Photo: Chris Gordon
The Extra 2% is a book about the Tampa Bay Rays looking for every small, incremental advantage over their competition and how this philosophy helped aid the team’s rise from the bottom of the MLB to being a perennial threat in the American League.
Part of the Rays’ motivation in doing so was financial. As a team with a small budget, they looked to find value in market inefficiencies. Given that they weren’t going to outspend their competitors, they looked for ways to outsmart them.
But there are lessons in the Rays’ approach to all teams of all budget sizes across every sport. In the world’s best sports leagues, the difference between the best and the worst is so minuscule that any advantage gained, no matter how small, can pay big dividends.
Enter the 2015-16 Capitals. Having afforded themselves such a comfortable place in the standings, it’d be easy for the Caps to coast over the final two months of the season. But the team shows no signs of resting on their laurels, as they continue to seek ways to improve. Barry Trotz continues to tinker with his lines, the team took a chance on signing a veteran center in the middle of January, the power play continues to try different things (while seemingly going away from other changes, perhaps hiding them from opponents who will be prescouting for the playoffs), and here on RMNB, we’ve suggested ways the Caps can continue to look for competitive advantages.
Keep improving, keep trying new things, keep looking for part of that extra two percent. You never know what you may come across that could make the difference in a third overtime at 1 AM on a weeknight in May.
The numbers are current as of Noon on Sunday. Let’s do this.
Player | GP | TOI | SA% | rel SA% | GF% | PDO |
Williams | 57 | 736.7 | 54.8 | 4.0 | 59.7 | 101.6 |
Ovechkin | 55 | 842.7 | 54.0 | 3.2 | 64.3 | 103.1 |
Laich | 56 | 475.8 | 53.5 | 2.0 | 40.7 | 97.2 |
Kuznetsov | 57 | 804.6 | 53.3 | 2.0 | 63.3 | 103.3 |
Backstrom | 54 | 780.7 | 53.3 | 1.7 | 66 | 103.5 |
Galiev | 15 | 121.9 | 53.2 | 2.2 | 50 | 100.4 |
Latta | 40 | 331.3 | 52.9 | 2.2 | 52.6 | 100.2 |
Burakovsky | 54 | 623.6 | 51.7 | -0.5 | 54.6 | 101.7 |
Oshie | 57 | 800 | 51.7 | -0.2 | 63.2 | 102.8 |
Johansson | 50 | 656.3 | 51.3 | -0.4 | 63.3 | 103.2 |
Chimera | 57 | 622.6 | 49.7 | -2.8 | 54.2 | 101.1 |
Richards | 14 | 132.1 | 49.3 | -2.9 | 50 | 100.4 |
Beagle | 36 | 425.5 | 47.5 | -5.4 | 57.7 | 102.6 |
Wilson | 57 | 649.2 | 47.4 | -5.8 | 56 | 102.5 |
Player | GP | TOI | SA% | rel SA% | GF% | PDO |
Orlov | 57 | 819 | 55.8 | 5.1 | 64.1 | 103.6 |
Schmidt | 52 | 871.9 | 53.3 | 3 | 58.6 | 101.4 |
Chorney | 45 | 535.7 | 51.9 | -0.1 | 61.2 | 104.5 |
Orpik | 17 | 280.9 | 51 | -4.3 | 53.6 | 100 |
Niskanen | 57 | 1051.8 | 50.9 | -1.7 | 59.2 | 102.3 |
Carlson | 45 | 779.5 | 50.3 | -1.4 | 53.7 | 100.2 |
Alzner | 57 | 997.1 | 48.8 | -4.9 | 58.3 | 102.6 |
All numbers, unless otherwise cited or linked to, are from War on Ice.
RMNB is not associated with the Washington Capitals; Monumental Sports, the NHL, or its properties. Not even a little bit.
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