The Noon Number: 2.2

2.2 - Ottawa Senators defenceman Sergei Gonchar's shooting percentage, worst on the team among players with at least one goal and 357 overall in the NHL.

So far this season, Gonchar's fired 90 shots at opposition goaltenders, and two have managed to get through and into the net. That's (incalculably) better than Chris Phillips, whose shooting percentage is 0.0 despite taking 52 shots at the opposition, but it's still an awfully low shooting percentage.

Shooting percentage is said by many to be primarily luck-driven. Although defencemen can typically expect to have lower shooting percentages than forwards, for instance, there is little to no predictable trend for shooting percentage from season to season for most players. So a large factor in Gonchar's low shooting percentage is plain old-fashioned bad luck.

It might also be an indication that he's not being used properly by Senators coach Paul MacLean, as he's not getting many one-timers teed up for him on the powerplay. Considering how awful Ottawa's been on the man-up recently (two goals on 16 PP opportunities), incorporating Gonchar's shot into the system seems like an experiment worth trying. Then again, offering Gonchar better opportunities at the expense of Erik Karlsson's might just be robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Then again, maybe Gonchar's just firing weak shots hoping a teammate can pot the rebound; he does have 24 assists already, after all.