2012 and you have a very different story. In 41 games this season, they have already racked up 61 goals. On the defensive side, they allowed 51 in the final frame. The Sens are trending way higher in offence which is an amazing turnaround over last season. They will need to be more alert on the defensive side or they will giveaway more goals than last season. This team never gives up, and have won a league high 6 games when trailing after 2 periods. Not the best position to be in, but it shows their resiliency.
2 - Top players are playing: Ottawa's offense was anemic at best last season. Looks like Paul MacLean's magic mustache did the trick. At the top of the list, Jason Spezza is leading the team with a 0.93 points per game average, compared to 0.92 last year. Not a significant change, but an improvement nonetheless. Spezza is a consistent point producer who needs to play the full 82 game set to ensure this team's success. He only played 62 games in 2011, good for 57 points. Comparatively, he has 42 points in 43 games in 2012. On the most improved side, Captain Alfredsson and break out star Karlsson are leading the way. Alfie has picked up the pace since last season as his average per game has skyrocketed from 0.57 to 0.89. As for Karlsson, 0.60 to 0.95 points per game. Michalek is leading the way with 20 goals, already surpassing his 18 from last year. The top 10 Senators scorers this season are sitting at 0.65 points per game on average compared to 0.48 last campaign. One more bit before I close out this section: Ottawa is in the top tier for goals for in the NHL. I broke down all of these stats to show you that Ottawa has found their offense which is surprising tons of opponents this year.
3 - We're the kids in Ottawa: They are a bit younger this season (27.5 vs 28.1 average age). When you have guys like Alfredsson, Gonchar and Kuba on your roster, they will surely bring that average up. MacLean's club is currently carrying 5 rookies on his roster, which has really brought new life to the team. Jared Cowen is logging big minutes and is leading this young crew. The addition of Turris has solidified the Sens down the middle. In 10 games since being acquired, Turris has 7 points. Amazing considering the kid missed training camp due to a contractual stalemate. Ottawa did trade Rundblad in order to get Turris which really pissed off a lot of fans. I believe the trade was the right move since the Sens have solid D-men in the system. Karlsson and Cowen's play also made him expendable.
With half the season in the rear view, the Sens are in a good position to compete for a playoff spot. They will have a tough road ahead with the Bruins, Rangers and Panthers playing great hockey in the East. The Senators will need to stay focused on their game, sharpen up on the defensive end without losing that offensive edge. If they can stay in the thick of the playoff race until the end of the season and squeak in, anything can happen. I would not want to play a team like Ottawa in the tourney. No matter how far behind they are, this team believes that they can win.
-Paqman
Marc, couldn't agree with you more but there are a few concerns heading into the 2nd half of the season when things really feel like a marathon. 1st. Can a 39 year old Alfie maintain this level of production? Can he stay healthy when players of his age breakdown during the dog days of winter? Can the young guns like Karlsson and Cowen, Michalek (concussion issues) keep it going during the final stretch? And finally Goaltending? Do you believe in Craig Anderson to lead you into the playoffs? Its interesting to note that Brian Elliot (former Sens Goalie) is killing it for the Blues and overtook Halak as the Number 1 goalie in St. Louis where the blues are tied with Detroit for top spot in the Central. Hmmmmmm Watch out for St. Louis this team is for real
ReplyDeleteThe Hustler, thanks for taking the time to drop by and throw down your comments! Much appreciated!
ReplyDeleteKen Hitchcock is for real! The Blues have been on fire since he took over as bench boss. They have a great mix of kids and vets which will be a huge asset in the playoffs.
As for the concerns, I feel you on all fronts. As I said in my post, I have no expectations, so the boat could sink tomorrow and I would consider this rebuilding season a success.
Turris has rejuvenated the Captain and I think he can handle the grind. The key for this team is balanced scoring. We've been seeing it over the last little while and it's nice to see considering the teams in the past that relied heavily on the first line.
Anderson has been a good goalie for this team, but I wasn't big on that 3 year re-up brought to you by Murray. I want to see Lehner play asap. This is the perfect time for Nordic Nutjob to come in and log some minutes...and Auld has been horrible.
I don't expect Anderson to lead this team deep in the plaoffs but who knows what will happen. If he gets hot at the right time, he's one of the best in the biz.
Props to Kuba as well! I've been dogging that guy for 2 years!