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WWYDW: Scoring Woes
Jan 12, 2017, 06:53 ESTUpdated: Oct 12, 2017, 17:17 EDT
Over the last 10 games, Patrick Maroon has scored seven
even-strength goals, which is a fantastic total. The remainder of the Edmonton
Oilers roster has scored just 10, which is a much less impressive number. Nix
the goals that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl tallied, as well as that of
injured forward Tyler Pitlick, and Maroon has as many even-strength goals in that
span as every healthy bottom-nine forward on the team put together.
even-strength goals, which is a fantastic total. The remainder of the Edmonton
Oilers roster has scored just 10, which is a much less impressive number. Nix
the goals that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl tallied, as well as that of
injured forward Tyler Pitlick, and Maroon has as many even-strength goals in that
span as every healthy bottom-nine forward on the team put together.
In this week’s edition of What Would You Do Wednesday, we
ask what our readers would do to address the problem.
ask what our readers would do to address the problem.
The good news is that the power play has done a lot to cover
for the offensive outage elsewhere, which has bought Todd McLellan and his
staff some time to figure out how to restart a sputtering attack. The figures
before and after December 1 bear some attention:
for the offensive outage elsewhere, which has bought Todd McLellan and his
staff some time to figure out how to restart a sputtering attack. The figures
before and after December 1 bear some attention:
- Before Dec. 1: 32.3 shots/hour, 8.2 shooting percentage,
2.65 goals/hour - Since Dec. 1: 29.9 shots/hour, 7.2 shooting percentage, 2.17
goals/hour
Shooting percentage is part of the problem, though it’s
hardly catastrophic. Edmonton is presently just above the league average by
5-on-5 shooting percentage, and even a 7.2 percent number would rank them 20th
in the NHL. In other words, there’s not too much to see here.
hardly catastrophic. Edmonton is presently just above the league average by
5-on-5 shooting percentage, and even a 7.2 percent number would rank them 20th
in the NHL. In other words, there’s not too much to see here.
The shot drop-off is a little more interesting. 32 shots per
hour would be the fifth-best total in the league, and suggest a high-end
offensive team. 30 shots per hour is much closer to league-average, and if that’s
what the Oilers do the rest of the way it probably means they’re only an
average offensive team.
hour would be the fifth-best total in the league, and suggest a high-end
offensive team. 30 shots per hour is much closer to league-average, and if that’s
what the Oilers do the rest of the way it probably means they’re only an
average offensive team.
Let’s boil this down to the individual level, though.
Edmonton’s Forwards
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The chart above is ranked by even-strength points/game. It shows games and even-strength points since December 1, and also games without an even-strength goal or point. It isn’t hard to find the laggards.
At the top of the chart is the Oilers’ current first line.
Connor McDavid is in a bit of a shooting percentage funk, but otherwise these
three are doing just fine. After them, we should also give Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
a bit of credit.
Connor McDavid is in a bit of a shooting percentage funk, but otherwise these
three are doing just fine. After them, we should also give Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
a bit of credit.
Then come the role players. Zack Kassian is in an epic
goal-scoring drought, but he’s still picking up points, and it’s hard to fault
either Mark Letestu or Anton Lander for their scoring over the last month and a
bit.
goal-scoring drought, but he’s still picking up points, and it’s hard to fault
either Mark Letestu or Anton Lander for their scoring over the last month and a
bit.
Then we get to the problems:
- Benoit Pouliot has taken a lot of heat for his performance
this season, and rightly so. He’s scored at a 19-point full season pace since
December 1 and that’s not nearly good enough. - Jordan Eberle is also a popular target. Not only has he been
less productive by points/game than Pouliot, but he’s done it with a lot more
ice-time, including primo minutes with McDavid. - One doesn’t hear a whole lot about Milan Lucic’s struggles
because until lately the power play has helped cover them up. He has history as
a high-end 5-on-5 scorer, though, and this simply cannot be the new normal for
him if Edmonton is to be a competitive team. Since December 1, his scoring pace works
out to 13 even-strength points over an 82-game season. - Rookie forward Drake Caggiula had five points in his first
10 games but has just two in the 15 contests since, even with the help of power
play minutes. He’s been given a top-nine forward spot basically by default but
he hasn’t done much to lock it down. - Matt Hendricks, even at his best, didn’t score much. He’s
now 35; very few role players last that long. - Jesse Puljujarvi, freshly dispatched to the minors, burnt a
year of his entry-level deal and restricted free agency without scoring an
even-strength goal.
That’s a snapshot of the recent scoring problems at both a
team and individual level. This week’s question: If you had the power what would you, the reader, do
about it?
team and individual level. This week’s question: If you had the power what would you, the reader, do
about it?
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