The New Jersey Devils & Their Numbers at the Halfway Mark

Tonight, the New Jersey Devils will take on the Carolina Hurricanes in their twenty-fifth game. That will be the first game of the second half of this shortened 48-game 2013 season. Therefore, I want to capture the team's stats and other figures from the first half before new games begin. If nothing else, it can serve a reference of how the team performed in the first half of the season. Therefore, this is more of a dump of numbers than commentary about what is and is not good or who and who is not doing well.

Professional sports are a results-oriented business so let's start with the team record at NHL.com. The Devils have a record of 11-8-5 with 10 regulation/overtime wins and 27 points. The Devils are 7-3-2 at home and 4-5-3 on the road. They are 1-3 in shootouts. They are currently second in the Atlantic Division, seventh in the Eastern Conference, and tenth overall in points after the games on March 8. Their best run of games was a five-game winning streak that began with a 3-0 shutout win over the Isles on February 3 through a 3-1 win against the Penguins on February 10. All five wins were by two or more goals (but no more than three). Their worst run of games was a six-game winless streak that just recently ended. The Devils went 0-5-1 from a 5-1 loss to the Capitals on February 24 through a 4-2 loss to Tampa Bay on March 6.

In terms of team stats, NHL.com has the following per-game numbers. League rank will be in parentheses. The Devils have averaged 2.42 goals per game (23rd) and 2.67 goals against per game (14th). In terms of shots, the Devils have averaged 27.2 shots per game in all situations (27th) and allowed 25.7 per game (3rd). The Devils' power play success rate is at 17% (t-14th) with 16 power play goals (t-11th) scored out of 94 opportunities (t-8th). They have allowed only two shorthanded goals (t-17th). On the penalty kill, the team's success rate is at 78.8% (23rd) with 21 power play goals allowed (t-27th, in last) out of 99 shorthanded situations (27th). They have scored six shorthanded goals (1st).

According to team stats by game situation at Behind the Net, here's how the Devils have done in 5-on-5 play. The Devils have a goals for per 60 minute rate of 1.9 (26th) with 34 goals scored (26th). They have a shots for per 60 minute rate of 24.7 (28th) and a team shooting percentage of 7.7% (25th). On the defensive side of 5-on-5, the Devils have a goals against per 60 minute rate of 2.2 (t-9th) with 39 goals allowed (13th). They have a shots against per 60 minute rate of 24.8 (3rd) and a team save percentage of 91.2% (t-17th). In terms of Fenwick (all shooting attempts except for blocks) percentage in close-score situations (one-goal game in first and second period, tied in third and overtime), the team is 52.98% (7th) with a 51.15% at home (19th) and 54.45% on the road (5th). The team's PDO is at 98.9.

As for man advantage situations, the Devils have scored ten goals in 5-on-4 play while allowing two. Their 5-on-4 shots per 60 minute rate is 52.7 (6th) with a team shooting percentage of 8.9% (27th). In 5-on-3 situations, the Devils have scored 5 goals (1st) and allowed none. Their 5-on-3 shots per 60 minute rate is 89.2 (17th) with a team shooting percentage of 45.5% (5th). In 4-on-5 situations, the Devils have allowed 16 goals (t-25th) with six scored (1st). Their shots against per 60 rate is 40.8 (5th) with a team save percentage of 83.3% (26th). In 3-on-5 situations, the Devils have allowed only one goal (t-8th) with a shots against per 60 minute rate of 36.0 (3rd) and a team save percentage of 50% (t-28th).

Moving onto numbers for the skaters from NHL.com, the team's top scorer (and best player) in this first half has been Patrik Elias. He leads the team with 24 points, which consist of seven goals and 17 assists. Elias leads the team in even strength points with 12 (3 goals, 9 assists) and power play points with 11 (3 goals, 8 assists). David Clarkson remains the team's leading goal scorer with ten, the team's leading power play goal scorer with five, and the team leader in shots on net with 89. He is tied with Ilya Kovalchuk with three game winning goals each; Kovalchuk has the team's lone overtime goal this season. The team leader in shorthanded goals is a tie between Kovalchuk and Adam Henrique with two.

The highest shooting percentage is currently owned by Andrei Loktionov with three goals off of 13 shots for a shooting percentage of 23.1%. The lowest shooting percentage among skaters with at least one goal is 4.5% by Stefan Matteau, with one goal out of 22 shots. Twelve skaters have suited up for the Devils with out scoring a goal this season. Five of them are defensemen; the Devils' leading scorer among defenseman has been Marek Zidlicky with three goals and seven assists (tied with Adam Henrique for fourth most overall).

In terms of usage (also from NHL.com), Kovalchuk leads the team in average ice time per game with 25:45 per game. That breaks down to 18:07 even strength ice time per game, 1:44 shorthanded ice time per game, and 5:31 power play ice time per game. The closest forward in average ice time has been Travis Zajac with an average of 20:36 per game. Andy Greene leads the defensemen with an average of 22:18 per game. The highest non-Kovalchuk player in power play ice time per game average is a tie between Zidlicky and Clarkson at 3:41 per game. The team leader in shorthanded ice time per game average is Bryce Salvador at 3:49. On the other end, Cam Janssen has the lowest average ice time at 3:39 per game over four games. Krystofer Barch has the lowest average among Devils who have played more than five games at 5:37. The lowest ice time average for a Devils defenseman is owned by Peter Harrold with 16:24 over two games. Henrik Tallinder is just ahead at 16:27, the lowest among defenders who played more than a couple of games.

Here are some miscellaneous figures from NHL.com. Travis Zajac leads the team in faceoff percentage with a 55.4 with 244 wins out of 440. No other Devil who has taken more than fifty faceoffs has a winning percentage over 48%. Zidlicky and Clarkson are tied for the team lead in minor penalties with eleven. Krystofer Barch leads the team with six major penalties; he and Clarkson are tied with one misconduct each. As for goaltenders, Martin Brodeur has the team's best overall save percentage at 91.1%, the team's best even strength save percentage at 93%, the team's best penalty kill save percentage at 83.1%, and has not allowed a shorthanded goal. In contract, Johan Hedberg is at 88.5%, 91.2%, 75%, and two shorthanded goals allowed, respectively. Each has a shutout, Brodeur has an assist, Hedberg has a penalty (interference), and each has allowed 30 goals exactly this season. Keith Kinkaid appeared for a little under 26 minutes.

Here's a quick run down of the leaders and trailers among the advanced stats at Behind the Net among Devils with at least five games played. I don't know why Gabe Desjardens is missing games, but here are the numbers available as of Friday night. For Corsi Rel QoC, which calculates quality of competition with the relative on-ice Corsi rate of the opposing players at even strength, Mark Fayne leads the team at 1.214, Ryan Carter leads forwards at 1.024, Henrik Tallinder has the lowest rate at -0.936, and Bobby Butler had the lowest among forwards with -0.426. With Butler gone, Clarkson has the lowest among forwards at -0.418. For on-ice Corsi rate, Clarkson leads the team with 24.37 and Stephen Gionta has the lowest on the team at -7.97. Among defensemen, Tallinder is in first with a rate of 17.10 and Salvador is last with a rate of -4.30. Gionta has the team's highest PDO at 1086 with a team on-ice shooting percentage of 17.16% and a team on-ice save percentage of 91.5%. Jacob Josefson still has the team's lowest at 862 (2.04 S%, 84.1 Sv%); Clarkson is the lowest among active and current Devils at 961 (7.33 S%, 88.8 Sv%). As for offensive zone start percentage (offensive starts over offensive and defensive starts), Adam Larsson has the lowest percentage at 37.3% on the team; Andrei Loktionov having the lowest among forwards at 40%. Marek Zidlicky has the highest offensive zone start percentage at 60.1%; Steve Bernier leads forwards in this percentage at 57.3%.

Again, this is more of a dump of numbers than commentary about what is and is not good or who and who is not doing well. Please feel free to come to your own conclusions about any of them (or request more before tonight's game) in the comments.