Breaking Down the Play of David Steckel

While out on the ice, Forward David Steckel knows his role: forecheck, take win face-offs, and play solid defense. But this is the playoffs and his role of being a third line center has expanded with every game he’s played.

Photo by Melissa Allen

Amidst the onslaught of goals by Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, Steckel has been the wild card that the Capitals need to beat Pittsburgh (Matt Bradley against the Rangers anybody?).  For the second straight game Steckel scored (and for the second straight game, there has been a scoring sequence of Crosby-Steckel-Ovechkin…Weird).

While accumulating all four of his playoff points (2 G and 2 A) in the past four games, Steckel has seen his points-per-game rise from .25 PPG in the regular season to .44 in the playoffs.  With his offensive outburst, he’s already got more than 20% of his regular season point production in only nine post-season appearances this year.

Even though his offense has been a pleasant surprise for the Capitals who need some secondary scoring (make that tertiary), it has been his chances in the offensive zone that have benefited the Capitals especially. Take for example when Steckel found himself on a breakaway and was tripped up by Kris Letang.  Washington did not capitalize on the ensuing power play, but it was one of three penalties that Steckel drew against the Penguins in Game 2.

In addition to drawing penalties, Stecks is disciplined in his own right. In fact, he’s committed just three infractions since the first week of February.  The Capitals as a team have struggled with penalties this post-season. Washington is ranked first in minor penalties taken, with six more than the next closest team and their current opponent, the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Top culprits, you ask?  Why that would be John Erskine and Alexander Semin who have six minors a piece.  And when Washington is on the penalty kill, it is none other than David Steckel who leds the team in minutes.  Steckel and company have helped the Capitals to the sixth best penalty killing unit in the playoffs.

A few goals and some defense are great but where Steckel thrives the most is within the face-off circle.  He led all Capitals in face-off win percentage in the regular season and is fifth (57.4 % efficiency) in the playoffs (among players that are still on contending teams).  In the two games against the Pens, that percentage jumps to a cool 70%.  And where it matters most, the defensive zone, Steckel has won 10 of 13 (77%) draws.

With increased ice time and more confidence, don’t be surprised to see Steckel set career offensive numbers next season like we’ve seen from Laich, Tomas Fleischmann, and Eric Fehr in the past few campaigns.  Here is how Steckel compares:

Steckel was not really touted as a scorer coming out of Ohio State, but he did have a 30-goal season with the Hershey Bears in 2007 and his improvement over the past few seasons in the NHL should be duly noted.

Posted by Matt Leighton on May 5 2009. Filed under Eastern Conference, Southeast, Washington Capitals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.