Sports News 247

Washington Capitals Weekly Trends: Slip Sliding Away?

0



Welcome to the 15th installment of our Washington Capitals weekly trends report. The regular feature provides a very brief snapshot of the most relevant statistical trends for the Capitals over the past seven days.

The following table lists the Capitals team stats and league rankings for last week (left side) after 53 games, and the current stats and rankings for today, after 57 games. The colors indicate improving (green) and/or worsening (red) trends over the past week. [Click to enlarge]

[The statistics used in this post are courtesy of Natural Stat Trick, MoneyPuck and the NoVa Caps Advanced Analytics Model (NCAAM). If you’d like to learn more about the statistical terms used in this post, please check out our NHL Analytics Glossary]

THE WEEK

The Capitals began the week with an impressive 2-1 win over the Bruins in Boston last Saturday. The game was followed by a stinker, just 18 hours later, against a well-rested Sharks team on Super Bowl Sunday. This week’s snapshot ended with a 6-3 loss to the Florida Panthers on Thursday night.

NEGATIVES

Shots – The Capitals took a hit in most shot-related statistics this week, as goals for and against and shots for and against dropped. The Sharks game, which is a tough one to put a lot of credence in do to the turnaround time, was the main culprit.

Possession Metrics – Most key possession metrics also took a minor hit this week. Again, mostly due to the Sharks game.

Turnovers – The Capitals also took a sizeable hit in turnovers this week.

Goaltending – The Capitals netminding pair has been playable, but underwhelming over the last week.


POSITIVES

The positives are seemingly scant, but considering the missing personnel and strength of schedule, not overly alarming. The following table presents a few interesting key metrics for games after the All-Star and bye-week break.

Expected Goals Differential – The Capitals posted positive expected goals differentials against the Hurricanes and Panthers, and were close to even with the Bruins. That’s impressive. The dud, again, San Jose and the short turnaround.

High-Danger Area – The Capitals improved in the high-danger area. Again, keep an eye on these numbers as we approach the postseason, as gritty goals are key in the postseason.

Penalties – The Capitals continue to be among the league’s best at penalties, for and against.


THE WEEK AHEAD

The Capitals begin this week’s snapshot with a depleted lineup in the Stadium Series game against the Carolina Hurricanes. They then return home for three critical games against the Red Wings on Tuesday, The Ducks on Thursday and the Rangers on Saturday. They need to get players back starting next week.

The return of captain Alex Ovechkin is unknown, however it looks like Tom Wilson is very close. But for me, keep an eye on the pending return of Nic Dowd. As soon as he’s back look for the immediate reunification of the Protas-Dowd-Hathaway line, the 6th-best overall line in all of hockey this season. And they are 4th liners.

By Jon Sorensen


SEASON TOTALS

About Jon Sorensen

Jon has been a Caps fan since day one, attending his first game at the Capital Centre in 1974. His interest in the Caps has grown over the decades and included time as a season ticket holder. He has been a journalist covering the team for 10+ years, primarily focusing on analysis, analytics and prospect development.





Source link

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.