Max Pacioretty should have been in Los Angeles over the weekend.
The break did the Montreal Canadiens captain good, though, as he returned to the ice Tuesday and scored the second hat trick of his season, with each tally coming at even strength. He's now up to 24 goals, a mark only five players have hit, with only Sidney Crosby (28) having scored more.
Among the league's top goal-scorers, it's Pacioretty who stands apart with his 5-on-5 play:
| Player | Corsi For % | TOI | ES Goals | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacioretty | 54.34% | 712.48 | 17 | 51 |
| Crosby | 53.33% | 614.09 | 18 | 43 |
| Jeff Carter | 52.26% | 630.15 | 15 | 50 |
| Auston Matthews | 52.2% | 677.01 | 20 | 48 |
| Mark Scheifele | 49.4% | 748.13 | 18 | 50 |
| Alex Ovechkin | 48.73% | 675.79 | 15 | 50 |
| Cam Atkinson | 48.1% | 606.58 | 13 | 49 |
| Patrik Laine | 47.33% | 638.28 | 15 | 45 |
The majority of the game's contested at 5-on-5, and that's when Pacioretty's been the most adept at driving play. When he's on the ice, the Canadiens have the puck, and he's a major threat to score.
When it comes to power-play goals, Pacioretty's near the bottom among the league's top snipers - because he's too busy dominating at 5-on-5:
| Player | PPG | SGH |
|---|---|---|
| Crosby | 10 | 0 |
| Atkinson | 9 | 2 |
| Ovechkin | 9 | 0 |
| Carter | 8 | 1 |
| Laine | 8 | 0 |
| Pacioretty | 6 | 1 |
| Scheifele | 5 | 0 |
| Matthews | 3 | 0 |
Here's a look at power-play ice time, with Pacioretty again near the bottom:
| Player | PP TOI |
|---|---|
| Ovechkin | 3:46 |
| Crosby | 3:39 |
| Scheifele | 3:07 |
| Laine | 2:51 |
| Carter | 2:50 |
| Pacioretty | 2:50 |
| Atkinson | 2:42 |
| Matthews | 2:31 |
Auston Matthews and Pacioretty are both dominant at 5-on-5 and deserving of more power-play minutes, but it's hard to argue that Mike Babcock and Michel Therrien must find these two more playing time with the man advantage. The Toronto Maple Leafs rank second in the league on the power play at 23.6 percent, while Montreal's right behind them at 23.4 percent.
May as well save the guys for even strength. Montreal's lineup is one of the more balanced in the league, with Pacioretty leading all forwards in ice time, averaging 19:02 per game. It's probably a sound strategy - by keeping his captain fresh, Therrien can push him over the 20- and 21-minute mark come the spring.
It's harder to score in the playoffs, which means Pacioretty will need a few more minutes per game - at even strength and on the power play - to make sure he does.
The point is: Pacioretty is an elite goal-scorer who does it while everyone's on the ice, when it's hardest to do so. It's hard to believe a hockey universe exists in which the Canadiens' captain is underrated, but it's safe to say that's the case, especially after a Pacioretty-free weekend in Hollywood, where the game's best were celebrated.
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