By The Numbers: Canucks Stats Through The ASG Break

Now that the ASG gongshow is out of the way, we can get back to what matters: locking up the NW and home ice advantage for at least the first round. It's a fifteen point divisional lead which is certainly commendable, but far from ironclad. They have some injuries to deal with, scoring droughts to end and a bunch of teams to keep their eyes on.

If the playoffs started today, we'd be facing San Jose (is it ever too early to start rosterbating about the spring?).

In the meantime, here's a quick look at some key stats and career paces for the players as they enter the last ten weeks of the season. If you hate numbers and cringe at words like Corsi, then I suggest skipping this and instead figure how to find the right girl for you (I keep landing on the hot cello-playing librarian...I'll take it).

Team Leaders

• Goals - Kesler & D. Sedin - 27
• Assists - H. Sedin - 50
• Points - D. Sedin - 67
• +/- - D. Sedin & Bieksa - +21
• PIM - Bieksa - 59
• Even Strength Goals - Kesler & D. Sedin - 16
• Power Play Goals - D. Sedin - 11
• Short Handed Goals - Malhotra, Raymond & Kesler - 1
• Game Winning Goals - Kesler - 6
• Shots - Kesler - 161
• Shooting % - Sweatt & Bliznak - 100% (ignoring them it's D. Sedin at 17.1%)
• Average Time On Ice - Edler - 24:24
• Hits - Hansen - 105
• Blocked shots - Edler - 80
• Takeaways - Kesler - 41
• Giveaways - Bieksa - 33
• Minor Penalties - Bieksa - 22
• Major Penalties - Glass - 8
• Fights - Glass - 8

In The NHL Top Ten

• Goals - D.Sedin (T-3rd), Kesler (T-3rd)
• Assists - H. Sedin (1st), D. Sedin (3rd)
• Points - D. Sedin (3rd), H. Sedin (4th)
• +/- - D.Sedin (T-7th), Bieksa (T-7th)
• PPG - D. Sedin (T-2nd), Kesler (T-3rd)
• PPA - H. Sedin (T-6th)
• PPP - D. Sedin (T-2nd), H. Sedin (T-7th)
• GWG - Kesler (T-1st)
• Goalie Wins - Luongo (T-5th)
• GAA - Luongo (7th)
• Save % - Luongo (T-7th)
• Goalie Assists - Luongo (T-2nd), Schneider (T-2nd)
• Faceoff % - Malhotra (2nd), Kesler (10th)

On career-best paces

• D. Sedin - 48G, 64A, 112P
• H. Sedin - 87A
• Kesler - 48G, 83P
• Edler* - 14G, 42A, 56P
• Ehrhoff - 35A, 49P
• Samuellson - 47A
• Tambellini - 16G, 12A, 28P
• Hansen - 17A, 26P
• Glass - 5G, 8A, 13P
• Bolduc - 2G, 3A, 5P

Already surpassed career season bests (obvious rookie nods in here)

• Kesler - 27G
• Tambellini - 9G, 16P
• Bolduc - 1G, 2A, 3P
• Volpatti - 1G, 1A, 2P
• Blizak - 1G, 1A, 2P
• Shirokov - 1G, 1P
• Lee Sweatt - 1G, 1P
• Tanev - 1A, 1P

Advanced Stats (Forward and Defense; Min. 10 Games)

• ES GFON/60 - Kesler (3.16) & Edler (2.99)
• PP GFON/60 - Volpatti (11.92) & Ehrhoff (11.24)
• ES GAON/60 - Torres (2.67) & Rome (2.47)
  
• PK GAON/60 - Samuelsson (36.36) & Rome (7.96)
• Offensive Zone Starts - D. Sedin (72%) & Edler (59%)
• Least Offense Zone Starts - Malhotra (28%) & Ballard (40%)
• Best Qualcomp - Burrows (.044) & Bieksa (.042)
• Worst Qualcomp - Volpatti (-.079) & Alberts (-.035)
• Best Corsi QoC - Samuelsson (.074) & Hamhuis (.339) 
• Worst Corsi QoC - Desbiens (-4.152) & Alberts (-1.148)
• Best Corsi REL - H. Sedin (19.4) & Ehrhoff (11.7)
• Worst Corsi REL - Malhotra (-22.2) & Ballard (-21.3)

Pairing Frequencies

• Most frequent even strength scoring line - Sedins/Burrows - 13.7%
• Most frequent power play scoring line - Sedins/Kesler - 51.5%
• Most frequent penalty killing line - Malhotra/Hansen - 26.6%
• Most frequent OT line - Sedins - 21.9%
• Most frequent even strength defensive pairing - Edler/Ehrhoff - 21.6%
• Most frequent power play defensive pairing - Edler/Ehrhoff - 50.9%
• Most frequent penalty killing defensive pairing - Bieksa/Hamhuis - 25.7%
• Most frequent OT defensive pairing - Edler/Ehrhoff - 23.9%

For the record (there'll be a quiz later on)

• Heaviest player on the team - Malhotra - 220lbs
• Lightest player on the team - Bliznak, Raymond and Tanev - 185 lbs
• Tallest - Alberts - 6'5''
• Shortest - Sweatt - 5'9''
• Oldest - Samuellson ** - 34
  
• Youngest - Tanev - 21
• Goalie Catching Side - Both are lefties
• Shooting Side - Everyone shoots left except Samuelsson, Bieksa, Perrault, Rypien, Kesler, Desbiens, Shirokov and Hansen
• 4% -  The number of surveyed NHL'ers who think Kesler is the toughest forward to play against
• 17% - The number of surveyed NHL'ers who think Luongo is the toughest to score on
• 6% -  The number of surveyed NHL'ers who think H. Sedin is the smartest player to play against
• 7% -  The number of surveyed NHL'ers who think Rogers Arena has the best ice
• 6% -  The number of surveyed NHL'ers who say Rogers Arena is their favorite to play in
• 12% -  The number of surveyed NHL'ers who think Vancouver is overrated
• Fin's Least Favorite Team: Hartford Whalers

* = :(

** = Doesn't include Salo

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Pithy thoughts:

> At the risk of stating the obvious, losing Edler is going to be felt all over the offense (he lead in points and assists) and on special teams (top defenseman by TOI at ES and PP). Top minutes, top shot blocker, he leaves a big hole to be filled.

> I wonder if that 17% who think Luongo is the toughest to score on were including the shootout. (I kid. Sort of.)

> Only four roster players this season don't have a point - Perrault, Desbien, Parent & Andersson.

> Just when I thought Kesler couldn't impress me more, I find out he's tied with seven others for the lead league in game-winning goals. Oh and a former NHL exec is trumpeting the MVP call for him (subscription required).

> Malhotra is being fed to the wolves on a nightly basis; that Corsi REL is damn near one of the worst in the league. We should forget about his lack of scoring and be proud when he finishes a night in the black.

> Quietly - and perhaps greatly assisted by the Ginger Jesus spelling him more recently - Luongo is putting together a strong campaign. He's very much on pace to match many of his stats from the 2006 season.

> At the point pace they're on, either Henrik or Daniel will be the highest scoring player in franchise history in about two seasons.

> Luongo also needs one more point for four on the year, a new career best for him. Schneider also has three points.

> At the goals per season pace he's on, Daniel will be the highest goal scorer in franchise history in about five seasons.

> Who is more of an unsung hero at this point than Hansen?

> Sweatt and Bliznak are the only NHL'ers this season to have a 100% shooting percentage. RUUUUUDY.

> It would be great to see Burrows find the back of net, but raise your hand if you knew Burrows has the third best career +/- on the team (+83). Obviously it helps skating with the Sedins who are first and second (Hank & Daniel, respectively).

> Here's something I don't mind seeing the Canucks ranked low in.

> Daniel and Kesler both have a shot to crack the 50 goal marker this season. The last time a Canuck reached that plateau was in 1997-98 (Pavel Bure - 51 goals).

> Henrik has a 48 assists per season pace (diluted from his first few years). Check this out: at that pace it would take him 31 more seasons to reach Gretzky's league record of 1,963 assists. (Lifetime contract!)