The NHL all-star festivities kick off Friday in South Florida. Ahead of the weekend, here are five players whose underlying numbers are worthy of recognition.
MOST EXPECTED GOALS: DAVID PASTRNAK
Expected goals reflect shot quality, and no player is better than Pastrnak (30.1 xG) in that regard. The Bruins’ all-star sniper makes his living off of the one-timer, leading the league in attempts (141) and sharing the lead in goals (13) with Steven Stamkos. Nearly a third of Pastrnak’s total shot attempts (32.3 per cent) are one-timers.
Pre-shot movement is considered when calculating expected goals. When Pastrnak winds up for a one-timer off of a cross-ice or low-to-high pass, goaltenders are at a disadvantage as they attempt to track the puck. That is what makes him one of the dangerous scorers in the game.
HIGHEST RATE OF SUCCESSFUL ONE-ON-ONE DEKES: ARTEMI PANARIN
When it comes to beating defenders in open ice, Panarin is the slipperiest skater in the league. He has evaded opponents on 162 of his 273 dekes (59.3 per cent), the highest percentage among 92 players with at least 100 successful attempts.
The Rangers rely on Panarin to get the puck into the offensive zone and make plays once he crosses the blue line. Panarin has helped create 93 scoring chances off of a successful carry-in, sixth most in the league. His ability to protect the puck has come in handy there.
TOP BREAKAWAY SCORER: CONNOR MCDAVID
This probably comes as no surprise. The sight of McDavid sprinting unimpeded toward the net is the stuff of nightmares for opposing goaltenders. McDavid has scored three breakaway goals on seven shots this season, both of which are tied for the league lead. Filip Forsberg has also scored three goals on seven shots, but he missed the net on one attempt, giving McDavid a slight edge.
MOST ACCURATE PASSER TO THE SLOT: QUINN HUGHES
Games are often decided in the slot, so getting the puck there is critical. Not much has gone right in Vancouver this season, but Hughes has continued to drive offence at a high level. The defenceman has completed 73.7 per cent of his passes to the slot (84/114), most among 179 skaters with at least 100 attempts.
The Canucks have scored 21.4 goals above expected with Hughes on the ice, the seventh-highest total in the league. Unfortunately for them, that has not translated to wins.
MOST DEFENSIVE PLAYS: JACCOB SLAVIN
Defensive plays include pass blocks, shot blocks, sticks checks and body checks. Slavin has recorded 487 such plays and is in position to lead the league in that category for the second consecutive year.
Slavin specifically excels at using his stick to break up plays, leading all skaters in blocked passes and ranking second in stick checks. He continues to be overlooked in Norris Trophy voting, never having finished higher than fifth.
All stats from Sportlogiq
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