GDT: Babe Winkelman is back from his fishing trip (Leafs @ Canes)

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Looking at forwards:

Guys on Carolina with a BETTER xGA/60 5v5 than Staal: Jake Guentzel
Guys on Carolina with a BETTER CA/60 5v5 than Staal: Jesper Fast
Guys on Carolina with a BETTER SA/60 5v5 than Staal: Fast and Martinook
Guys on Carolina with less SCA/60 5v5 than Staal: Fast
Guys on Carolina with less HDCA/60 5v5 than Staal: Nobody.
Guys on Carolina with a worse on-ice SV% than Staal: Nobody
Guys on Carolina with more defensive zone starts than Staal: Nobody
Guys on Carolina with facing tougher competition than Staal: Nobody.

No doubt Staal is an offensive black hole and it's even worse this year, but he's still been really strong defensively 5v5 and his line dominates possession while on the ice.

 

[Unhinged Finn]

Looking at forwards:

Guys on Carolina with a BETTER xGA/60 5v5 than Staal: Jake Guentzel
Guys on Carolina with a BETTER CA/60 5v5 than Staal: Jesper Fast
Guys on Carolina with a BETTER SA/60 5v5 than Staal: Fast and Martinook
Guys on Carolina with less SCA/60 5v5 than Staal: Fast
Guys on Carolina with less HDCA/60 5v5 than Staal: Nobody.
Guys on Carolina with a worse on-ice SV% than Staal: Nobody
Guys on Carolina with more defensive zone starts than Staal: Nobody
Guys on Carolina with facing tougher competition than Staal: Nobody.

No doubt Staal is an offensive black hole and it's even worse this year, but he's still been really strong defensively 5v5 and his line dominates possession while on the ice.

This Nobody guy seems good defensively but does he answer the bell?

 

[HisIceness]

Taken from reddit, it's a copy pasta but it's amusing

The NHL’s expansion into the south and its consequences have been a disaster for the hockey fan race. What was once a game built on tradition, sportsmanship and competition has now evolved into a circus act where organizations appeal to the lowest common denominator in the form of childish choreography, twitter wars, and roster moves worth millions of dollars that serve no purpose than to grab headlines. Hockey is not made for the south, it’s a game deeply rooted in northern culture where kids can spend the winter out in the wilderness slapping pucks around before tuning into Hockey Night in Canada and watching the Toronto Maple Leafs get fisted raw. What we have in the south is nothing short of a disgrace. Bible belt boomers whose only contact with the cold is the air conditioning of their mobility scooters have gripped our sport with an iron fist, uprooting our traditions and replacing them with free burgers when a player touches the puck and raising banners for going a week without someone in the crowd having a heart attack because of their diets consisting of honey butter biscuits and sweet tea. The day hockey dies in the south is the day I gain my soul back.

Oh and the Leafs lost to a 42 year old zamboni driver who works for the team, huehuehue

 

[ndp]

Looking at forwards:

Guys on Carolina with a BETTER xGA/60 5v5 than Staal: Jake Guentzel
Guys on Carolina with a BETTER CA/60 5v5 than Staal: Jesper Fast
Guys on Carolina with a BETTER SA/60 5v5 than Staal: Fast and Martinook
Guys on Carolina with less SCA/60 5v5 than Staal: Fast
Guys on Carolina with less HDCA/60 5v5 than Staal: Nobody.
Guys on Carolina with a worse on-ice SV% than Staal: Nobody
Guys on Carolina with more defensive zone starts than Staal: Nobody
Guys on Carolina with facing tougher competition than Staal: Nobody.

No doubt Staal is an offensive black hole and it's even worse this year, but he's still been really strong defensively 5v5 and his line dominates possession while on the ice.

Legitimately asking.

What accounts for his team worst -14?

I know +/- is somewhat of a flawed stat. But when a perennial + player all of a sudden goes double digit - that’s got to be an indicator of something right?

Hasn’t Staal historically faced the toughest competition, take the most DZ draws and all that?

Not saying the guy is done or anything, just that watching his play this season he seems to have lost a step or so. And it seems like the -14 would maybe support that? He’s not Rod’s last season slow yet, but like I said earlier Father Time seems to be lurking in the shadows.

I would love to see them put together an amazing playoff run for the big guy, and I think they’ve taken the appropriate steps in making that happen.

 

[FlyingSquirrels]

Any pass directed to Staal with any sort of zip is fumbled, bobbled and lost which results in a lost possession by us. It's quite amusing actually as his hands are getting even more "stony".

 

[chaz4hockey]

Staal Stats: was horrible in 2023 (particularly Dec.), had a good jan and Feb but has declined in March (although 1/2 of -6 came against the Jets game):

Career Stats:

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Legitimately asking.

What accounts for his team worst -14?

I know +/- is somewhat of a flawed stat. But when a perennial + player all of a sudden goes double digit - that’s got to be an indicator of something right?

Hasn’t Staal historically faced the toughest competition, take the most DZ draws and all that?

Not saying the guy is done or anything, just that watching his play this season he seems to have lost a step or so. And it seems like the -14 would maybe support that? He’s not Rod’s last season slow yet, but like I said earlier Father Time seems to be lurking in the shadows.

I would love to see them put together an amazing playoff run for the big guy, and I think they’ve taken the appropriate steps in making that happen.

a few things in order of impact:
1) worse scoring. This is the biggest. 2.0 GF/60 this year vs. 2.6 last year and 2.79 the year before.
Over 1000 min (his typical 5v5 minutes)
2.0 GF/60 = 33 goals
2.6 GF/60 = 43 goals
2.79 GF/60 = 47 goals.

The "on-ice" Shooting % is a piece of that. 6.26% this year vs. 8.3% last year and 8.21% the year prior.

So the "PLUS" side of plus / minus is worth anywhere from 10-14 vs. the prior two seasons. Put it simply, he'd be even if his line was scoring like it did 2 years ago

2) The On-ice SV%. .8765 this year vs. .9046 last year and .9167 the year prior to that. Remember, this is an on-ice number so it reflect the entire team in front of the goalie. Is this on-ice SV% directly attributable to Staal's play? The rest of the metrics don't indicate that, but who knows.

3) With EN accounts for a -3 this year (teams have scored 6 with the extra attacker and Canes have scored 3. Same as last year but that is an extra -3 vs. 2 years ago.

3b) Against EN accounts for only a +1 this year (less TOI this year). Last 2 years it was a +3.

So EN situations accounted for a -2 this year vs. even last year and + 3 the year prior so decent size swings with minimal TOI (ie..not statistically significant).

 

[Deon Thompson]

I maintain that Staal is still the most underrated player on the team by our own fanbase. The stuff he's bad at JUMPS off the screen, whereas you have to be watching critically to notice the stuff he's among the best in the league at.

 

[Stickpucker]

Taken from reddit, it's a copy pasta but it's amusing

The NHL’s expansion into the south and its consequences have been a disaster for the hockey fan race. What was once a game built on tradition, sportsmanship and competition has now evolved into a circus act where organizations appeal to the lowest common denominator in the form of childish choreography, twitter wars, and roster moves worth millions of dollars that serve no purpose than to grab headlines. Hockey is not made for the south, it’s a game deeply rooted in northern culture where kids can spend the winter out in the wilderness slapping pucks around before tuning into Hockey Night in Canada and watching the Toronto Maple Leafs get fisted raw. What we have in the south is nothing short of a disgrace. Bible belt boomers whose only contact with the cold is the air conditioning of their mobility scooters have gripped our sport with an iron fist, uprooting our traditions and replacing them with free burgers when a player touches the puck and raising banners for going a week without someone in the crowd having a heart attack because of their diets consisting of honey butter biscuits and sweet tea. The day hockey dies in the south is the day I gain my soul back.

Oh and the Leafs lost to a 42 year old zamboni driver who works for the team, huehuehue

Hey they can still watch the Leafs get fisted raw on HNIC

 

[Bunch of Jurcos]

I learned my lesson about Staal already. A couple years back, he was going through just a horrendous streak of games and I thought very seriously about letting him go. He proceeded to go straight up beast mode in the playoffs and faith was restored in the captain. So I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on everything except I refuse to get excited when he's on a breakaway. Not falling for that banana in the tailpipe again. Nope.

 

[Deon Thompson]

I learned my lesson about Staal already. A couple years back, he was going through just a horrendous streak of games and I thought very seriously about letting him go. He proceeded to go straight up beast mode in the playoffs and faith was restored in the captain. So I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on everything except I refuse to get excited when he's on a breakaway. Not falling for that banana in the tailpipe again. Nope.

Lol fair.

 

[DaveG]

I learned my lesson about Staal already. A couple years back, he was going through just a horrendous streak of games and I thought very seriously about letting him go. He proceeded to go straight up beast mode in the playoffs and faith was restored in the captain. So I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on everything except I refuse to get excited when he's on a breakaway. Not falling for that banana in the tailpipe again. Nope.

was that the weird Covid division season? Because I remember that Nashville series going "where the f*** did THIS come from?"