On the Forecheck
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Dallas captain delivering Morrow-nic performance
by Forechecker on 11/03/08 at 11:15 AM ET
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This week’s update of the NHL Penalty Plus/Minus figures only adds further confirmation of the Dallas Stars meltdown chronicled today by both Eric McErlain at NHL Fanhouse and Greg Wyshynski, Yahoo’s Puck Daddy. When you look at the worst performers in Penalty Plus/Minus, the usual suspects are defensemen playing heavy minutes against elite opponents, so Braydon Coburn, Paul Ranger, and Anton Volchenkov, there’s at least a decent reason why you’re down there.
But Brenden Morrow? What are you doing tied for the worst Penalty Plus/Minus (-7) in the league? You’re not demonstrating toughness, that’s for sure; just a loss of composure that’s leaving your teammates shorthanded, a situation they can ill afford as Dallas sits in the 12th spot in the Western Conference. Their .417 Winning Percentage places them 25th in the entire NHL.
For a tough, physical captain who can bring the noise responsibly, take a look at Calgary’s Jarome Iginla who draws two calls (10) for every one he’s taken (5) so far.
Data updated through games of November 2, 2008
Click here to go to the Google Doc
But let’s not be so negative on a Monday morning, shall we? There’s the sensational start that Devin Setoguchi is off to in San Jose, leading the red-hot Sharks in scoring and generating power plays by drawing calls. Erik Cole’s hustle is making up somewhat for his lack of offensive production in Edmonton, and the same holds true for Petteri Nokelainen in Boston.
For now, it seems like this list is top-loaded with energetic young players (like Ryan Jones, leading Nashville with a +7), and it will be interesting to see when or if the traditional big-name talents like Malkin, Datsyuk, Lecavalier and Crosby start to pull away from the pack.
Filed in: NHL Statistical Analysis | On the Forecheck | Permalink
Tags: brenden+morrow, devin+setoguchi, jarome+iginla, ryan+jones,
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About On the Forecheck
Dirk Hoag is the Forechecker, churner of NHL stats and analysis. Having started over 10 years ago writing for websites like In the Crease and e-Sports, Dirk launched On The Forecheck in 2005 to cover the Nashville Predators as well as apply statistical analysis to NHL hockey.
With all the whining/chatter going on in Dallas, they are starting to mirror their football counterparts across town. Headed for a first-class playoff-missing meltdown if they keep it up.
Posted by pwnicholson from Nashville, TN on 11/03/08 at 12:28 PM ET