Keeping the Stats

When the 2021-21 fantasy draft concluded, there was no expert analysis on how good or lousy Top of the Rock would be. As the season ends, the Rock’s latest win put them four games over 0.500, a season-high. After winning their sixth game out of the last seven, the team has found a home in the second seed, which would draw a favorable matchup in the opening round. 

The reigning silver medalists from The Price is Right are headed for what could be the franchise’s first second-place finish. First place may be out of reach (four games); however, things may get interesting with an upcoming matchup against Steve’s Great Team (16-4) in week 23. The Rock used Icing for a tune-up game in preparation for that season-defying matchup.

Icing is the sixth-ranked team in the league with a 4-16 record and never found their footing in this week’s matchup. On Monday, the Rock opened up trailing by 43 points, narrowed the deficit to 40 after Wednesday, and again to 36.50 by Friday but ultimately fell by 59.50 points at the buzzer.

The Rock took only two days to surpass 100 points and four days to 200. By Saturday, the boys collected 300 points by the end of Saturday, marking the eighth straight week of hitting that number. Icing managed to hit all those point thresholds but was never ever to overcome a daily deficit that averaged 52 points a day.

The Rock continues to avoid any last-place rankings in team statistics, which means they have come a long way since ranking dead last in a handful of them. The best spots in the lineup include shots, hits, and blocked shots where the team has constantly hung around the top. For most of the campaign, the netminders have either been first or close to it in shutouts.

Although there is a handful of fifth-place rankings in the bunch, overall, the team sits third across the board when you average out their placements. In the standings, the Rock is the second-best team in the league so having middle-of-the-pack stats speaks to the construction of the team and how they’ve found success through 20 weeks.

Steve’s Great Team may be running away with the division crown and remain the highest scoring team with 6704.50 points. Dirty Sanchez, who ran the tables at the beginning of the season, finds themselves in third place with the second-most points, 6583.50. The Rock, who has climbed into second overall, has the third-most points (6329.00), with an outside chance of catching Sanchez. As the team continues to collect 300+ point weeks, there is no telling how high the boys can climb when the season reaches its conclusion.

In week 19, five teams collected over 300 points, with Sanchez the lone exception. Sanchez was also the only higher-seeded team to drop a matchup, falling to the fourth place Stoned Assassins. Steve’s Great Team came one point away from reaching 400. It would have been the first time a team reached that plateau since the Rock did in week 16.

Filip Forsberg (Nashville) is in a contract year, and the rumors surrounding his future with the Predators have the internet on fire. Some wondered if he would return to form and pot 30+ goals, while others asked what happened to one of the game’s brightest young stars. After a slow start in Nashville, Forsberg finally found a groove and has been near unstoppable over the few months. In week 19, Forsberg claimed his first best player award, becoming just the fourth player to collect over 40 points in a matchup, finishing the week with 41. His stat line included four goals, four assists, two powerplay points, 12 shots, 11 hits, two blocked shots, and a plus-three rating. 

As one of the top guardians of the crease, it is no surprise that Jacob Markstrom (Calgary) was once again the team’s best goalie. His 58 points during the matchup marked the fourth time this year that the Swedish netminder has collected more than 50 in a matchup. Markstrom had three wins, giving up two goals while notching a shutout. He finished the week with 76 saves.

Olivier Ekman-Larsson (Vancouver) has fallen off the defenceman radar and is almost an afterthought for elite defenders in the league. In week 19, the Swedish rearguard collected a team-low 2.50 points, with just nine shots and a minus-one rating.

After management realized that Adam Larsson (Seattle) had not been contributing on the back end, the team released a long-term member of the roster. Mattias Ekholm (Nashville) came back for his second tour of duty with the club.

Weekly Move Total: 1/4 

Season Move Total: 19/50