Markov is Habs defensive-leader
This post will focus on each Montreal Canadiens defenseman's ability to limit turnovers by maintaining possession of the puck for their team, as well as their ability to create turnovers by removing puck-possession from the opposition.
- Events used to calculate a player's offensive-touch numbers include; passes, dekes, shots, and dump-ins.
- Events used to calculate a player's defensive-touch numbers include; stick-checks, body-checks, blocked passes, and blocked shots
A successful defensive-touch can be described as any successful attempt to remove puck-possession from the opposition team by way of a stick-check, body-check, blocked pass, or blocked shot. Consequently, any failed attempt at either of these events would constitute a FAILED defensive-touch. Only even-strength events were used in this calculation.
HOW TO READ THE GRAPH
- The higher a player's bubble is, the more FAILED offensive or defensive-touches they contributed per-minute of ice time.
- The further to the right a player's bubble is, the more SUCCESSFUL offensive or defensive-touches they contribute per-minute of ice-time.
- The bigger a player's bubble is, the higher their success-rate is within each category (o-touche success-rate/ d-touch success-rate)
A player whose bubble appears in the bottom-right of the graph contribute more successful and less unsuccessful offensive or defensive-touches than a player whose bubble appears in the top-left of the graph.
Bottom right = good
Top left = bad
OFFENSIVE-TOUCHES
Among Montreal Canadiens defensemen, PK Subban is the team's offensive-leader. The degree of Subban's involvement in the play is also expressed well in this graph. Subban leads all Habs defensmen in both successful, and FAILED offensive-touches. Jarred Tinordi has produced the second-most FAILED offensive-touches per-minute among Habs d-men. Unfortunately, Tinordi has also produced the fewest successful o-touches.
Nathan Beaulieu has produced the second-most successful o-touches per-minute, while Andrei Markov has produced the fewest FAILED offensive-touches PMP. Simply put, Markov gives the puck-away less often than any other Habs d-man.
DEFENSIVE-TOUCHES
Andrei Markov is the Habs defensive-leader. His strong defensive-play is expressed well in this graph, as number 79 leads all defensemen in successful defensive-touches per-minute played. Nathan Beaulieu is still struggling defensively, as he leads all defensemen in FAILED defensive-touches per-minute, but . That said, number 40 has also produced the second-most successful d-touches behind Markov.
Diaz has produced the fewest successful d-touches, and only Beaulieu has produced more FAILED d-touches than number 61. Subban has produced the second-fewest successful d-touches per-minute, but only Francis Bouillon has had fewer FAILED d-touches than number 76.
