Caps / Pens differing records, its not Crosby/Ovechkin

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

OK, first, this blog is from a caps fan, but I think it's one of the best blogs out there. It can be funny, smart, fair, interesting.

Here, he is making the case for the rising pens vs the falling caps, not being about the star players, but being about the other players.

Any thoughts?

http://peerlessprognosticator.blogspot.com/

It isn't about the stars, folks

Why are the Penguins 17-2-3 since December 29th, and the Caps 7-13-2? A lot of it is a product of the play of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, but that's a discussion for another time. Pittsburgh is also winning, and the Caps aren't, because it's not about the stars, that's why. Crosby? Ovechkin? They are largely constants on their respective clubs (the recent "slump" by Ovechkin notwithstanding...the Caps weren't winning when he was putting together a 13-game scoring streak, either (5-8-0)).

It's the other guys.

Let's go to the numbers. Since December 29th, each team has played 22 games. The Penguins have scored 87 goals in that span (hmm...coincidence?), the Caps 62. Why is Pittsburgh getting a full goal a game more offensive production?

It's the other guys.

If you look at the top four goal scorers for each club, the numbers aren't that far apart:

Pittsburgh --

Jordan Staal: 14

Evgeni Malkin: 12

Mark Recchi: 11

Sidney Crosby: 9

Total: 46

Washington --

Alexander Semin: 15

Chris Clark 10

Alex Ovechkin: 9

Dainius Zubrus: 6

Total: 40

Things get intersting when you look at the next seven for each club:

Pittsburgh --

Ouellet: 6

Whitney: 5

Christensen: 5

Ruutu: 5

Gonchar: 4

Malone 4

Talbot: 4

Total: 33

Washington --

Clymer: 4

Laich: 3

Nycholat: 2

Sutherby: 2

Brashear: 2

Pettinger: 2

Fehr: 2

Total: 17

Washington is getting half as much production from the "next tier" of players than is Pittsburgh. That's not all Crosby, and it isn't all Ovechkin. That's an indication of what is lacking with the Caps and how much work still must be done in building a roster. It isn't about Crosby and Ovechkin. Those guys are going to get their points and make their impressions. But to the extent either of these clubs has any measure of success, they are going to have to get significant contributions from guys you don't see on highlight reels every night. Pittsburgh is getting those contributions, the Caps aren't.

[Chadd 916]

As has been said here many times, the Penguins have more talent. Fleurry and T-bo have easily been better than Johnson as well.

[Cavs019 708]

I think you can make that assumption in about 5 seconds without all the statistical mumbo-jumbo.

[GSHL99 0]

Hockey is a sport that requires deepth as a team more than perhaps any other, due to the limited amount of time a person can skate and retain max preformance. The Pens have that roster, the Caps do not. I don't really think anyone disputes that.