Photo: David Becker/Getty Images
During the past week, we have been doing deep dives on the Washington Capitals and their Eastern Conference opponents in the round-robin games leading up to the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. On the other side of the bracket, the St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights, and Dallas Stars will participate in a three-game round-robin to decide Stanley Cup Playoff seeding for the Western Conference while 16 teams fight for their lives in the play-in round. NoVa Caps takes a look at the top Western Conference teams that will make for a highly entertaining, competitive round-robin.
St. Louis Blues
2019-20 regular season result: 94 points, first in Western Conference, second in NHL
Regular-season series vs. Round-Robin opponents:
- 2-2-0 vs. Avalanche (-1 goal differential)
- 1-0-2 vs. Golden Knights (even goal differential)
- 4-0-1 vs. Stars (+6 goal differential)
Team leaders:
- F David Perron (25 goals)
- C Brayden Schenn (25 goals)
- C Ryan O’Reilly (49 assists, 61 points)
- G Jordan Binnington (30 wins)
Team Stats:
- 3.14 goals-per-game (T-14th)
- 2.68 goals-against per game (5th)
- 24.3% power-play efficiency (3rd)
- 79.3% penalty-killing rate (18th)
- 30.7 shots-per-game (T-21st)
- 29.6 shots-against per game (4th)
Analytics
- 2.24 expected goals per 60 at five-on-five
- 2.21 against
- 50.71 shot attempts for per 60
- 49.15 allowed
- 2.6 goals for per 60
- 50.79% Corsi-for percentage – 13th
- 50.76% Fenwick-for percentage (shots on goal and missed shots for vs. against) – 14th
- 49.92% expected goals-for percentage – 17th
- 51.15% scoring chances-for percentage – 12th
- .9268 save percentage – 6th
- 1.013 PDO (the sum of a team’s shooting percentage – 9.1% – and its save percentage – .922 – at even strength)
- .547 average goal-differential per game
Colorado Avalanche
2019-20 regular season result: 92 points, second in Western Conference, tied for third in NHL
Regular-season series vs. Round-Robin opponents:
- 2-2-0 vs. Blues (+1 goal differential)
- 2-0-0 vs. Golden Knights (+9 goal differential)
- 0-2-2 vs. Stars (-5 goal differential)
Team leaders:
- C Nathan MacKinnon (35 goals, 58 assists, 93 points)
- D Cale Makar (50 points)
- F Mikko Rantanen (0.98 points-per-game)
- G Pavel Francouz (21 wins)
Team Stats:
- 3.37 goals-per-game (4th)
- 2.71 goals-against per game (6th)
- 19.1% power-play efficiency (19th)
- 81.4% penalty-killing rate (T-13th)
- 32.2 shots-per-game (8th)
- 31.3 shots-against per game (T-16th)
Analytics
Money Puck:
- 2.33 expected goals per 60 at five-on-five
- 2.26 against
- 58.75 shot attempts for per 60
- 54.98 allowed
- 2.93 goals for per 60
Natural Stattrick:
- 50.79% Corsi-for percentage – 13th
- 50.76% Fenwick-for percentage – 14th
- 49.92% expected goals-for percentage – 17th
- 51.15% scoring-chances for percentage – 12th
- .9268 save percentage – 6th
Charting Hockey:
- 1.021 PDO (9.3% shooting percentage and .928 save percentage)
- .786 average goal-differential per game
[Related: Western Conference Play-In Preview]
Vegas Golden Knights
2019-20 regular season result: 92 points, third in Western Conference, tied for eighth in NHL
Regular-season series vs. Round-Robin opponents:
- 2-1-0 vs. Blues (even goal differential)
- 0-2-0 vs. Avalanche (-9 goal differential)
- 1-1-0 vs. Stars (-1 goal differential)
Team leaders:
- F Max Pacioretty (32 goals, 66 points)
- F Mark Stone (42 assists, 0.97 points-per-game)
- G Marc-Andre Fleury (27 wins)
Team Stats:
- 3.15 goals-per-game (13th)
- 2.94 goals-against per game (13th)
- 22% power-play efficiency (9th)
- 76.6% penalty-killing rate (27th)
- 34.5 shots-per-game (1st)
- 29.3 shots-against per game (3rd)
Analytics
Money Puck:
- 2.84 expected goals per 60 at five-on-five
- 2.26 against
- 60.77 shot attempts for per 60
- 50.25 allowed
- 2.6 goals for per 60
Natural Stattrick:
- 54.76% Corsi-for percentage – 1st
- 54.98% Fenwick-for percentage – 1st
- 56.07% expected goals-for percentage – 1st
- 56.49% scoring-chances for percentage – 1st
- .9118 save percentage – 27th
Charting Hockey:
- .987 PDO (7.9% shooting percentage and .908 save percentage)
- .095 average goal-differential per game
Dallas Stars
2019-20 regular season result: 82 points, fifth in Western Conference (fourth with a .594 points percentage), 10th in NHL
Regular-season series vs. Round-Robin opponents:
- 1-3-1 vs. Blues (-6 goal differential)
- 4-0-0 vs. Avalanche (+5 goal differential)
- 1-1-0 vs. Golden Knights (+1 goal differential)
Team leaders:
- F Denis Gurianov (20 goals)
- C Tyler Seguin (33 assists, 50 points)
- G Ben Bishop (21 wins)
Team Stats:
- 2.58 goals-per-game (26th)
- 2.52 goals-against per game (2nd)
- 21.1% power-play efficiency (13th)
- 79.7% penalty-killing rate (17th)
- 30.6 shots-per-game (T-23rd)
- 31.6 shots-against per game (18th)
Analytics
Money Puck
- 2.37 expected goals per 60 at five-on-five
- 2.11 against; 53.37 shot attempts for per 60
- 54.66 allowed
- 1.95 goals for per 60
Natural Stattrick:
- 46.08% Corsi-for percentage – 18th
- 49.4% Fenwick-for percentage – 19th
- 52.58% expected goals-for percentage – 5th
- 51.88% scoring-chances for percentage – 8th
- .933 save percentage – 2nd
Charting Hockey:
- 1.006 PDO (7.3% shooting percentage and .933 save percentage)
- .026 average goal-differential per game
By Harrison Brown