GDT: 2024-25 season game 14 LA Kings Minnesota Wild @5:00pm 11/5/24

[lumbergh]

Even Ovechkin, poised to break Gretzky's goal-scoring record, hit a 7-game goalless streak when he scored a career-high 65 goals.

And his longest goal-scoring streak that season was 6 games.

There's no doubt that in general, you need your top players to produce more. But you also need to look at what they're doing when the points aren't coming.

Despite only scoring 1 goal, Byfield has been on the positive side 5vs5. Most interestingly, Byfield has been the team’s most effective penalty killer. He covers so much room in the defensive zone and is so disruptive in the neutral zone he makes controlling the puck super difficult on the other team. So far the Kings have NOT BEEN SCORED ON while QB is killing penalties.

He’s doing good things all over the ice despite not putting the puck in the net.

 

[lumbergh]

A couple of early season numbers showing how good QB and Foegele have been as a PK pair:

QB and Foegele rank #4 and #5 in the NHL in time on ice killing penalties without getting scored on so far this season. #1 and #2 amongst forwards.

Foegele leads the NHL in shots for percentage while killing penalties (at least 20 minutes) at 50% (10 shots for 10 shots against). QB ranks second at 45% (9 SF 11 SA).