Beck Malenstyn: Offensive powerhouse? (and other Caps numbers)

The Caps are 12-8-2, one point outside of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference as of the start of play on December 6th, 2023. The good news is the Caps have games in hand on every team in the East except Ottawa, and so they rank 7th in the conference in points percentage.

The bad news? Well, there’s plenty of it. The Caps have a -13 goal differential. Since the 2021-22 season, only one team has qualified for the playoffs with a negative goal differential (Dallas, -8). When looking at shot quantity and shot quality, the Caps are near the bottom of the league. There’s a lot more I could say here, but my friend Peter already said it all: The standings are a lie.

The wheels could fall for the Caps at any time. But the wheels aren’t off until the wheels are off. And maybe the wheels won’t fall off. But they might…

Here’s a look at some interesting Caps numbers:

Beck Malenstyn: Offensive powerhouse?

The answer to the question above is no. And the fourth line’s 40.3 shot attempt percentage and 37.2 xG percentage should make them unplayable. Heck, I am not even sure Malenstyn is an NHL player, BUT…

…I was surprised how high he ranks in some individual offensive numbers.

Twenty-three skaters have played at least 75 minutes at 5v5 for the Caps this season. Here’s how Malenstyn stacks up:

Out of all the areas of need for the Caps, the fourth line would be the cheapest to address. If they do upgrade the fourth line, Malenstyn could lose his spot. But if a stable fourth line with Malenstyn on it ever comes to be, these individual offensive numbers are encouraging.

(side note: if you want a Bluesky referral code, this one is good to the first person who claims it: bsky-social-54b4z-r2exj

You can also me on Bluesky at: @pfholden.bsky.social)

Sandin-TVR

Trevor van Riemsdyk has gotten some time on the second pair with Rasmus Sandin, and they’ve been solid together. Of the eight defensive pairs who have skated 40+ minutes at 5v5 for the Caps, this pairing ranks first in xG percentage and second in shot attempt percentage.

This is a positive development, as Nick Jensen’s play doesn’t currently deserve top-four minutes.

The Lindgren Vezina train

The Charlie Lindgren Vezina train is still on the tracks, but he’ll need to stay healthy and get more starts (without too much regression, which may be inevitable) for the train to really pick up steam. Per Moneypuck, he still leads the league in goals saved above expected per 60.

That’s all for now. Thanks for reading