In this edition of the hotstove, we share our thoughts on which teams with mediocre records are most undeserving and/or likely to fly up the standings moving forward.
Todd Cordell
I think Carolina is really due to take a big step forward.
They have been downright dominant at 5v5 and their numbers are fantastic across the board. They are the league's best possession team, generate shot attempts at a higher clip than anyone, rank 4th in Expected Goals For/60, 3rd in Expected Goals For%, have taken the fewest penalties in the league, and yet they sit tied with Philadelphia for last in the Metro Division.
They're good in too many areas of the game to come up with the short end of the stick as often as they do. If they continue to control play and draw a lot more penalties than they take, it's only a matter of time before they start piling up wins.
Peter Tessier
There are a few options here but what more does Carolina have to do with their talent and numbers to get some results? They are not shooting terribly poorly at 5v5 but they are not getting the goaltending and are sporting at .984 PDO.
This is a team that is so strong with possession and leads the league at 5v5 but is not scoring at the same success nor are they keeping the puck out with meaningful success. Based on what is valued as an underlying indicator of success the Hurricanes should be sitting in a much better position.
Jared Crozier Pittsburgh. They are the defending champs and we have seen this "Crosby struggles early but shows up late" show before. When he does, the team will follow and they will be there at the end.
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