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Nine Numbers: Special Teams Kick Into High Gear

This season, we’re tracking nine stats which we thought might help tell the story of the Los Angeles Kings‘ 2015-16 season, and we’re bringing you updates every nine games. (If you missed it, you can read the first edition here.) The stretch from Games 10-18 was identical to the stretch from Games 1-9 when looking at the end result (a 6-3-0 record), but how the Kings got there is a bit different.

Jonathan Quick‘s Save Percentage

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Quick took a bit of a downturn in these last nine games. His 5v5 save percentage compared to the rest of the league (.917) isn’t pretty, but he’s been a top-ten goalie on the penalty kill (.890 save percentage) and he’s been perfect in 3-on-3 play. He finished off this nine-game stretch with a flourish.

Shots on Goal by Anze Kopitar

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Kopitar’s recent reluctance to shoot is giving us 2014-15 flashbacks. On the bright side, five of those 30 shots have gone in!

Team Offensive Zone Penalties

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Suddenly, we’ve got a bit of discipline. The Kings HAVE been forced to kill at least three penalties in each of their last seven, but said penalties rate slightly lower on the Scale of Dumb.

Dustin Brown Points

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I can just quote the last edition’s note:

After consecutive 27-point seasons, Brown is on pace for… 27 points.

Goals by Defensemen

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Alec Martinez and Drew Doughty each found the back of the net twice in the last nine, and Jamie McBain came through with a power play tally against Philadelphia. When we talk about secondary scoring we often forget about the blueliners, but it’s nice to see them contributing.

Top King’s NHL Score-Adjusted Corsi For% Ranking

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As we highlighted on Tuesday, Nick Shore is the NHL’s current King of Corsi For%, with Dustin Brown in second place, and their already lofty possession numbers actually improve when you adjust them for the score of the game. Can we chalk it up to the steadying presence of Trevor Lewis?!

Tyler Toffoli’s Average Time on Ice

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Toffoli jumped from fourth to third among Kings forwards in ice time over the last nine games. He won’t be catching Kopitar or Carter anytime soon. Toffoli’s only scored one goal in November and his possession numbers have taken a dip, but he got 19 and 18 minutes in his last two games and he’s grabbed some assists to even out his scoring totals. His special teams contributions have also helped him get out there more. And speaking of special teams…

Power Play Percentage + Penalty Kill Percentage

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At the time of last posting, the Kings’ power play was simply average, but they’ve scored a power play goal in seven of their last nine. Combine it with their still-great PK and they trail only Montreal (110.3) and Dallas (108.6) in this metric.

Most JftC Reader #1 Rankings for One Player

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What can we say, you all love the guy. I mean, so do we.

The seven other players who have earned a “#1 Star” in our Ranker voting this season: Jeff Carter, Brayden McNabb, Tanner Pearson, Milan Lucic, Jake Muzzin, Marian Gaborik, and Jhonas Enroth.

Talking Points