Paul Pidutti

Sudbury

Freelance Hockey Writer at Freelance

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Articles

Is this the greatest generation of playoff performers in NHL history?

18 hours ago | dailyfaceoff.com | Paul Pidutti

Credit: © Christopher Creveling-Imagn ImagesWe’re in a golden age for superstars enforcing their will in the playoffs. The postseason is supposed to be humbling for the game’s best players. Hard matchups. Tight checking. A relaxed penalty standard. Extreme parity from the salary cap. Just ask the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ core — or its fanbase — how frustrating this time of year can be. Yet, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl can’t be shut down. Mikko Rantanen continues to dominate in Dallas.
Is great goaltending necessary to win the Stanley Cup?

1 week ago | dailyfaceoff.com | Paul Pidutti

Goaltending wins championships. We’ve all heard this widely accepted hockey rule before. But is it actually true? After watching Connor Hellebuyck fumble through a thrilling first-round series win, questions naturally emerge. Now, four shaky playoff wins don’t deliver a franchise the Stanley Cup. If the Winnipeg Jets get an .830 save percentage from their MVP candidate again in Round 2, the Winnipeg White Out faithful can head straight to the golf course.
Modernizing the scoring race: Draisaitl, Caufield rise while Eichel, MacKinnon fall

4 weeks ago | dailyfaceoff.com | Paul Pidutti

We all love scoring races. Simple. Timeless. Universal. The pursuit of the Art Ross Trophy remains one of hockey’s iconic annual chases. We understand it, we follow it all year, and we embrace it. But we can’t kid ourselves either: points alone are an oversimplified, antiquated way to evaluate players. More than a century ago, professional hockey leagues decided to call goals and assists equal. Back then, it made sense.
Five reasons Alex Ovechkin is way better at scoring goals than you think

1 month ago | dailyfaceoff.com | Paul Pidutti

You may have heard that Alex Ovechkin broke the NHL’s goal-scoring record. It’s certainly not the type of feat that can sneak up on anyone. Twenty years of relentless lasers, clappers, rockets, snipes, blasts and tucks yielded a defining moment in hockey history on Sunday afternoon. While some fans needed that 895th flashing red light to make it official, let’s be honest: Ovechkin has long been the greatest goal scorer in NHL history.
The disappointing Connor Bedard’s unpaved path to stardom

1 month ago | dailyfaceoff.com | Paul Pidutti

Connor Bedard’s sophomore season has underwhelmed. It’s okay to say it out loud. He only scored one goal in November. He went pointless in 10 of 12 games after the 4 Nations Face-Off break. And the only regular Chicago Blackhawks forwards with worse on-ice defensive metrics are soon-to-be-retired Pat Maroon and 35-year-old Craig Smith — now in Detroit, his fifth team in three seasons. Breathe, everyone. Bedard is still 19 years old.
Man, Myth, Flower: The Marc-Andre Fleury retrospective

1 month ago | dailyfaceoff.com | Paul Pidutti

In the near future, Marc-Andre Fleury will say goodbye. The Quebec-born ‘Flower’ is the last remaining goaltending link to the pre-lockout NHL. Fleury debuted before the salary cap. Before shootouts. Before Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin. In an NHL with two-line passes and legal head shots. An 18-year-old kid in bright yellow pads. Only a few months after being drafted first overall by Pittsburgh. On a team captained by Mario Lemieux, who turns 60 this autumn.
NHL career projections: Forecasting the current generation’s final stat lines

1 month ago | dailyfaceoff.com | Paul Pidutti

One of the best parts about hockey is projecting the future. It’s no surprise that three of the biggest days on the NHL’s calendar are its trade deadline, entry draft, and the opening of free agency. None of these marquee events is connected to an actual hockey game. So, while history and nostalgia are great for the soul, it’s possibility that stirs the imagination most. In the spirit of possibility — and probability — we’re forecasting the future today.
Top eight statistical storylines to watch on the NHL’s stretch drive

2 months ago | dailyfaceoff.com | Paul Pidutti

The NHL trade deadline lived up to the hype last week. The league’s annual blitz delivered an exciting flurry of high-profile swaps, signings and speculation. And with the final day of dealing now in the books, it means we’re on the home stretch of the regular season. Over the weekend, the league’s calendar passed 1,000 games on its final destination to 1,312 scheduled games.
The 10 biggest legacy shifts up or down after the 4 Nations Face-Off

2 months ago | dailyfaceoff.com | Paul Pidutti

If you’re still coming down from the high of hockey’s greatest showdown in more than a decade, you’re not alone. The intense, seesaw battle between USA and Canada will reverberate for a long time. Now that the sizzling temperature of Thursday’s 4 Nations Face-off finale has cooled, the time is right to consider the event’s impact. An enduring assessment from three or four games is hardly fair in the big picture.
Six key takeaways from past best-on-best finals ahead of USA vs. Canada

2 months ago | dailyfaceoff.com | Paul Pidutti

Credit: Pool Photo-USA TODAY SportsAfter a short but intense blast of international hockey, the 4 Nations Face-Off’s final stage is set. The rivalries, pace of play and the intensity have smashed the tournament’s originally modest expectations. But as we prepare for tomorrow’s marquee matchup between USA and Canada, we’re looking to the past to see what we can learn about the future.