During the 2019-20 NHL season we will take an occasional look at some stunning numbers from around the league. Here is what has stood out to us from the four teams participating in the Conference Finals.
Lightning dominance
1 — The number of times the Tampa Bay Lightning missed the net with a shot attempt in their Game 1 win over the Islanders on Monday night. Over the past 10 years there has only been one other instance where a team missed the net on just one (or less) shot attempts in a playoff game — Tampa against the Canadiens during the 2015-16 playoffs.
2 — The number of goals against that Tampa’s line of Yanni Gourde, Blake Coleman, and Barclay Goodrow has been on the ice for in close to 200 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time this postseason. Not only has that trio completely shut teams down, they have also made a nice contribution offensively and have given the Lightning an elite third line to further balance out an already great lineup. Two of those players, Coleman and Goodrow, were acquired at the trade deadline for future first-round draft picks. Given how well they have played, as well as their cheap contracts for next season (combined salary cap hit of just $2.7 million for the duo) they are looking like outstanding additions.
63% — The percentage of Tampa’s goals (30 out of 47) that at least one of Brayden Point or Nikita Kucherov has been on the ice for this postseason. As a duo, they have been on the ice together for 24 goals, while Kucherov has been on for three goals without Point, and Point has been on for three without Kucherov. No player still playing in the Conference Finals has more points than them, despite the fact Tampa has played in two less games than each of the other three teams.
Where did this Dallas offense come from?
0.60 — The increase in goals per game for the Stars from the regular season to the playoffs. After averaging just 2.58 goals per game during the regular season (26th in the NHL), the Dallas Stars have already averaged 3.18 goals per game in the playoffs, an increase of 0.60 goals per game. More on the Stars’ offensive breakout this postseason here.
27.3% — A big part of that offensive increase has come from the power play, where the Stars enter Game 2 on Tuesday night (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN) converting on 27.3% of their opportunities. A 27.3% power play success rate during the regular season would have been the second best in the league (trailing only Edmonton at 29.5%).
34 — The number of points that defenseman duo of Miro Heiskanen and John Klingberg have combined this postseason. Just for comparisons sake, here are how many points all of the defenseman on the other three teams have combined for this postseason: Golden Knights (38), Lightning (37), Islanders (34). Given their usage and the way they each lead their own defense pairing, the Stars have a No. 1, elite point producing defenseman on the ice for at least 45 minutes each and every game.
[NBC 2020 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]
Making The Right Moves
4 — The number of goals against that the defense duo of Nick Leddy and Andy Greene has been on the ice for in 200 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time. How good is that number? The only defense pairing in the league this postseason that has been on the ice for less goals against (minimum 100 minutes of ice-time together) is the Colorado duo of Cale Makar and Ryan Graves. They were on the ice for three goals against in 156 minutes. Leddy and Greene were only victimized once in nine minutes of ice-time together during Tampa’s eight-goal outburst in Game 1, meaning the Islanders gave up seven goals in the 51 minutes these two did not play. The New York Islanders added Greene at the trade deadline for some added defensive depth by sending a couple of draft picks to the Devils.
76% — The goals-for percentage for the Islanders when Jean-Gabriel Pageau, their other big trade deadline acquisition, has been on the ice at even-strength. The Islanders have scored 10 of the 13 goals with Pageau on the ice as he continues to be one of their best players this postseason. He has scored big goals and been a lockdown defensive player that has been a perfect fit for their style of play.
0.51 — Like the Stars, the Islanders have also seen a stunning increase in their goal-scoring. After finishing the regular season with an average 2.78 goals per game, one of the lowest marks in the league, the Islanders have averaged 3.29 during the playoffs. They already have four different players with at least seven goals and five different players to hit double digits in points.
The Shea Theodore show
20-9 — The Vegas Golden Knights‘ goal differential when Theodore is on the ice during 5-on-5 play (290 minutes) this postseason. He is also the team’s leading scorer (16 points) and is tied for second on the team in goals (six) trailing only Alex Tuch (eight).
3 — The number of shutouts recorded by Robin Lehner in the Golden Knights’ Second Round series, making him just the 15th different goalie in NHL history to record three shutouts in a single postseason series. He is the first to do it since Michael Leighton accomplished the feat for the Flyers during the 2009-10 postseason.
59.8 — The Golden Knights total shot attempt percentage for the playoffs as they own a commanding 880-590 lead in that category. How dominant has that territorial edge been? Since the start of the 2007-08 playoffs, only one team that played in at least 10 playoff games in a single postseason has finished with a higher mark — The 2007-08 Red Wings at 60.1%.
Data in this post via Natural Stat Trick
MORE STANLEY CUP COVERAGE:
• Stanley Cup Playoffs Conference Final schedule
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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.
