Week 17 featured the matchup everyone was dying to see, the first place versus the last place.
The final score, 6-2-2, was a lot better than many people would have placed a bet on. Given the current state of our franchise, and once again stuck in another multi-game losing streak, things could have gone so much worse.
MATCHUP AND SCORES
For the first time in five weeks, we failed to win or tie the goals category, which we lost by seven. Assists were a lot closer (loss by three), which is an improvement considering how bad we are in that category overall.
It only took 17 matchups, but we finally tied someone in the plus/minus category. After that, we lost the penalty minutes by a single point, while getting schooled in power-play points by eight. Their most extensive margin of victory came courtesy of shots on goal, 19 points.
If it wasn’t for the tie in the plus/minus, we would have been completely shut out of the offensive categories. Thankfully our goalies managed to save us some respect. We collected an extra victory and had a better goals-against average by 0.06 of a point.
Both teams underperformed with their sub 0.900 save percentages, while neither team collected a shut out.
If anyone wanted to take a good look at our season, they just need to see this box score. The victory was never in doubt, but we were not even in the matchup until Thursday before salvaging whatever we could from the house fire.
STANDINGS & TEAM STATS
We would have to go back in time to the 2018-19 season and look at the standings. At this point, we want to believe that our winning percentage was a tad bit higher last season. All we can say at this point is the 74-75 Washington Capitals were far worse then we could ever be.
If you ventured over to our sister team, Canyon of Heroes, you will see a very similar picture. Deep inside these numbers, you will see a team that ranks in the top five in three of the six offensive categories and the top three in three of the four goalie categories.
Those numbers are pretty and help individuals win awards and fantasy points, but our Achilles heel is our matchup records. Our goalies are some of the best in the league, yet we are second to last in every matchup category.
The numbers are just about the same in the offensive categories, where we got two top positions and three near bottom places.
We set out to be a better team this year, and those total numbers may be better, but we fail to execute during the matchups, where it seems to matter the most.
BENCH PLAYERS
Last season we didn’t manage our bench correctly, and it cost it dearly. This year we planned for a better game plan, but when it is all said and done, those bench numbers are gonna be messy.
The plus/minus category is the only favourable spot on the bench. That single point would have given us another category win and altered the final score 6-3-1. Not Earth-shattering, but it’s another point.
On the bright side, poor performances from the New York Rangers goalie tandem of Alexander Georgiev and Henrik Lundqvist would have sunk our overall numbers had they suited up.
STUDS & DUDS
Best Player – Artemi Panarin – New York Rangers – 20 points
Worse Player: Clayton Keller – 4 points
TRANSACTIONS
February 4, 2020
In our first roster transaction in almost a month, we dropped struggling Ottawa Senators centre Jean-Gabriel Pageau for New York Rangers forward Ryan Strome.
Strome had been on our radar for some time before being acquired by someone else. Shortly after that, he went into a bit of a drought, which allowed him to drop back down to waivers.
Weekly Move Total: 1/4
Season Move Total: 15/40
Stay tuned for next’s week recap of the Top of the Rock 2019-20 fantasy hockey season.
Keeping the Stats 