As the race to the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs continues, five Eastern Conference teams are separated by three points entering games Friday in pursuit of two postseason spots. NHL.com highlights some individual and team EDGE stats from each contending team.
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Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings are led by center Dylan Larkin, who is in the NHL’s 90th percentile in speed bursts over 20 miles per hour (163) and 93rd percentile in mid-range goals (10). As a team, Detroit ranks 10th in mid-range goals (73) but went 2-6-0 when Larkin was out of the lineup March 6-19 because of injury.
One unsung hero for the Red Wings has been defenseman Jake Walman, who returned from injury in their 4-2 road win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday. He’s tied for the third-most 100-plus mph shot attempts (three) behind Colin Miller of the Winnipeg Jets (eight) and Victor Hedman of the Lightning (five) and seventh-most 90-plus mph shots (44). Walman also has the eighth-highest max shot speed (101.60 mph) in the League this season.
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New York Islanders
The Islanders quietly have the most robust EDGE stats profile of the five contenders for the final two postseason spots in the Eastern Conference. Goalie Ilya Sorokin has faced the most shots on goal (1,734) of any NHL goalie this season and has the 10th-best high-danger save percentage (.824). Forward Mathew Barzal, who is playing mostly wing this season compared to being mostly a center previously in his NHL career, is tied for the seventh-most 20-plus mile per hour speed bursts (311) and ranks 10th in total skating distance among forwards (249.93 miles).
Even with a coaching change from Lane Lambert to Patrick Roy and inconsistencies all season, the Islanders rank 10th in high-danger shots on goal (633), have the sixth-most 20-plus mph speed bursts (1,810) and are tied for the sixth-most 90-plus mph shot attempts (101). Forwards Bo Horvat (14 mid-range goals; 10th in NHL) and Anders Lee (111 high-danger shots on goal; seventh) have provided New York with a more potent offense than previous seasons.
Defenseman Ryan Pulock, who has been limited to 52 of their first 76 games because of injury, is tied for the fourth-most 90-plus mph shot attempts (47) in the entire NHL, and Noah Dobson has the seventh-most long-range shots on goal (94) during his full-fledged breakout season (67 points in 76 games; seventh in League at position).
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Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers have been a surprise contender this season under coach John Tortorella. Philadelphia ranks fifth in total skating distance (3,486.29 miles) and tied for eighth in offensive zone time percentage (42.3) and has some key players to incorporate down the stretch after goalie Ivan Fedotov made his NHL debut Monday and defenseman Jamie Drysdale (acquired from Anaheim Ducks earlier in season) returned from injury in the same game.
Forward Owen Tippett has been an EDGE stats standout with the highest max skating speed in the entire NHL this season (24.21 mph). Tippett ranks 10th in the League in shots on goal (270), has the eighth most long-range SOG (43) among forwards and is tied for the fourth-most long-range goals (three) among forwards. Defenseman Travis Sanheim has the 10th-highest max shot speed (101.49 mph) in the entire League.
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Pittsburgh Penguins
With yet another point-per game season, elite center Sidney Crosby (84 points in 76 games) remains at the top of his game – even after the Penguins traded his longtime linemate Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes prior to the NHL Trade Deadline. Crosby ranks in the 92nd percentile in speed bursts over 20 mph (176), 94th percentile in total skating distance (248.32 miles) and has scored 39 goals (tied for 13th in NHL), including 20 high-danger goals (97th percentile).
One surprise this season has been goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, who is thriving late in the season and has the best mid-range save percentage (.930) in the NHL. Pittsburgh’s defensemen may be falling short of their previous career highs offensively, but Kris Letang ranks seventh in the NHL in total skating distance (270.55 miles). Erik Karlsson, acquired from the San Jose Sharks in the offseason after winning the Norris Trophy last season, is touching on some key EDGE stats: he ranks ninth in max shot speed (101.54 mph) and seventh among defensemen in 20-plus mph speed bursts (104).
The Penguins have two of the NHL’s top 10 in long-range shots on goal: Karlsson is fifth (101) and Letang is 10th (88). Pittsburgh, as a team, ranks third in total skating distance (3,505.20 miles), high-danger shots on goal (688) and long-range goals (23) as it looks to get back to the playoffs after a rare miss last season.
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Washington Capitals
The Capitals, like the Penguins, appeared to be sellers at the NHL Trade Deadline, moving forwards Evgeny Kuznetsov to the Hurricanes and Anthony Mantha to the Vegas Golden Knights. But a bounce-back stretch from veterans Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson have Washington back in the thick of the playoff race.
Ovechkin is tied for second-most 90-plus mph shot attempts (65) in the NHL behind Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard (108). Among all forwards, Ovechkin also has the most long-range shots on goal (57) and is tied for the most long-range goals (four). Carlson, meanwhile, ranks ninth in total skating distance (264.80), ninth in 90-plus mph shots (42) and tied for fourth among defensemen in high-danger shots on goal (16).
The Capitals, who have a new-look 1-2 punch at center with Dylan Strome and Connor McMichael (compared to the longtime duo of Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom) have the fifth-most 20-plus mph speed bursts (1,850), eighth-longest total skating distance (3,462.11 miles) and third-most 90-plus mph shot attempts (145).
