It is time to debut a new Tuesday column and trot it out. Ground control to Major Tom is one of my favorite lines to a song from David Bowie (Space Oddity). So after reading some of these random facts…you may want to say the same thing to yourself. We previewed one of these facts on twitter this morning.
- Cam Ward, Roberto Luongo, and Martin Brodeur are a combined 0-7 with a 4.22 GAA and a save percentage well below .900. No word on how guys like Fleury and Mason feel about this for Team Canada.
- Brandon Dubinsky leads the league in plus/minus with a +5. That should last for maybe one or two nights tops.
- Toronto still cannot play defense or tend their goal much evidenced by the first two games. Maybe the personnel really does not matter. Could Jack FM take over their team? It would be about the same.
- Granted its only two games but the Calgary Flames have a PP success rate of 66%. I am thinking that is how Brent Sutter drew it up on the chalkboard.
- Conversely there are teams like Detroit and New Jersey (even Vancouver who gave up 4 PPG’s in Game 1) who still stink at the Penalty Kill. This may be less oddity and more reality.
- There are three teams without a PPG (Florida, Ottawa, and Edmonton). There were none after four days of games last year.
- Boston has been shorthanded the most times so far (14). Safe to say they will not go down a man 7 times a game all season.
- Carolina has the most PP opportunities with 18…not a surprise but the Pittsburgh Penguins average the least. 5 chances in 2 games or 2.5 per….now that is strange.
- The San Jose Sharks are winning faceoffs at a 62.8% clip. Since no one finishes over 57% usually….this will not last either.
- The last fact on the flipside is that Colorado is at only 37.5% on faceoffs won. That may continue a bit longer however.
Next week we shall have more random strange facts. It is the NHL. The stats will only get more weird from here on out.
