Washington Capitals defensemanJohn Carlson scored on a one-time shot floated at Calgary Flames goaltender Cam Talbot on Tuesday.It wasn't a shoot-to-score shot rather it was more intended on creating further trouble for the Flames in front of their own net. But right now, Carlson can't mi s. The shot snuck right past Talbot's left side.After he scored an empty-net goal to help seal the Capitals' 5-3 win, No. 74 had 20 points to his name this
Chris Tierney Jersey season the most in the NHL through Oct. 23.What Carlson has already achievedis nearly unprecedented only two other blueliners have through the first 20 days of the season (Baldy Northcott in 1932-33, and Bobby Orr in 1969-70 and 1974-75). It should make him an early favorite to win the Norris Trophy an end-of-season award teammate .But can Washington's top bluelinerkeep
Patrick Marleau Jersey up this wild pace?, NHL defensemen have only scored at a point-per-game pace (or better) on 48 occasions.It's an exclusive list have accomplished the feat but typically, at least one of the league's top talents on the back end scored at such a high rate between 1970 and 1996. A twenty-year drought that many (Nicklas Lidstrom came close when he tallied80 points in 2005-06)but in the last four years, two defenders have done it: Erik Karl son, with82 points in 2015-16and Brent Burns, who tallied83 just last year.Carlson's blazing 1.82 points-per-game pace is setting a higher goal, though. He's currently on pace to score about 149 points this season. Maintaining that level of play would blow previous scoring records for defensemen out of the water and make Carlsonthe league's highestsingle-season scorer since Mario
Logan Couture Jersey Lemieux (161) in 1995-96.Is it likely we're watching one of the best individual seasons in hockey
Joe Pavelski Jersey history? No. But coulda player from Natick, Ma s.,best recent efforts from the Karl son and Burns by scoring100 points? Maybe. Brian Leetch (102 points in 1992-93)was the last to do so.Carlson owes his five goals thus far to plenty of puck luck. He owns a ridiculous shooting percentage (21.7)and yethe's only generating about 4.72 shot attempts per game not far from his mark last season (4.93)when he scored 13 goals. But instead, his 11-game pace puts him on a path to score more than 35 goals.To put it lightly, that goal total isunlikely. But Carlson makes his moneydistributing the puck, not putting it in the nethimself. OnlyBurnsracked up more a sists (122) than him from over the previous two seasons. If the Capitals remain among the league's top-scoring teams, Carlson will keep adding to his a
Paul Martin Jersey sist total and perhaps finish with the highest-scoring season by a blueliner in two decades.That accomplishment would make him a well-deserving Norris candidate. Perhaps fans can start placing bets for him to win the Hart Trophy, too.
