Henrik Sedin 101
Henrik Sedin’s 2 assists on Saturday night gave him 101 points for the season – the first time a Canucks player has cracked the century mark since Markus Naslund recorded 104 points in 2002-2003. With 7 games left in the regular season, he has a realistic shot at Pavel Bure’s franchise record of 110 points. He also has a realistic shot at becoming the Canucks’ first Art Ross trophy winner.
With regards to the Art Ross race, Henrik’s closest competitor right now is Alexander Ovechkin. I think it goes without saying that Henrik’s point totals are nothing short of impressive; however, there are some critics out there who point out that Henrik’s only leading because Ovechkin missed 10 games due to injury and suspension.
And Evgeni Malkin won the Art Ross by 3 points last year only because Ovechkin missed 3 games.
At any rate, let’s take a closer look at Henke vs. OV8 2010. Jason Botchford (Vancouver Province) touched on some of these stats yesterday, but allow me to expand on them.
While it’s true that Henrik has played in 10 more games than Ovechkin, it’s also worth noting that he averages 2:14 minutes less ice-time per game than OV8. He averages 1:06 minutes less ice-time per game on even-strength and 1:42 less on the powerplay. In terms of total ice-time, Henrik has actually played only 50:22 more than Ovechkin for the season.
| Henrik Sedin | Alex Ovechkin | |
|---|---|---|
| GP | 75 | 65 |
| Total TOI | 1460:58 | 1410:36 |
| TOI/G | 19:28 | 21:42 |
| Total Even-Strength TOI | 1157:31 | 1075:33 |
| ES TOI/G | 15:26 | 16:32 |
| Total Powerplay TOI | 254:31 | 330:50 |
| PP TOI/G | 3:23 | 5:05 |
| Total Shorthanded TOI | 48:56 | 4:13 |
| SH TOI/G | 0:39 | 0:03 |
When you prorate their points per 60 minutes of ice-time, their production is actually quite even. Henrik scores a bit more on even-strength; Ovechkin scores a bit more on the powerplay. Henrik also has 1 short-handed point.
| Henrik Sedin | Alex Ovechkin | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Points | 28G - 73A - 101 P | 46G - 54A - 100P |
| Total Points/60 min | 4.15 | 4.25 |
| Even Strength Points | 23G - 51A - 74P | 34G - 31A - 65P |
| ESP/60 min | 3.84 | 3.63 |
| Powerplay Points | 4G - 20A - 24P | 12G - 23A - 35P |
| PPP/60 min | 5.66 | 6.35 |
Some argue that Ovechkin scores at a slightly higher rate because he plays in the more wide-open Eastern Conference, and his stats certainly suggest that.
| Stats | Henrik Sedin | Avex Ovechkin |
|---|---|---|
| vs. EAST | 18 GP, 6G - 12A - 24 P (1.33 P/G) | 49 GP, 34G - 46A - 80P (1.63 P/G) |
| vs. Southeast | 5 GP, 0G - 6A - 6P (1.20 P/G) | 17 GP, 8G - 17A - 25P (1.47 P/G) |
| vs. Atlantic | 5 GP, 2G - 7A - 9P (1.80 P/G) | 15 GP, 15G - 11A - 26P (1.73 P/G) |
| vs. Northeast | 8 GP, 4G - 5A - 9P (1.13 P/G) | 17 GP, 11G - 18A - 29P (1.71 P/G) |
| vs. WEST | 57 GP, 22G - 55A - 77P (1.35 P/G) | 16 GP, 12G - 8A - 20P (1.25 P/G) |
| vs. Northwest | 21 GP, 9G - 19A - 28P (1.33 P/G) | 4 GP, 3G - 3A - 6P (1.50 P/G) |
| vs. Central | 20 GP, 10G - 17A - 27P (1.35 P/G) | 6 GP, 2G - 2A - 4P (0.67 P/G) |
| vs. Pacific | 16 GP, 3G- 19A - 22P (1.38 P/G) | 6 GP, 7G - 3A - 10P (1.67 P/G) |
Ovechkin’s points per game against Eastern Conference opponents is 30% higher than it is against Western Conference opponents. On the other hand, Henrik’s numbers are quite consistent across the board, though perhaps surprisingly, his points per game is just slightly higher against the West.
While Henrik isn’t as dynamic or flashy as OV8, he’s at least shown to be just as productive. If he hangs on and wins the scoring race, there’s no doubt in my mind that he deserves it.
Best of luck, hang in there Henrik. Hang in there!
Best of luck, hang in there Henrik. Hang in there!
Way to go Henry forget the fuzzy call in Toronto show them the moves that count…
Way to go Henry forget the fuzzy call in Toronto show them the moves that count…