O Captain! My Captain!
Spoiler alert: I'm only writing this article because I'm pissed off at Jason Spezza.
11.20.2013
With the Senators down 4-3 to the Wild late in the 3rd period, I was really not too satisfied with the play of Jason Spezza. In the dying seconds of the game, the puck was tossed into the corner and grabbed by Ryan Sutter. Spezza lethargically brushed his stick toward the puck, but didn't move his feet. If he would've been hustling, there's a real chance he could have came out with the puck and sent it toward the net. Spezza didn't get to the puck, and the Senators dropped yet another game.
I'm usually a big Spezza fan, so tonight I was more frustrated with him than anything. I stick with the guy thick and thin, and I even support his choice to laugh like a serial killer. After the tough Sens loss, I needed some statistics to make me feel better, and guess what! I found some.
11.20.2013
With the Senators down 4-3 to the Wild late in the 3rd period, I was really not too satisfied with the play of Jason Spezza. In the dying seconds of the game, the puck was tossed into the corner and grabbed by Ryan Sutter. Spezza lethargically brushed his stick toward the puck, but didn't move his feet. If he would've been hustling, there's a real chance he could have came out with the puck and sent it toward the net. Spezza didn't get to the puck, and the Senators dropped yet another game.
I'm usually a big Spezza fan, so tonight I was more frustrated with him than anything. I stick with the guy thick and thin, and I even support his choice to laugh like a serial killer. After the tough Sens loss, I needed some statistics to make me feel better, and guess what! I found some.
The list is sorted by plus/minus from high to low. Jovanski is at the top because he hasn't played a drop of the puck yet this season, and the Blue Jackets don't have a captain, so don't read too far into seeing Columbus and Florida at the top of the list. Plus/Minus has long been considered one of the best metrics to compare players. It's a logical way to look at it; does a player's presence on the ice mean the team will be scoring or getting scored against? I don't know of anyone who would rather have Shane Doan in their starting lineup than Alex Ovechkin, but it's still something worth paying attention to. A lot of other factors contribute to a player's +/-, but the numbers don't lie. Plus captains mean winning squads.
Notice, Spezza is near the bottom of the list at -6 on the season.
This article serves as less of an article and more of a hub of information. Teams with a captain with a positive plus/minus (16 teams) are 207-87-37, while teams without captains in the plus (12 teams) are 96-112-29. The winning percentages are 53.84% for plus captains, and 40.5% for minus captains. Use the information however you want.
*The numbers don't add up to 100% because the stats don't include the Panthers or Blue Jackets, because they have no production from their captains.
Notice, Spezza is near the bottom of the list at -6 on the season.
This article serves as less of an article and more of a hub of information. Teams with a captain with a positive plus/minus (16 teams) are 207-87-37, while teams without captains in the plus (12 teams) are 96-112-29. The winning percentages are 53.84% for plus captains, and 40.5% for minus captains. Use the information however you want.
*The numbers don't add up to 100% because the stats don't include the Panthers or Blue Jackets, because they have no production from their captains.