Analytics With Alison: Mr. Jones and SEA

Martin Jones was named third star of the week this week by the NHL. If you read the press release, it credits the goaltender's strong performances in the Kraken's last two games - both overtime wins.
But if you've been paying attention, you know that Jones deserves acknowledgment for a lot more than just that. He's been a big part of the team's success after taking on the starter's role while Philipp Grubauer was recovering from an injury.
"He adds an element to our defense that we have so much confidence going on," Jared McCann said. "It's like, 'oh, he's going to make the save and we're going to break out easy with this.' He gives us that confidence."

How good has Jones been?
Let's dig in.
Through 15 games played, according to Sportlogiq, Jones has 10 quality starts (the most of any NHL goaltender this year) and one shutout. He ranks sixth in the league in terms of preventing even-strength goals that should have gone in (7.17 goals saved above expectations, per Evolving-Hockey.com). If we adjust that to per 60 minutes of play, Jones' .62 goals saved above expectations basically matches the best year of his career (.63 GSAx, 2013-14).
In fact, if we look at all 411 NHL games the North Vancouver native has played, two of the best 15 of his career have been in the last month (11th: 2.57 GSAx vs. Pittsburgh, Oct. 29; 12th: 2.56 GSAx vs Winnipeg, Nov. 13).
"The numbers are really good for Jonesy if you look over the last 8, 9, 10 games," Dave Hakstol said. "There's a reason that our team is growing in confidence, the saves, not just the volume of saves and the numbers but it's the saves at the right time."
To that point, it is about quality but it's also about timeliness. If we look at the 25 most dangerous shots that Jones has faced this season based on shot quality (and we can do that thanks to Evolving-Hockey.com), he's kept 18 of them from going in the net. That includes this save on Pittsburgh's Jake Guentzel in the Oct. 29 win over the Penguins.

Look at the clock. That chance wasn't only one of the most dangerous, but it came late in the game with Seattle protecting a lead.
Equally impressive, is that if we look at the shots that Jones is facing based on location (per Sportlogiq), the netminder is getting more shots against than league average but he's pretty much in line with, if not exceeding league average.

It seems like no matter where a shooter chooses to attack the net behind Jones, or from where they shoot on the ice, it's just a challenge to beat the Kraken goalie.
The visual below from HockeyViz.com shows Jones' saving ability based on shot location. Blue indicates areas where the likelihood of a goal is below league average and red marks where it's you have a better chance of beating the 6-foot-4 player.

That's not a lot of room for opportunity.
So, what makes Jones so difficult to score against right now?
That's what we asked McCann, a proven scorer and one of the top finishers in the league who led the Kraken in goals and points last season.
"(Jones) is so big that he generally takes up a lot of the net," McCann said. "And for a big guy, he obviously moves well. (His size) helps him a lot when it comes to deflections, and he can also swallow pucks. He's been amazing for us."
McCann echoed the observation of other players who said it's not just Jones' size but his ability to stay tall (instead of crouching too low) that makes him such a challenge to score against.
It's not just the work Jones does keeping the puck out of the net that has made him valuable to his team. McCann pointed to Jones' ability to get pucks into corners for defenders to retrieve and begin their breakout.
It's something Adam Larsson praised, as well, along with Jones' ability to make quick plays. And again, he mentioned those timely saves.

We asked the veteran blueliner if a goaltender can be "clutch."
"I think a goaltender can probably be the most clutch of them all," Larsson said. "I mean, if a goaltender has a bad day, it usually could be game over.
"(Jones) has just been phenomenal. . .and it's fun to watch too. I mean, when we're on the bench too, he's making some unreal saves."
Jones, of course, demurs when asked what's working in his game. He will point the defenders in front of him. After all, the Kraken are once again tops in the league in terms of limiting opponents' offense. The team currently ranks seventh in shot quality against per 60 minutes of play (2.36 expected goals against, per Evolving-Hockey.com).
"We check really hard, we're really good at taking away the middle of the ice," Jones said. "[Other teams'] high-danger scoring chances are really limited and. . .we don't give teams a lot of time and space. Odd-man rushes are limited. I get to play solid and make a couple timely saves and that gives us a good chance to win."
But in a week that earned the 32-year-old NHL honors, and in a season that has seen some of the best performances of his career, the game that Jones is most proud of comes down to something much more pure.
When asked which game stands out, he references that same Oct. 29 home win over the Penguins.
"Maybe the first game after my son was born," Jones said. "I didn't get a lot of sleep coming out of the hospital…that was a good one."