Staturday with Mike, 11/19

Statistics in women’s hockey are often frustratingly hard to come by. It’s the reason why I created a Google Sheet with the NWHL’s and CWHL’s skater stats and made it available to the public. And it’s also the reason why Hannah Bevis suggested I start a column about stats for The Ice Garden.

So, without further adieu, let’s take a look at some curious and revealing stats from the world of women’s hockey.

NWHL

  • The New York Riveters remain the only team to score more than one goal against the Boston Pride this season. The Riveters scored three goals against Boston in the NWHL’s opening weekend in Buffalo. So far it is the only game that Amanda Kessel has skated in.
  • Haley Skarupa and the Connecticut Whale were shutout by the Boston Pride last Saturday, but she still leads the league in points. The Whale have only played in four games this season (two fewer games than the Beauts, one fewer game than the Riveters and Pride). Skarupa has nine points, eight of which are primary, in those four games.
  • Madison Packer of the New York Riveters leads the league in penalty minutes and is tied for fourth in the league in shots. She has just one goal on 20 shots so far this season.
  • Forwards Corinne Buie and Kourtney Kunichika of the Beauts are tied for the league-lead in power play points. They both have four in six games played this season.
  • The Pride’s Blake Bolden is leading all NWHL defenders in assists. She has five points her first five games this year. Last season Bolden had nine points in 18 games with Boston./

CWHL

  • Marie-Philip Poulin (Montreal) and Jill Saulnier (Calgary) both have more goals than the entire Boston Blades roster.
  • Poulin and Natalie Spooner are the only two players in either the CWHL or NWHL to have at least one goal at even strength, on the power play and while shorthanded this season. Poulin picked up both of her shorties against the Blades last weekend.
  • Toronto’s rookie forward Michela Cava is currently leading the league in power play points. She has two goals and two secondary assists on the man advantage for the Furies through eight games.
  • Blades’ rookie goaltender Lauren Dahm has been busy this season. She has faced more than twice the number of shots that other CWHL goaltenders have this season. In fact, she has faced 55 more shots than both Erica Howe of the Thunder (third in shots against) and Christina Kessler of the Furies (second in shots) have combined. Despite Dahm’s 6.23 GAA she has posted an impressive .883 save percentage.
  • Brampton’s Jess Jones is leading the CWHL in power play assists with four. Jones’ five points currently lead the Thunder. She trails only Cathy Chartrand of Les Canadiennes for the league-led in points among players with alliterative names./

NCAA Division I

  • St. Lawrence junior Kennedy Marchment has 23 points in her first 12 games this season. Her two shorthanded goals are tied for the NCAA lead. Marchment had 29 points in both her freshman and sophomore seasons./
  • Robert Morris University freshman Jaycee Gebhard already has five power play goals this year. She is tied for the nation lead in power play points. Gebhard is second among Colonials in goals behind junior Brittany Howard.
  • Delaney Belinskas of Boston College is the first player to score two hat tricks this year. She has a lopsided 11 goals and one assist in her first 12 games.
  • Caitrin Lonergran of Boston College is the nation’s highest-scoring freshman. She is tied for sixth in the nation with her first 20 points as an Eagle.
  • Colgate, St. Lawrence and Wisconsin are the three remaining undefeated teams in NCAA Division I women’s hockey. Of those three programs Wisconsin has the best goal differential. They have an amazing 37 even strength goals in 12 games and they lead the nation in average shots for per game with 38.92./