Cullen: The best and worst of November

Scott Cullen

12/2/2011 4:44:44 PM

As the calendar turns to December, how about a look at some splits, with the best and worst of November?

First up, the leading scorers. Some familiar names, but definitely some surprises too. Breakthrough players like Joffrey Lupul and Kris Versteeg, the Oilers' kids, Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, making an appearance and the Wild's Mikko Koivu rebounding after a slow start.

Leading Scorers

Not a bad month for the Bruins. No losses for the entire month, so it's not surprising that they fared so well in plus-minus. Really, just included this to emphasize the Bruins' dominance.

Plus-Minus Leaders

At the other end of the spectrum, the Ducks have some of their big guns taking up residence down here. It's not the first time that James Wisniewski and Dennis Wideman have encountered plus-minus woes, but it's a little more surprising to see an ace checker like Bolland, who is plus-41 over the last four seasons, on this side of the ledger.

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.

Shooting Percentage Leaders (min. 3 goals)

On the other hand, it's also unlikely for a player to keep generating shots on goal and still fail to light the lamp. Eventually, those shots are going to start going in, so look to Justin Williams, Nikolai Kulemin and Sam Gagner to improve their production -- they can hardly get worse, right?

Shooting Percentage Trailers

For players that are more likely to sustain their offensive production, a look at the players that keep generating shots on goal. Many of the leaders are expected -- they've been among the most productive in the game for years -- but it's noteworthy that Ovechkin isn't on the leader board, but rising star Evander Kane is.

Leaders in Shots Per Game

Hal Gill: playing like it's the postseason.

Leaders in Blocked Shots Per Game (min. 8 GP)

Just as it is unsustainable for forwards to keep scoring at an unusually high rate, goaltenders aren't likely to stop pucks at such a high rate for long. That's what made Tim Thomas' .938 save percentage last season so remarkable. Beware regression, Niklas Backstrom and Mike Smith.

Save Percentage Leaders (min. 5 GP)

 

Not an unusual list, but Girardi has obviously been extremely important for the Rangers in the absence of Marc Staal and Francois Beauchemin can still eat up minutes in Anaheim.

Leaders in Time on Ice (min. 8 GP)

Of course, the list is tough guys and those on the fringe of the lineup. McLeod, though, played nearly 13 minutes per game a couple of years ago.

Trailers in Time on Ice (min. 8 GP)

Toews adds some star power to this list, while the Wild and Blue Jackets each have a couple of face-off aces.

Faceoff Leaders (min. 50 Face-offs)

It takes time to learn how to take draws in the NHL, five of the bottom six in November were rookies.

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.