Finishing up the year 2011, these are the NHL players that were best and worst statistically in the final month of the year.
It's no great surprise to Henrik Sedin at the top of the monthly scoring list, but how about Matt Moulson ranking third? After a slow start, Jarome Iginla picked his game up, helped along by Olli Jokinen, who now leads the Flames with 32 points in 40 games on the season.
Leading Scorers
An outstanding month for Del Zotto and solid representation from Detroit, with four entries, but none from Boston after the Bruins comprised eight of the top ten in November.
Plus-Minus Leaders
Hey, who would have guessed that Columbus players would rank poorly in plus-minus? Oh, everyone. Well, how about Michael Grabner who, in addition to scoring 34 goals as a rookie last season, was also a plus-13 for the Isles?
Plus-Minus Trailers
Leaving the arbitrary end point of a single month out of the consideration, it's unsustainable for a player to shoot at such a high percentage over the long haul. In short, don't expect these players to keep finishing with the same measure of success. It's more encouraging for the likes of Gaborik and Stamkos, who will continue to get a lot of playing time and, consequently, opportunities, but not as much for role players like Brunette, Ebbett and Paille.
Shooting Percentage Leaders (min. 3 goals)
It should only be a matter of time before Drew Doughty and Duncan Keith find the net. Even if they aren't high perentage shooters, they aren't zero percentage shooters either. Kyle Turris is worth noting because, although he hasn't scored yet for the Senators, with 19 shots in seven games, the chances are there.
Shooting Percentage Trailers
Malkin is once again the far and away the leader, while Alexander Ovechkin makes a return to the Top 10, ranking second behind Malkin. Interesting to see the likes of Dustin Brown and Tyler Kennedy getting so many shots on goal, while Erik Karlsson continues to create from the Senators' blueline.
Leaders in Shots Per Game
Josh Gorges and Rostislav Klesla are the only repeats from November in the Top 10, while a puck-mover like Liles is a bit of a surprise entry in the Top 10.
Leaders in Blocked Shots Per Game (min. 7 GP)
Boston's goaltending has been ridiculous. Ondrej Pavelec has been outstanding for Winnipeg while backups Josh Harding, Sergei Bobrovsky, Ray Emery and Jean-Sebastien Giguere are pushing for more playing time with their strong play. Giguere has been most successful in getting more action.
Save Percentage Leaders (min. 5 GP)
In the absence of Mark Giordano, Jay Bouwmeester has been logging big minutes for the Flames, while Dan Boyle has continued to play quite a bit, especially considering that he had a broken bone in his foot.
Leaders in Time on Ice (min. 7 GP)
Of course, the list is tough guys and those on the fringe of the lineup.
Trailers in Time on Ice (min. 7 GP)
A great month on the draws for Jerred Smithson and Joe Thornton brings the star power to the list.
Faceoff Leaders (min. 50 Face-offs)
It takes time to learn how to take draws in the NHL, three of the bottom four were rookies, while Foligno (and Benn) are wingers that shifted to centre
Faceoff Trailers (min. 50 Face-offs)
Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook.