Off-Day Watch 2/14: Please Pretend You Like Numbers

I know, I know, it’s early, no one wants to talk about numbers when it’s early.

But midway through the season, here are a few numbers that might interest you:

• Anze Kopitar leads the Kings in ice time at even strength (just over 718 minutes, 49 games played).  That shouldn’t be a surprise. What is surprising is that until recently, that spot was held by Dwight King (706 minutes, 55 games played). Kopitar is catching up nicely after losing time to an injury, but it’s an interesting world we live in when King is all the way up there. (Last year’s even strength forward leaders were Kopitar, Milan Lucic, and Dustin Brown.)
• Would you believe your Corsi leader so far has been Brayden McNabb (61.2%)?  This is just like that time when Nick Shore led in that stat last year. Who needs numbers, anyway? Facts aren’t real.
• For the second season in a row, Tanner Pearson is a penalty drawing machine. Pearson’s only taken two penalties this season and has drawn 13. (On the other end of the spectrum? Jordan Nolan and Kyle Clifford, each having taken ten more penalties than they’ve drawn.)
• Let’s play a little game called Find Jeff Carter On This Chart:/

top 15 goal scorers per team pic.twitter.com/TBOO0OkpFt

— datarink (@datarink) February 14, 2017

(All stats from Corsica.)

HIGHLIGHTS TO WATCH

With the Kings all off in Mexico or what have you, there are obviously no Kings highlights. Instead, here’s a clip from a few days ago of Jonathan Drouin making everyone look silly as he sets up Brayden Point for a goal.

KINGS THINGS

• Ralph Strangis will be filling in the broadcast booth while Bob Miller recovers. Best wishes and many hopes for good health to Bob.
• Here’s a nice little insight into rookie defenseman Kevin Gravel.
• Why not call up Johnny Brodzinski or Adrian Kempe? Our old friend Sheng is on the case.  (Don’t ask about Michael Mersch.  He’s hurt and I’m sad.) /

OTHER THINGS YOU SHOULD LOOK AT

• Speaking of Jonathan Drouin, the Tampa Bay Times have a look back at five of the young star’s top plays this season.
• The Coyotes gave the Kings a helping hand to keep their playoff spot, blanking the Flames and keeping them out of the wild card spot for now.
• Matt Duchene and Gabe Landeskog are trying their best to ignore trade rumors. Landeskog even went so far as to buy an incredibly large house, which he might have to leave whether he likes it or not.
• Detroit mourns the loss of longtime owner Mike Ilitch.
• Oilers rookie Jujhar Khaira speaks about the power of diversity, representation, and being a person of south Asian descent in the NHL.
• Both the NWHL and CWHL held their All-Star celebrations over the weekend. Read about the NWHL’s skills competition here, and a recap of the weekend here. Rewatch the skills comp here, and the actual game (spoilers: Amanda Kessel Hat Trick) here. And there’s a recap of the CWHL’s weekend here and here.
• Finally, it’s Valentine’s Day, which means cheesy NHL Valentine Graphics. Here’s my favorite. What’s yours?/

😻 pic.twitter.com/8XAIcOy2S1

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) February 14, 2017

GAME TO WATCH

Looks like there are two free games on NHL dot com tonight. The first features the New York Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs, so if you’d like to marvel over both the Leafs’ crop of talented rookies and the complete mess that is Andrew Ladd’s contract, you’re in luck.  If you’re in the mood for questionable goaltending, you can also tune into the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets as both teams look to rebound from disappointing losses.