On April 1, Mike Green scored a pair of goals to help the Capitals to a 5-3 win over the New York Islanders. The two tallies gave Green 30 on the season, making him the first NHL defenseman to hit the 30-goal plateau since Kevin Hatcher scored 34 for the Capitals in 1992-93.
Green, who’s missed 14 games this season due to a shoulder injury and a bout with the flu, has 30 goals and 70 points in only 64 games. His 0.47 goals-per-game and 1.09 points-per-game averages are right in line with the best scoring seasons for defensemen in NHL history, especially considering today’s NHL scores only 5.83 goals per game (through April 3).
Green Compared to Orr
Boston Bruins legend Bobby Orr is the standard by which all NHL defensemen are measured. While no one is foolish enough to compare Green’s overall game to Orr’s, the goal-scoring numbers aren’t far off.
Orr enjoyed his best goal-scoring season in 1974-75. With the league averaging 6.85 goals per contest, Orr went for 46 goals and 135 points in 80 games. His 0.58 goals-per-game and 1.69 points-per-game average easily trump Green’s current numbers, but league scoring in 1974-75 was up 14.9 percent from today’s standard.
When Green’s numbers are put in 1974-75 terms, his 30 goals would be worth 34, and his goals-per game average would jump to 0.53 per game, extrapolating to 43 goals over 80 games.
Green’s point total wouldn’t be nearly as close. When adjusted to 1974-75, his 70 points would be worth 80 through 64 games, meaning his 1.25 points-per-game average would be worth 100 points over 80 contests in Orr’s 135-point year.
Green Compared to Coffey
Paul Coffey eventually broke Orr’s goal record with 48 red lights in 1985-86. The NHL averaged 7.94 goals that season, up 13.7 percent from 1974-75 and 26.6 percent from 2008-09.
Adjust the numbers accordingly, and Orr’s 46 goals in 1974-75 would be worth 52 goals in Coffey’s record campaign. Green’s 30 goals this year would be worth 38 in 1985-86 terms, and his 0.59 goals-per-game average would extrapolate to 48 goals over 80 games.
The point of all this is to illustrate just how special Green’s 2008-09 season has been. He’s putting up the kind of numbers worthy of Coffey and Orr. Enjoy.
2008-09 Adjusted Defensemen Goal-Scoring Leaders
(adjusted to 80 games and 1985-86's 7.94 goals-per-game standard)
Player, Team - Goals
Mike Green, Washington - 48
Sheldon Souray, Edmonton - 28
Shea Weber, Nashville - 28
Mark Streit, NY Islanders - 24
Zdeno Chara, Boston - 23
Dan Boyle, San Jose - 22
Michael Dell - Michael Dell has been the Head Writer and Editor-in-Chief of LCS Hockey (www.lcshockey.com) since 1994. In his spare time he enjoys ...
