The Rod Langway Award leaders

by James Mirtle on Jan 22, 2009 2:28 PM CST in Statistics Comment 7 comments

Here's an updated look at the league's top defensive defencemen at the all-star break, based on a look at quality of competition and goals against at even strength and while shorthanded.

Players have to have played at least 30 games this season and a significant role on the penalty kill to qualify:

	NAME	TEAM	GP	QCMP	EVGA/60	SHGA/60
1	NICK SCHULTZ	MIN	44	0.06	1.69	3.87
2	MARC STAAL	NYR	45	0.07	2.17	3.56
3	KIM JOHNSSON	MIN	43	0.04	1.90	2.25
4	BRENT SEABROOK	CHI	45	0.09	1.93	5.34
5	PAUL MARTIN	N.J	42	0.06	1.71	5.49
6	ROB SCUDERI	PIT	47	0.08	1.92	5.83
7	SEAN O'DONNELL	L.A	44	0.04	1.84	4.74
8	ROB BLAKE	S.J	43	0.05	1.88	5.14
9	M-E VLASIC	S.J	45	0.05	1.91	5.03
10	PAUL MARA	NYR	45	0.00	1.59	1.24
11	NICKLAS LIDSTROM	DET	44	0.10	2.34	4.49
12	ZDENO CHARA	BOS	46	0.07	1.92	5.95
13	WILLIE MITCHELL	VAN	47	0.07	1.86	6.39
14	DUNCAN KEITH	CHI	41	0.07	1.99	5.99
15	KEVIN BIEKSA	VAN	38	0.07	2.39	4.15
16	ANTON VOLCHENKOV	OTT	31	0.09	2.32	5.63
17	DENNIS SEIDENBERG	CAR	41	0.09	2.46	5.49
18	JAN HEJDA	CBJ	46	0.11	2.17	6.76
19	DAN GIRARDI	NYR	45	0.00	2.01	3.53
20	MATT GREENE	L.A	44	0.03	1.94	5.57
21	MIKE GREEN	WSH	35	-0.02	1.88	2.21
22	GREG ZANON	NSH	46	0.04	2.31	5.56
23	MIKE COMMODORE	CBJ	46	0.10	2.33	6.77
24	ROBYN REGEHR	CGY	44	0.02	2.31	4.19
25	CORY SARICH	CGY	46	-0.02	1.60	4.59
26	DENNIS WIDEMAN	BOS	45	0.00	1.86	5.58
27	TIM GLEASON	CAR	38	0.10	2.05	8.29
28	KIMMO TIMONEN	PHI	43	0.08	2.51	5.99
29	DAN BOYLE	S.J	44	-0.01	2.08	3.61
30	KURT SAUER	PHX	42	0.09	1.96	8.91

Newcomers to the list: Seidenberg, Hejda, Greene, Green, Zanon, Commodore, Regehr, Sarich, Wideman, Boyle

All of the names in the top half of the list have been there for a while, but some of the newcomers make sense. The Hejda-Commodore pairing has been terrific the past month-plus for the Blue Jackets, while Mike Green has terrific numbers in big, big minutes in Washington.

Nick Schultz and Kim Johnsson always post terrific numbers for the Wild, as does Martin from the Devils and Vlasic for the Sharks. Some of the 'surprise' names are guys like Sean O'Donnell and Dennis Seidenberg (who has a poor plus-minus number) but if you talk to people in those markets, they've quietly had strong seasons. You'll hear the same about guys like Zanon and Greene and Sauer.

Regehr and Sarich, meanwhile, have been a big part in helping Calgary rocket to the top of the standings.

Honourable mentions: Phillips, Lydman, Doughty, Ballard, Hamrlik, Bouwmeester

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Comments

Seidenberg

As a Hurricanes fan, I’m glad to see Seidenberg getting some recognition. He’s been logging a ton of minutes against quality opposition and holding his own, and has been respectable on the PP as well.

by Kahz on Jan 23, 2009 7:18 AM CST reply actions

Cue Detroit fans complaining that Lidstrom isn’t top 10 in 3…2…1…

At any rate, thanks for telling Penguins fans what we already knew—that Rob Scuderi is way underrated around the league.

Pittsburgh Black And Gold -- So new, it still smells like paint!

by JustinM on Jan 23, 2009 8:18 AM CST reply actions

I think Reliable Rob’s underrated in Pittsburgh. I hear Pens fans grousing about him all the time.

As for Lidstrom – that he’s as high as he is on a team that’s allowed as many goals as the Red Wings have is incredible. He’s likely to move up over the long haul.

by James Mirtle on Jan 23, 2009 9:16 AM CST up reply actions

If Scuderi is underrated in Pittsburgh, it’s by people who see that an inordinate number of goals seem to carom into the net off his leg, skate, or other random piece of equipment. That wouldn’t happen if he wasn’t always in good defensive position, though…and I’m not sure that it’s actually more than anyone else, anyway. It just seems that way.

I suppose he’s also underrated because he has approximately zero offensive ability, but that’s not what he’s there for.

Pittsburgh Black And Gold -- So new, it still smells like paint!

by JustinM on Jan 23, 2009 9:46 AM CST reply actions

Reply button, Justin, reply button… sigh

Pittsburgh Black And Gold -- So new, it still smells like paint!

by JustinM on Jan 23, 2009 9:47 AM CST reply actions

Finger on the pulse?

How about The Sixth Finger? I see that Sauer made it to the top 30, so I was wondering how Jeff Finger fares here.

Sean O’Donnell has looked very solid all season. I’ve watched a lot of Kings games thanks to the phenom named Drew Doughty who is an immense talent (Bogosian must be very special if the Kings were wavering between Doughty and Bogosian), and in the process I’ve developed a new admiration for OD.

by bearhunter on Jan 23, 2009 12:07 PM CST reply actions

Finger likely doesn’t fare well. I don’t have his numbers in front of me at the moment, but the Leafs allow a ton of goals and are brutal on the penalty kill.

Let’s put it this way: Among Leafs, he likely does fine. But that’s not saying much.

by James Mirtle on Jan 23, 2009 12:39 PM CST up reply actions

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