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On Mackenzie Blackwood
The highly touted 22-year-old has opened a lot of eyes since being recalled from Binghamton. Through three appearances, he has stopped 53 of 57 shots (.930SV%) and looked quite good in the process. He's made the saves expected of him and showcased the ridiculous athleticism that made him such an enticing player during his draft class.
Impressively, Blackwood's strong play has come against high-powered offensive teams that rank 2nd (Toronto) and 4th (Columbus) in the East when it comes to scoring.
It's a very small sample size, of course, but his NHL career is off to an encouraging start. If you are hoping to see more of him going forward, you're going to get your wish.
Keith Kinkaid has had a tough go at it, particularly of late. On the year he owns a .901 save percentage. He's exceeded that number just four times in his last 12 starts while getting pulled in several. Though the defense has also struggled, you expect and *need* to get more from your goaltender.
With Kinkaid hitting a big time wall, and clearly not a long-term answer, it makes sense to give Blackwood the net. If Blackwood performs at a similar level, at least he is getting reps, learning and improving. If he plays any better, he'll be getting good development time *and* increase the team's chances of winning games.
I am certainly on board with Hynes' decision to give Blackwood more run. It's time.
On Miles Wood
Wood has taken an absolute beating on social media all season long and I don't think he deserves it. At least not to this extent.
I fully understand expectations come with a bigger contract. I'll be the first to admit his production (eight points in 35 games) thus far is disappointing. In saying that, I think a case can be made he's played better than his results suggest.
He is still generating shots at a really high clip. The argument that it doesn't matter because they're all coming from the outside simply isn't true. While his Grade B, per se, scoring chance numbers are slightly down, he is creating high-danger opportunities at a noticeably higher clip than a year ago when he was one of the league's most efficient 5v5 scorers.
I think a big factor in his lack of production is luck. He is scoring on just 3.85% of his shots. Regardless of what you think of his finishing ability, it is a massive stretch to say goaltenders should stop 96.15 of every 100 shots he takes. Sooner or later, he's going to get a bounce.
Wood's on-ice shooting percentage is extremely low as well, which significantly hinders his ability to record assists. Though he is definitely a shoot-first player, he has been pretty good at creating opportunities for his linemates this season. Through 15 tracked games, Wood has assisted on 17.11% of on-ice attempts at 5v5. For comparison, Nico Hischier is at 20.96% and Travis Zajac is at 20.77% and they are known more for their playmaking.
Wood has been *very* involved offensively shooting, or assisting on, 48.03% of on-ice attempts. Only Hall (51.14%) is ahead of Wood in shot contribution%.
That Wood is producing at *checks notes* a 19 point pace hardly seems fair. He deserves better results, and I think he'll get them in the 2nd half.
**
I just want to take some time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. I hope you all thoroughly enjoy the holidays and get to spend plenty of time with your friends and family. I also want to thank you all for your continued support. I wouldn't be able to do what I do without all of you.
Numbers via NaturalStatTrick.com
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