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Ovechkin takes the goal-scoring lead, Carter leads the Kings, lineup news, Fantasy tips and more in Scott Cullen’s Statistically Speaking. HEROES Alex Ovechkin – Scored a pair of goals in Washington’s 4-0 win over Pittsburgh. With 13 goals in the past 13 games, Ovechkin now has 29 goals on the season to lead the league. He’s a little behind last season’s 51-goal pace, but this surge has put Ovechkin back at the top of the goal-scoring race. While Ovechkin’s shots on goal totals are down, a little, he has seen a massive jump in power play shot attempts. His 13 power-play goals leads the league and 16 even-strength goals is tied for seventh. OVECHKIN SHOOTING YEAR G/GP SOG/GP SH% 5-on5 SA/60 5-on4 SA/60 2007-08 0.79 5.44 14.6% 26.5 31.7 2008-09 0.71 6.68 10.6% 30.3 44.4 2009-10 0.69 5.11 13.6% 27.8 38.4 2010-11 0.41 4.65 8.7% 23.2 35.5 2011-12 0.49 3.88 12.5% 21.3 32.1 2012-13 0.67 4.58 14.5% 21.8 40.7 2013-14 0.65 4.95 13.2% 24.1 39.1 2014-15 0.60 4.79 12.6% 22.6 51.1 Ovechkin’s playmaking centre, Nicklas Backstrom assisted on both of Ovechkin’s goals. Since 2008-2009, Backstrom’s second season, the Capitals rank third and fourth in points per game, behind Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Jeff Carter – The Kings centre was a force in a 4-3 win over Chicago, scoring two goals and assisting on another. Even with two goals, Carter has 0.29 goals per game (14 in 48 games) this season, his lowest goal-scoring rate since 2006-2007, his second season in the league. Braden Holtby – Washington’s goaltender delivered a 27-save shutout in a 4-0 win against Pittsburgh. His .922 save percentage ranks sixth in the league, yet not good enough to be one of nine goaltenders named to the All-Star game, apparently. ZEROES Saad, Toews, Hossa – They weren’t terrible, but all Chicago’s first line of Brandon Saad, Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa were under 46% possession and were on for two goals against in a 4-3 loss at Los Angeles. For most lines, that’s not particularly notable. For one of the best two-way lines in hockey, it stands out that they got the worst of it, particularly when facing the line of Jeff Carter, Dwight King and Tyler Toffoli. Adam Henrique – The New Jersey forward failed to generate a shot attempt in 19:57 of ice time and was crushed in shot attempts (3 for, 13 against, 18.8%) at even strength in a 2-1 shootout win over Toronto. Nick Shore – The Kings rookie forward didn’t play much, 6:11 total, against Chicago, but was on for two Blackhawks goals against and not great possession stats (3 shot attempts for, 6 against, 33.3%) despite starting two-thirds of his shifts in the offensive zone; a small-sample tough night. LINEUP NEED TO KNOW Sidney Crosby – Returned to the Pittsburgh lineup after missing his mandated one game after the All-Star break. He played 19:42, struggling in the faceoff circle (7 wins, 17 losses, 29.2%) in a 4-0 loss to Washington. Tyler Toffoli – The Kings winger returned to the lineup, for his first game since January 8, after a bout of mono, and scored a goal and an assist in a 4-3 win against Chicago. Adam Larsson – New Jersey’s lone regulation goal-scorer in the win over Toronto, the 22-year-old defenceman is seeing much different usage under the new regime. In January, Larsson has six points (1 G, 5 A) in nine games, while averaging 23:37 of ice time per game. He had been averaging 16:35 per game in 21 games through the end of December. Andre Burakovsky – The Capitals rookie winger had four points (2 G, 2 A) during a three-game point streak, playing on the top line with Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, yet was a healthy scratch for Wednesday’s game against Pittsburgh. Jake Gardiner – The Maple Leafs defenceman logged 26:49 at New Jersey, his second straight game over 25 minutes and most in a single game since February 23, 2012. The absence of Dion Phaneuf is going to open up lots of playing time on the Toronto blueline. Petter Granberg – Speaking of Toronto defencemen getting a chance while Phaneuf is out, the 2010 fourth-round pick played his first game of the season (second of his career) for the Maple Leafs at New Jersey. Granberg had seven points (1 G, 6 A) and was even in 28 AHL games before getting called up. SHORT SHIFTS Capitals D Mike Green had a goal and an assist in the 4-0 win over Pittsburgh; he has 17 points (2 G, 15 A) in his past 18 games…Blackhawks RW Patrick Kane recorded a goal and an assist in a 4-3 loss at Los Angeles, giving him 27 points (11 G, 16 A) in his past 20 games…Blackhawks LW Patrick Sharp also had a goal and an assist, and has five points (1 G, 4 A) in the past four games…Kings C Anze Kopitar had a pair of assists in the win; he has 13 points (3 G, 10 A) in the past nine games…Devils RW Martin Havlat had a strong possession game (13 shot attempts for, 2 against, 86.7%) against Toronto...Devils G Cory Schneider stopped 29 of 30 shots in a 2-1 shootout win vs. Toronto, while Maple Leafs G Jonathan Bernier had 22 saves on 23 shots. FANTASY FOCUS There are 11 games on the schedule tonight, so here are half a dozen players to consider for your lineup: Mikhail Grabovski – 15 points (7 G, 8 A) in 39 games is not a great output, despite his stellar possession stats, but getting a shot to play with John Tavares and Josh Bailey on the Isles’ top line is a good opportunity. Michael Del Zotto – Injuries have given him a better opportunity and Del Zotto has five points (2 G, 3 A) during a four-game point streak and has played more than 20 minutes in eight straight games. Riley Sheahan – While he does have five points, all assists, in the past five games, the Red Wings centre has scored one goal in the past 18 games and has just 21 shots on goal in that time. Nevertheless, he’s a two-way centre with some offensive upside. Brad Boyes – The veteran winger has five points (3 G, 2 A) in the past seven games and has a good opportunity, skating with promising young linemates Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau. Seth Jones – Taking advantage of more minutes in Ryan Ellis’ absence, Jones has five points (1 G, 4 A) in the past five games and has played more than 20 minutes in each of the past seven games. Mikael Backlund – He has never had a 40-point season in the NHL and probably won’t get there this year, either, due to injuries, but the Flames centre has eight points (5 G, 3 A) in his past eight games. Much of the data included comes from www.war-on-ice.com, www.puckalytics.com, www.hockeystats.ca and www.naturalstattrick.com Scott Cullen can be reached at scott.cullen@bellmedia.ca Tucker Barnhart Jersey . Louis Blues are reportedly taking restricted free agent forward Vladimir Sobotka to arbitration. Scooter Gennett Jersey . Early in the first period, Stuart pinched in from the blue line, hit Nash and was assessed a minor penalty for elbowing. Nash remained in the game for the rest of the first period, but did not return for the second. http://www.redsgearshop.com/Reds-Michael-Lorenzen-Kids-Jersey/ . On Monday night, many fans in this city placed the blame squarely on the captain for his role in the James Neal overtime winner against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Joey Votto Jersey . Al Horford said all he had to do was make the catch near the basket and then shoot a soft jumper. Custom Cincinnati Reds Jerseys . Pospisil, the seventh seed, saved match points in each of the last two sets before falling to the unseeded Dutchman. "I wasnt very happy with the way I was playing,"said Pospisil.SAN FRANCISCO -- Hyun-Jin Ryu pitched for his country, doing anything he could from afar to lift spirits in South Korea after all the lives lost during a devastating ferry accident. Ryu stretched his road scoreless streak to 26 innings this season and 28 in all, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Francisco Giants 2-1 on Thursday to avoid a sweep. "Its just a really unfortunate situation," Ryu said through an interpreter of the ferry accident back home. "I have a very heavy heart today. I thought if I could just win today and pitch well maybe it would give them a little brighter side to think about. Thats why I went out there and tried to do the best I could." Ryu (3-1) struck out three and walked one on a season-high 112 pitches in seven innings, helping his club move into a tie with the Giants atop the NL West at 10-6. The Giants played their seventh straight one-run game, their most since eight in a row in 1910, according to STATS. Yasiel Puig returned to the Dodgers starting lineup and went 1 for 4 with a strikeout. He dropped a routine fly ball in right early on but recovered to throw out Brandon Belt at second. He then made a nice over-the-head catch on the next batter and a running grab in shallow centre in the eighth with a runner on second. He said the ball hit his thumb area on the play he missed, and he didnt close his glove quickly enough. The Cuban star said before the game he will stay focused on baseball despite reports smugglers who got him out of his country threatened his life. He made two baserunning blunders in the season-opening series at Australia, then arrived late at Dodger Stadium for the home opener and was scratched. He vowed to remain focused on baseball and not the off-field issues "so those things that are happening dont torment me." Tim Federowicz hit an RBI single in the second to put the Dodgers ahead, and Adrian Gonzalez singled in a run in the fifth to chase Madison Bumgarner. Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to 12 games, adding an eighthh-inning double.dddddddddddd Former Giants closer Brian Wilson gave up a leadoff double to Ehire Adrianza but escaped the inning unscathed. Kenley Jansen gave up a two-out RBI single to Adrianza before finishing for his fifth save. Ryu had surrendered a career-high eight runs in a career-short two innings against the Giants in the Dodgers home opener April 4. "Kind of what we needed today for him to go seven and go back out there for the seventh," manager Don Mattingly said. "It worked out." With his bushy beard freshly shorn, Bumgarner (2-1) had a three-start winning streak against the Dodgers snapped with just his second loss in the past seven outings against Los Angeles. The left-hander allowed two runs, six hits and three walks with six strikeouts in 4 1-3 innings but threw 99 pitches. "Not a whole lot went in our favour. Im not trying to change anything," Bumgarner said. "That was some of the best stuff Ive had so far. Its been tough getting deep into games right now." Los Angeles played without shortstop Hanley Ramirez, a day after he was hit by a pitch on the top of his left hand. The Dodgers said there is no fracture, and Ramirez said he had iced the hand eight times and planned to play Friday against Arizona to begin a 10-game homestand. NOTES: LHP Clayton Kershaw, on the DL with a strained muscle in his back, threw breaking balls off the mound and added velocity from his previous session. A rehab assignment is yet to be scheduled, nor any further tests at this time, Mattingly said. Kershaw will continue to throw every other day. ... Giants SS Brandon Crawford was given an extra day off to rest his tender right hamstring. He was available to play and took ground balls before the game. ... CF Angel Pagan didnt start because of knee soreness but appeared as a pinch-hitter. "He banged his knee into a wall a few days ago, so were giving him a break," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. ... The Dodgers improved to 11-2 when they score first. ' ' '