![]() His first breakout season saw him score 30 points in 56 games (44 over an 82-game pace). He had a breakout season at age-24 and then built on that over the next two seasons. To look at what he can do next, we have to look at what's happened so far. For the first time, Eriksson Ek is in line to be a top-six center, playing with top-six talent. At least we can be confident that we'll see Eriksson Ek and Boldy together again next year. They got lucky, but earned those fortunate breaks with incredible play.ĭean Evason's rigid adherence to sticking to lines once they've shown that they work can be frustrating, but there's a fortunate flip side in this case. Going back to those 293 forward pairings, and they rank 23rd in the NHL. Their expected goal share - which focuses only on the quality of chances they create, not whether they score or get scored on - was 60.7% when they were on the ice together. Their underlying numbers were nearly as sterling as their goal differential. Both Eriksson Ek and Boldy are great defenders, but still, there's definitely some luck there. 966 save percentage with those two on the ice. Eriksson Ek and Boldy's 77.9% take of the goals share was first among those 293. There were 293 pairs of forwards who played 300 or more minutes together at 5-on-5 last year. That's not only similar to what Eriksson Ek accomplished on his previous line, it was at the very top of the league. They out-scored opponents by a 21-6 margin. Instead of floundering without The Best Line In Hockey, The Best Line In Hockey just happened to appear whenever Eriksson Ek and Boldy took the ice.įor 376 glorious minutes, Eriksson Ek and Boldy absolutely devoured the rest of the league as if they were Joey Chestnut with a 12-pack of Hebrew Nationals. With new linemates playing a much more skilled style, you'd think Eriksson Ek might have trouble adjusting to a new role, let alone coming close to matching his grind-line successes of old. They traded Greenway to the Buffalo Sabres, then split up Eriksson Ek and Foligno, primarily pairing Eriksson Ek with Matt Boldy. Last year saw that line falter, and the Wild broke it up permanently. Their chemistry was so great, though, that they had the secret sauce to dominate together that couldn't be replicated with anyone else. But instead of having multiple superstars, it was three bottom-six forwards. Think the Patrice Bergeron- Brad Marchand- David Pastrnak line, or Auston Matthews- Mitch Marner- Michael Bunting. Put another way: They controlled the ice in a way only the best of the best lines in hockey do. From 2019-20 to 2021-22, they out-scored opponents 52-16 while owning 64.5% of the expected goal share at 5-on-5. Minnesota Wild fans first saw this over the past several years with Eriksson Ek skating alongside Marcus Foligno and Jordan Greenway. Is there a luckier player in the NHL than Joel Eriksson Ek? It seems like every line he settles into is suddenly a contender for the title of The Best Line In Hockey. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |