Lars Eller had a down year. Well, until the, ya know –- until he scored the game-winning goal to win the Stanley Cup. It was a down year except for that.
By The Numbers
| 81 | games played |
| 15.3 | time on ice per game |
| 18 | goals |
| 20 | assists |
| 48.2 | 5-on-5 shot-attempt percentage, adjusted |
| 42.2 | 5-on-5 goal percentage, adjusted |
Visualization by HockeyViz
About this visualization: This series of charts made by Micah Blake McCurdy of hockeyviz.com shows various metrics for the player over the course of the season. A short description of each chart:
- Most common teammates during 5-on-5
- Ice time per game, split up by game state
- 5-on-5 adjusted shot attempts by the team (black) and opponents (red)
- 5-on-5 adjusted shooting percentage by the team (black) and opponents (red)
- Individual scoring events by the player
- 5-on-5 adjusted offensive (black) and defensive (red) zone starts
Peter’s Take
Lars Eller’s boxcars were fine. He hit career highs in goals and points, but the magic that animated the Caps third line in 2016-17 was missing in 2017-18. The Caps were outscored 45 to 33 during Eller’s shifts, a low among Caps forwards. A lot of that was due to Eller’s low PDO (mediocre 7.5 percent shooting, abysmal 91.1 percent saving), but the goals lined up with high-danger chances, just 42 percent of them belonging to the Caps. All those are dramatic downturns from what was considered one of the better third lines in hockey one season prior.
What’s behind the downturn is an open-ended question. The unreliability of Eller’s wings – especially in the wake of Burakovsky’s injuries and Vrana’s varying usage – didn’t make Eller’s job easier, and he was more likely to spend time with Washington’s more struggling defensemen than his fellow forwards in the top six. But it’s undeniable that Eller personally faltered too. He scored just two goals and five assists between games 15 and 40 and generated fewer high-danger chances than any forward who didn’t clock time on the Beagle line.
So while we’re forever be happy about his championship-clinching performance against Vegas or his stepping up when Backstrom was hurt earlier in the playoffs, I admit to having some unease about Eller going forward. I hope that stabilizing the defense and providing him with more consistent wingers will help, but if Eller’s going to become a 20-goal scorer, it’s ultimately up to him to make it happen.
Tiger on RMNB
- I’m gonna start in an odd spot. Eller scored a dirty one in double overtime to win Game Three of the first round. Without this play, the Caps likely would have gone down 3-0 to the Jackets.
- Eller went to the net in a similar way against the Bolts. For a fancy player, I love how greasy he got.
- There are too many of these to embed.
- But here’s one more that seems important: the Cup winner.
SHOW US YOUR TIGER EMOJIS!! #ALLCAPS #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/TBoia9Gb6O
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) June 8, 2018
- In February, Eller signed a five-year deal, which means he’ll definitely be employed longer than Marc Bergevin.
- Important:
- Eller filled into for Backstrom when his handed exploded. He also filled in for Trotz when the Caps needed a new hot lapper. Eller ran it before game five.
- On the origins of the hot lap: “It’s a secret.”
- Friends, I can’t possibly fit in all the jokes highlights that Eller delivered. Just click these links and have some fun.
Your Turn
Do you have an expectation for Lars Eller to produce and drive play like a top-sixer? If yes, what does he have to do to become that?
Read more: Japers’ Rink
Headline photo: Cara Bahniuk
