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Hotstove: Which players are most likely to rebound from slow starts? |
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Follow me on Twitter @ToddCordell
In this edition of the hotstove we look at a few players off to slow starts who are likely to rebound moving forward.
Todd Cordell
I'm going with Patrice Bergeron.
He centers arguably the best line in the NHL, alongside Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak, but the points just haven't been there for him thus far.
He has eight points in 24 games and has scored only four times on 82 shots. Right now he is scoring on less than 5% of his shots, which is ~5% less than his career average. Unless he forgot how to shoot a puck over night that is likely to go up moving forward.
With Bergeron on the ice, the Bruins are controlling more than 60% of the shots and a smidgen under 60% of the scoring chances. They've been absolutely dominant with Bergeron out there so it's a matter of not if but when the points start to pile up.
Peter Tessier
And the award for the rebound player of the year goes to...
Jamie Benn.
This is about as WAG (wild a$$ guess) as you can get. Over the previous three season Benn has averaged .47 goals per game. Yeah I know use goals/60 but I'm not. Right now he's sitting at .25 goals per game this season. For assists in the previous three seasons he's been .58 per game, this season? Just .51 per game.
Now Benn is 27 and is likely in the last of his peak years but he has fallen off a cliff and that's weird mind you so has the team. I'd suggest that right now Benn's fortunes are tied to Dallas' rather than Benn determined the team's fate. Something isn't right in Dallas but it's not because of Benn and I don't think it stays that way and Benn picks up his scoring pace.
James Tanner
I think that Ekblad is likely to be that player. Up until last week, he didn't even have an assist. I would say that in reality, he's closer to the Calder winning #1 overall pick than the 4th or 5th Dman he's been masquerading as so far this year.
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