Halak Chasing McLean’s Playoff Record For Saves

By now it is no secret that the Montreal Canadiens are the story of the 2010 NHL playoffs.  Much has been much written about Jaroslav Halak and his fantastic performances, backstopping the Habs to the third round. However, a lot of the focus on records has been on Mike Cammalleri chasing Reggie Leach’s 19  playoff goals.

While Cammalleri, who currently has 12 goals, could reach that record and it would be a great accomplishment, Jaroslav Halak is on pace to beat one the top 10 NHL playoff records of all time.

Most Saves In One Playoff Year

Prior to the first game of the conference final versus the Flyers, Halak had already registered 420 saves in 13 games during this playoff run.  Halak is averaging 32.3 Saves/Game and had 119 more saves than Chicago’s Antti Niemi heading into Sunday’s action.  At this pace, if the Canadiens play 11 more games in this playoff year, Halak will likely take over Kirk McLean’s record of 761 saves.

For Halak to reach this record, of course, means that the Canadiens must win the Eastern Conference and make it to the Stanley Cup Final. But, after knocking off the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins, beating Philadelphia seems like a definite possibility.

Even if we assume the minimum number of games that the Canadiens could play if they won the Eastern Conference (8), at an average of 32.3 saves per game, Halak would still record the most saves made in the playoffs with 678 since Olaf Kolzig recorded 696 in 1998.

Here is a quick reference of the playoff leaders in saves.

This is one of those records, like the most losses by a goaltender in a career, nobody really wants to break. But, the most saves in a playoff run is still a great accomplishment and underscores the effect that having a hot goaltender in the playoffs can still have.

UPDATE: As this post went to publication, Halak was just chased from the Montreal net in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final after making just 9 saves on 13 shots.

Capitals and Canadiens Not Playing Playoff Hockey

The NHL playoffs are often known as being a much more physically demanding brand of game than that of the regular season.  In addition, there is a notion that referees tend to “let the boys play” a bit more as opposed to being as stringent on the rulebook. Although, there appears to be evidence to the contrary.

To that end, the Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals have been playing what amounts to pond hockey in the first round.  According to the series statistics, only one player from either team is listed in the top 30 in hits thus far. (Matt Bradley – 22nd)

2010 NHL Playoff Hits

Further to this, a Montreal Canadiens player doesn’t enter this list until Dominic Moore’s name appears in the 81st slot.  In fact, the Canadiens are dead last in total hits with 112 in these playoffs.  One might assume that the Canadiens would want to be a little more physical against a potent offensive teams like the Capitals. They’ve also lost more faceoffs than any other team, giving puck possession to the Capitals 58.9% of the time.

Staying Out Of The Box

In addition to the lack of physical contact in this series, as one might expect, there have also been very few penalties called.  Except for Bench Minors of course, of which each team has two.

As you can see in the image above, the Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals are neck and neck with the Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators for penalty minutes in their respective series’.

The Verdict

The Capitals and Canadiens are playing a brand of hockey that is most conducive to a Capitals victory, being the more skilled team. That said, we all know that playoff games and series can be won or lost with goaltending. And stellar Goaltending is what neither team has had consistently.

Unless Montreal gets another outstanding performance like the .974 Save percentage he posted in Game #5, look for the Capitals to finish off the Canadiens tonight.

Capitals and Canucks Players Dominate NHL Plus-Minus

The Washington Capitals and Vancouver Canucks are dominating the NHL plus/minus leaderboard. Of course, this is not extremely shocking given their respective records and  Goals For/Game totals.

• The Capitals lead the league in Goals for/Game at 3.88, followed by the Canucks at 3.24.
• The Capitals also lead the NHL in goal differential at +66 , followed by Chicago at +31 and Vancouver at +38.
• Washington also has the league’s best winning percentage after giving up the first goal. The Capitals are 16-7-4 for a .593 winning percentage when trailing first.

The Capitals currently have 7 players in the top 11 of the NHL plus/minus leaderboard, while Canucks players hold the remaining 4 positions.

It’s not uncommon in any given season to see a few players from the league’s top teams in the top 20 of this statistical category. But, we haven’t seen complete domination of the NHL plus/minus statistic since 2006-07 when the Ottawa Senators had 7 players in the top 12 positions. Even then Buffalo, the New York Rangers and Detroit had players mixed in between.

in case you are wondering, Zach Parise and Chris Pronger land just outside the top 11. Both also have +22 marks on the season.

Who Was The First American Player To Score 50 Goals In A Season?

The 1984-85 NHL season marked a notable event in the history hockey for the United States. With his 53 goals and 95 points, 21 year old Bobby Carpenter became the first US born player to eclipse the 50-goal benchmark.

Carpenter’s 53 goals surpassed the previous record of 41 set by St. Louis Blues standout, Joe Mullen, during the previous NHL season.

However, this is not the only record that Carpenter holds. In fact, Carpenter’s early career, from as far back as high school, was full of accomplishment.

High School To The NHL

In addition to being the first to score 50 goals in a season, Carpenter is also noted as the first US citizen to jump to the NHL directly from high school. What’s more, in 1981, Carpenter became the first player born in the USA to be selected in the first round of the NHL entry draft. It is not surprising that he was named the “Can’t-Miss Kid” by Sports Illustrated that very same year.

Carpenter played in the National Hockey League for 18 seasons from 1981 to 1999. His numbers were fantastic in his early days, but Carpenter had mixed success later in his career. During his 18 seasons he took part in 1,178 games, scoring 320 goals and adding 408 assists.

Winning The Stanley Cup

One of the highlights of  Bobby Carpenter’s career was his election to the NHL All-Star game in 1985. The only moment to trump that All Star Game was when he finally won the Stanley Cup during the lockout shortened 1994-95 NHL season with the New Jersey Devils. Carpenter stuck around New Jersey following his playing days, adding more Stanley Cup rings in 2000 and 2003 as an Assistant Coach with the Devils.

Though he never scored more than 27 goals in a season following his record setting year, Bobby Carpenter was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007 along with former NHLers Aaron Broten and John Vanbiesbrouck.

The Worst Team In NHL History

I think it’s safe to say that there are some records nobody sets out to own. There is little doubt that the NHL record for worst team in a season is one such mark.

We mentioned how terrible the New York Rangers of the 1943-44 season were, losing a single game to the Detroit Red Wings in what would be the largest margin of victory in an NHL game. That horrendous team won 6 games over the course of their 50 game season, for a winning percentage of 12%. That sounds terrible doesn’t it?

Well, not so fast!

In the inaugural season for the NHL’s Washington Capitals, 1974-75, the team managed just 8 wins over an 80 game schedule, for a dismal winning percentage of just 10%! Their 8-67-5 record  is currently the worst of any team in the history of the National Hockey League.

Ron Low was the starting goaltender for the Capitals that season and the franchise had high hopes for the netminder as he racked up an impressive 1.82 GAA during the pre-season.  Low was the goalie between the pipes for all 8 wins, while amassing a 5.45 GAA in 48 appearances.

The Capitals’ other goalie, Michel Belhumeur, came over from the Philadelphia Flyers via the expansion draft.  Belhumeur played in 35 games that season but could not manage to pull off a victory.  This distinction lands him in the NHL record books for the most games played in one season by a goaltender without a win.  Interestingly, Belhumeur played the next season with the Capitals as well. He didn’t manage a win in that year either and never played in the National Hockey League again.

Alex Semin Burns Coburn, Emery For Highlight Reel Goal

On Tuesday night Alexander Semin absolutely scorched Philadelphia defenceman Braydon Coburn and beat Ray Emery through the five hole on what may be the best highlight reel goal of the season thus far.

Semin brought the puck in over the Philadelphia blueline, pulled the puck through Coburn’s legs while beating him to the outside.  Semin then grabbed the puck on his backhand, brought it quickly to his forehand and snapped it between the legs of Ray Emery.

Video of the Semin Goal below…Enjoy.

Update:

As noted in the comments, Mike Richards scored a hat trick with all three goals coming in the second period.  This is apparently the first time any Philadelphia Flyer has ever scored three goals in a home opener.

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