Daily Faceoff midseason NHL Rankings #24-17: Some overachievers?
Welcome to the Daily Faceoff midseason report cards. Here, we’re going to be using some analytics to find out which teams are struggling and who is at the top of the class. Teams are graded on how they stack up against league average in a variety of key metrics both offensively and defensively. The best team is given a score of 100 and the worst is given 0. To determine team OVR, all five metrics (5v5 OFF, 5v5 DEF, PP, PK and Goaltending) are combined.
24 – Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks have been a mess this year for a wide variety of reasons. They currently sit second from the bottom in the Central Division because they can’t score goals or keep the puck out of their own net.
23 – New York Islanders
What a disappointing season for the Islanders. In back-to-back years they reached the Conference Final and this year they’ve fallen flat. The Islanders are getting solid goaltending but they can’t score to save their lives.
22 – New Jersey Devils
After a strong start to the season, the Devils have fallen off a cliff, losing six consecutive games. New Jersey’s big issue has been goaltending. The team has used six (!!!) different goalies and they’ve combined for an .894 save percentage.
21 – Vancouver Canucks
Can the Canucks make a comeback? They were a mess to start things off but they’ve won six in a row since hiring Bruce Boudreau as their head coach. The Canucks are getting goaltending and now they need some goals.
20 – Vegas Golden Knights
The Golden Knights seem low on this list, but we also haven’t seen them at full strength yet. Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty missed time due to injury and Jack Eichel is still on the LTIR. Goaltending has been a bit of an enigma, as Robin Lehner owns a .905 save percentage.
19 – Washington Capitals
The Capitals are in first place in the Metropolitan Division but they’re 19th in DFO’s ranking. The team’s power play has been lagging, which is a bit of a shock given the Caps employ Alex Ovechkin.
18 – Minnesota Wild
The Wild are arguably the best team in the Western Conference but DFO’s model suggests their weak point is goaltending. Cam Talbot has really carried the load in Minnesota as backup Kappo Kahkonen has been inconsistent.
17 – Colorado Avalanche
Just like with the Wild, another top Central Division team could be held back its goaltending. The Avs do a lot of things well but Darcy Kuemper hasn’t been as good as expected.