Line Of Brett Pesce And Brady Skjei Has Been Critical For Canes

In a recent episode of The Storm Cellar, hosts Brad and Ray both made comments about Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei passing the “eye test” for being keys to Canes wins. Having looked at this pairing going forward, they match well against all three of Carolina’s potential first round opponents. Against the Islanders, the Penguins, and the Panthers, Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei stand head and shoulders over their counterparts on similar lines. But going back to The Storm Cellar’s points, and looking back at the season thus far, just how good has this line been? In a fit of curiosity that I am prone to get occasionally, I decided to take a stab and prove just how important these two, both individually and together, have been for the Hurricanes.

Looking first at just points individually, there is little doubt just how important Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei have been in getting the Hurricanes to the record of 47-16-9 and sitting atop the Metro Division standings.

What I found was that both have contributed considerably to the 47 Canes wins. Brett Pesce has a point in 15 of those 47 wins or 32%. Brady Skjei edges Pesce out by just 7 points with 22 or a 47% rating.

Pesce and Skjei are on their own. As a line their stats together are even better. In the 47 wins the Hurricanes have amassed Pesce OR Skjei have points in 28. If my math is correct, that is 60%. In 7 of those Carolina wins, both Brett Pesce AND Brady Skjei have earned points. That is a respectable 15%.

Point Totals 

• Brett Pesce- 28 pts in 72 games = 39% point percentage
• Brady Skjei- 33 pt in 72 games= 46% point percentage
• Brett Pesce OR Brady Skjei- 28 times in 72 games= 38%
• Brett Pesce AND Brady Skjei- 7 times in 72 games= 9.7%

Scored Points In Wins

• Brett Pesce- 15 times in 47 wins= 32%
• Brady Skjei- 22 times in 47 wins= 47%
• Brett Pesce OR Brady Skjei- 28 times in 47 wins= 60%
• Brett Pesce AND Brady Skjei- 7 times in 47 wins= 15%

Flipping the coin, even in losses the Pesce/ Skjei pairing has been productive. Again, looking at just points, either Brett Pesce OR Brady Skjei has a point in 7 of the 25 losses or 28%, again if my math is right. Pesce and Skjei BOTH have points in 16% of those same 25 losses, showing that even when the Hurricanes are losing, they are pulling their weight as a pair. Boiling things down even further, and teasing Pesce and Skjei apart, you still see their production on nights when things do not go Carolina’s way. Pesce has been involved in 20% of the losses this season with either a goal or an assist, while Skjei sits at 24%.

Scored Points In Losses 

• Brett Pesce- 5 times in 25 losses=  20%
• Brady Skjei- 6 times in 25 loses= 24%
• Brett Pesce OR Brady Skjei- 7 times in 25 losses= 28%
• Brett Pesce AND Brady Skjei- 4 times of 25 losses= 16%

The numbers are there. When Pesce and Skjei produce points, the Carolina Hurricanes win. Even when the Canes lose, the pairing is contributing their share. However, my curiosity was not cured. I wanted to put a finer point on Brad and Ray’s.

To see if Brett Pesce and Brady Skje had a bigger impact on the outcomes when they scored a goal. Below is what I found:

Back on January 14th, Brent Burns won a face-off, a face-off against Sidney Crosby no less. The Hurricanes won that game 2-1. So, with a small sample size, you can say that if Brent Burns wins a face-off, the Canes win. In the same vein, you can say that if Brett Pesce scores, Carolina wins.

In the three games he has lit the lamp, the Hurricanes have beaten the Flames, Penguins and Blue Jackets. Those three wins represent 4% of Carolina’s total wins. And though not perfect, Brady Skjei’s record of scoring in Hurricane wins is equally impressive. With 16 goals on the season he is 5th on the team, and the highest defender. Twelve of those 16 goals have come in Carolina wins, giving Skjei a goal to win percentage of 25%

Goal Totals

• Brett Pesce-4 goals in 72 games= 5%
• Brady Skjei- 16 goals in 72 games= 22%
• Brett Pesce OR Brady Skjei- 14 times in 72 games= 19%
• Brett Pece AND Brady Skjei- 0 times in 72 games= 0%

Scored Goals In Wins

• Brett Pesce- 3 times in 47 wins= 6%
• Brady Skjei- 12 times in 47 wins= 25%
• Brett Pesce OR Brady Skjei- 14 times in 47 wins= 30%
• Brett Pece AND Brady Skjei- 0 times in 47 wins= 0%

Keeping with the theme of absolutes, the Canes have never lost a game when both Pesce and Skjei scored. It just does not happen, and Pesce has never scored in a Hurricanes loss either. As with their point totals, Pesce and Skjei have pulled their weight with goals in losses.

Scored Goals in Losses

• Brett Pesce- 0 time in 25 losses= 0%
• Brady Skjei- 4 times in 25 losses= 16%
• Brett Pesce OR Brady Skjei- 4 times in 25 losses= 16%
• Brett Pesce AND Brady Skjei- 0 times in 25 losses= 0%

As the season winds down and Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour starts to mix and match lines to try different pairings for the playoffs, mix things up for the players, and generally look for different options, one defensive line has been critical to the Hurricanes winning. Together, as they have been for the bulk of the back half of the season, they have been key, but Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei are integral to Hurricanes wins. In 14 of Carolina’s 47, one of the Pesce/Skjei line has put a biscuit in the basket and 28 times have registered points.

Still there is a lot of hockey to play, and the post season looms. Moving forward, this pairing also matches well against their first round potential draws. Line for line the Hurricanes are defensively stacked going into the play-off. Few defensive pairings have been both crucial in getting their teams where they are, AND matching up in the play-offs as that of Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei. As the play-offs continue, and the Hurricanes make a deep run, look for this duo to be in the middle of wins.