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Hockey East Weekend Analysis: By the Numbers

By Jeff Cox
2012 Calgary Flames first round pick Mark Jankowski has two goals and five assists in three games.
2012 Calgary Flames first round pick Mark Jankowski has two goals and five assists in three games.
Matt Dewkett

Some must know numbers and statistics through two weekends of regular season action in Hockey East:

  • All six UConn players who've scored more than one point in the team's first three games are freshmen or sophomores, led by rookie Max Letunov's three goals and three assists. Granted the level of competition has been sub-par, it bodes well for the future of the Huskies' program going forward.
  • Speaking of underclassmen, the leading scorer in Hockey East through two weekends is Massachusetts sophomore Dennis Kravchenko. Some might scoff at the two opponents the Minutemen have faced or the team's unsustainable shooting percentage, but it's nonetheless impressive. The Laguna Niguel, Calif. native quietly put up a nice freshman season and already has four goals and four assists through three games.
  • It's only two games, but Merrimack outscored its opponents 10-2 over the weekend. Not bad for a team that averaged just over two goals per game and allowed over three goals per game a season ago. Leading the way was senior Brian Christie, who had a goal and three assists.
  • Four of the seven goals Maine has allowed this season have come in the third period. The Black Bears have seemingly shored up their defense, but it is a concerning stat for a team that seemed to fade in the final period of regulation last season as well. On the more positive side for Maine, Rob McGovern and Matt Morris have combined for a .951 save percentage through four games. Last year Maine goalies had a .898 save percentage.
  • While on the topic of goaltenders, BC's Thatcher Demko appears to not be suffering any ill effects of an off-season hip surgery. The Vancouver Canucks prospects has a .958 save percentage through the first three games, albeit against a fairly weak schedule on paper.
  • Dating back to last season, UMass Lowell senior Adam Chapie has at least a point in seven consecutive games. Further back, he's scored at least a point in 11 of his last 12 games. The Oxford, Mich. native has five goals and 10 assists over that period. Evan Campbell didn't play in the last three games of the 2014-15 season, but the Edmonton Oilers prospect also has a seven game point streak going.
  • It's only two games, but when discussing who might lead the Terriers in scoring this season, nobody had Ryan Cloonan and Doyle Somerby at the top of their list. Cloonan, a late add, was slated to play another year of junior hockey, but came in a year early due to the departures of J.J. Piccinich and Letunov. Somerby is a player whose improvement in his footwork has been remarkable, but he's still more known for his shutdown capabilities than his offensive production.
  • Former first round pick Mark Jankowski, who never quite produced offensively the way most expected, had a coming of age moment in the 2015 Frozen Four. He had a goal and an assist in the semifinal victory over Omaha and a goal in the national championship game against BU. He's started this season right where he left off. He has two goals and five assists in three games. People sometimes forget that he came to PC as a very young freshman. Calgary might be getting the type of player it envisioned when drafting him out of Stanstead College Prep in 2012.
  • Providence sophomore Jake Walman is the leading scorer among defensemen in Hockey East with two goals and three assists. The 2014 pick of the St. Louis Blues is playing exceptionally well, according to multiple reports, including Providence Journal Beat Writer Mark Divver, who tweeted he's earning a spot on the World Junior Championship team.
  • Northeastern junior defenseman Matt Benning has been on the ice for all eight goals scored against the Huskies this season. The Boston Bruins prospect made great strides in his game, including his footwork, last season, but the start to his season is certainly room for concern.
  • Derek Roy's .837 save percentage is what caught most of the headlines as Northeastern was swept by Bentley in a home-and-home series, but perhaps more concerning is the absence of his brother Kevin Roy from the score sheet. The Anaheim Ducks prospect has just one assist in three games.
  • Vermont had a case of first period woes this past weekend against now top ranked Nebraska Omaha. The Catamounts fell behind, 2-0, in each of the two home games at Gutterson Fieldhouse.