NHL teams converting more with man-advantage despite less opportunities
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Power-play units around the NHL are increasingly doing more with less.
With the season approaching the two-thirds point, teams are capitalizing on more power-play opportunities than they have in more than a quarter-century.
In the 803 games played through Saturday, there have been 1,011 goals scored on 5,095 opportunities, a success rate of 19.8 percent. That's up from 19.1 percent last season and would be the best in a full season since 1989-90, when teams scored on 20.8 percent of their chances.
But the number of power plays has continued to decline as the season progresses.
Through Saturday, there have been an average of 6.34 power plays per game. That number has been dropping steadily since the early stages of the season. There were 7.44 power plays per game through October, but that dropped to 6.19 in November, 6.21 in December and 5.67 through the first 203 games of 2018.
At that rate, there could be even fewer power plays this season than in 2016-17, when the 1,230 games played had an average of 5.97 power plays. For comparison, 10 years ago, the 1,230 games played during the 2007-08 season had an average of 8.57 power plays (and a success rate of 17.8 percent).
The Carolina Hurricanes continue to be the most disciplined team in the League; they've given opponents 124 power plays in 52 games (2.38 per game). The Anaheim Ducks have allowed a League-high 198 power plays in 53 games (3.74 per game).
Leaving points on the table
The Philadelphia Flyers couldn't be totally upset after their 4-3 shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. After all, they got a point in a game after trailing 3-1 with less than six minutes remaining in the third period.
But the Flyers could wind up paying a big price for their inability to win shootouts.
Six Philadelphia shooters failed to score before Ottawa's Mike Hoffman beat Michal Neuvirth for the win, handing the Flyers their fourth consecutive loss and dropping them to 0-4 in shootouts, the worst record in the League. Each of the other seven teams in the Metropolitan Division has won at least twice in the shootout.
Shootout struggles are nothing new for the Flyers. Since the NHL adopted the shootout in 2005 to settle games that are tied after the five-minute overtime, Philadelphia is 40-79. The Flyers' .336 winning percentage is the worst in the League (no other team is below 40 percent) and their 79 losses are second to the Florida Panthers (63-84).
Slow starters
While the Flyers have struggled to win games that go past overtime, the New York Islanders can't seem to start on time.
The Islanders have allowed the first goal 33 times in their 53 games, most in the NHL. They're tied for second with the Arizona Coyotes with 24 losses when allowing the opposition to score first (19 in regulation, five in overtime or a shootout), second-most in the League behind the Buffalo Sabres (26).
Not surprisingly, the Islanders have allowed the most first-period goals in the NHL (58, and they've been outshot 634-511 in first periods, including 26-12 in a 4-3 victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. New York has allowed 99 shots in its past two games and an NHL-high 1,875 this season.
The Islanders were outshot 49-38 by Columbus, the third time in less three weeks they've allowed 49 or more shots; perhaps amazingly, they've won two of those games.
Seeking Super sweep
If it's Super Bowl weekend, that means the Montreal Canadiens are playing back-to-back afternoon home games.
The Canadiens are playing their back-to-back Super Bowl afternoon games for the 27th time; they'll try for their seventh Super sweep and third in six seasons when the Senators come to Bell Centre (1 p.m. ET; SN, RDS, NHL.TV). Montreal defeated the Anaheim Ducks 5-2 on Saturday.
Overall, the Canadiens are 28-19-2 with four ties on Super Bowl weekend, including 14-10-1 with one tie on Super Bowl Sunday. Montreal is 6-7-1 with one tie when the New England Patriots play in the Super Bowl and 2-1-0 when the game is played in Minneapolis, site of Super Bowl LII.
Unjust reward?
Justin Holl made history this week when he became the sixth defenseman in NHL history and first ever with the Toronto Maple Leafs to score goals in each of his first two games. He did it on his first two NHL shots.
But Holl's hopes for making it 3-for-3 will have to wait.
Holl got the chance to play Wednesday when Ron Hainsey and Roman Polak had to miss the game because of illness with Morgan Rielly already sidelined by an upper-body injury. He scored in the third period of a 5-0 win against the Islanders. One night later, this time with his father on hand, Holl scored the first goal in Toronto's 4-0 win against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
But fate intervened. Because Holl was an emergency call up, he had to go back to the Toronto of the American Hockey League after Hainsey got over his illness and Rielly was activated from injured reserve Saturday. In the meantime, Holl the only player in the NHL this season to have taken more than one shot and have a perfect shooting percentage.
