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Some Stats: Matt Martin doesn’t mind playing the body

Matt Martin

Some Stats is a weekly feature that will run every Thursday on PHT. In Some Stats, we look at some stats.

146 – Total hits for Islanders forward Matt Martin, the most in the NHL. Yes, even more than Minnesota’s Cal Clutterbuck (145), the three-time defending champion in the category. The hits stat is one of the more contentious in the NHL…if a debate over hockey stats can ever be considered contentious. Maybe that word should be reserved for arguments that really matter. Like which was better – Knight Rider or Airwolf? (It’s Airwolf.) The point is, hits are handed out pretty easily in certain buildings, thus the dubious accuracy of the stat.

3 – Total hits for Wild forward Pierre-Marc Bouchard in 34 games. The perfect retort for Clutterbuck in response to those that say his hit totals are inflated. If they were cooking the books in Minnesota, wouldn’t they throw a few hits Bouchard’s way? Even Kyle Wellwood has four hits. He apologized for three of them, but still.

0 – Shutouts for Ottawa’s Craig Anderson. The only goalie with at least 30 starts (there are eight others) without a perfect game. Other notables without a shutout include Corey Crawford, Martin Brodeur, Kari Lehtonen, and Steve Mason. (Mason’s notable because he’s started 21 games. Only Scott Howson is surprised he doesn’t have a shutout.)

.898 – Save percentage for Nashville’s Pekka Rinne in December. Clearly phoning it in now that he’s got his seven-year, $49 million guaranteed contract. These professional athletes… Actually, Rinne was brilliant Wednesday versus Minnesota and he was great in November (he signed Nov. 3), but he’s had his share of forgettable outings the last month. Twice the Predators bailed him out, scoring six goals to the five he allowed. Nashville’s high-powered like that.

1,629 – Career points for Jaromir Jagr. The most of any active player in the NHL. Only six active players boast more than 1,000 career points, the others being Teemu Selanne (1,375), Nicklas Lidstrom (1,131), Daniel Alfredsson (1,049), Jarome Iginla (1,035) and Joe Thornton (1,031). That’s pretty impressive company for Jagr to be leading. He should be booed mercilessly.