Phil Kessel since 1/6 - 22 games, 3 goals, 5 assists, 64 shots, -1
PJ Axelsson since 1/10 - 26 games, 2 goals, 6 assists, 30 shots, even
Blake Wheeler since 1/27 - 19 games, 3 goals, 5 assists, 46 shots, +5
David Krecji since 1/29 - 19 games, 3 goals, 5 assists, 38 shots, +8
Milan Lucic since 2/1 - 14 games, 2 goals, 5 assists, 20 shots, -4
Marc Savard since 2/10 - 13 games, 0 goals, 11 assists, 18 shots, -2
TOTAL: 113 games, 13 goals, 37 assists, 50 points, 216 shots, 6% shooting, +8
The goal-scoring column and shooting % are particularly scary. Now this isn't the most scientific way to look at the team's production because the timeframes aren't constant. Savard began to slump later, and less severely, than Kessel for instance.
But it does tell us something valuable: the top two lines (other than Ryder) have been struggling since the New Year, and the slumps are starting to "cascade" from one player to another. Note that Krecji's and Wheeler's production dropped almost simultaneously, as did Lucic's and Savard's.
Depth scoring is great, but stars must play like stars. For the first half of the season the Bruins looked to have taken a quantum leap into Cup-contender status. But if these lines don't find their game soon, they will look more like the same lunchpail squad couldn't score enough to beat Montreal last April.
1 comment:
Well it looks like the Habs might meet them in the first round again, if they make the playoffs (they probably will).
But this time Ryder will be playing.. it would be an interesting matchup!
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