After only seven short days, the NHL's top two defensemen will once again put their skills on display on the same sheet of ice, Wednesday night in Ottawa.
Round 1 between Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns went to the Senators in San Jose on Dec. 7, as the former led his team to a 4-2 win over the Sharks.
The damage done from Karlsson's end? One goal, two assists, two shots, and two blocked shots in 26:19 of play. Burns scored a goal of his own in a losing effort, keeping pace with the NHL's highest-scoring defenseman.
With all due respect to the likes of Shea Weber, P.K. Subban, Drew Doughty, Ryan Suter, and Kris Letang (among others), the Norris Trophy race is - at present - a two-horse affair. Here's a look at how Karlsson and Burns stack up heading into their rematch.
| Player | Games | Ice Time/GP | Goals | Assists | Points | Shots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erik Karlsson | 29 | 27:01 | 7 | 20 | 27 | 71 |
| Brent Burns | 29 | 24:28 | 12 | 14 | 28 | 125 |
Without the puck, Karlsson leads all defensemen with 79 blocked shots - compared to 55 by Burns - while the Senator tops the Shark in terms of takeaways by a margin of 20-19.
Add it all up, and Karlsson would appear to have the slight advantage, although Burns could alter the conversation by stealing the show in Ottawa.
Either way, hockey fans will be in for a treat as these two go head-to-head for the final time this regular season.
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