For a team that has struggled on the kill this year, having an xGA of 7.06 is really impressive. The lower the number (or the higher in the negatives), the better it is to be in the defensive zone. That is a meticulous number to have in the defensive zone. When Maatta is on the ice for the PK, the Kings have managed to have an xGA of 7.06, or in percentage form, -7%. Speaking of the penalty kill, he’s been one of the best, if not the best, penalty killers on the LA Kings this season. Ranking at 82 overall on Evolving Hockey’s defensive rating, his penalty killing, and his even strength shutdown ability has boosted his stats to show off how much of a positive impact he’s made in the back end this year. But if his defense is going to be as solid as it’s been, Kings fans will take it. *Photo Credit: Evolving Hockeyĭespite some marginal improvements, he isn’t a defenseman that’ll be expected to contribute to the offense. Thanks to his on-ice performance, he’s managed to improve his chances at staying on the team when everyone is healthy. He’s legitimately proven himself as a good defensive defenseman game after game. Now, Olli Maatta has proven that his defensive play is becoming a strength. In a matter of a month, his defensive analysis of a basic RAPM chart completely turned around. His xGA/60 has skyrocketed as well as his Corsi against. The biggest fix has come on the defensive aspect. His Corsi still seems to be the biggest problem, but it has ameliorated. His GF/60 and xGF/60 both haven’t been greatly improved, but it’s slowly getting there. While his offensive skill still clambers, it’s seen improvements. Pictured above is Maatta’s RAPM chart from today. He generated little to no offense seeing how his GF/60 and his xGF/60 were weighing him down. His Corsi against wasn’t good, his Corsi for was awful. If that isn’t enough to convince people that Maatta elevated his game to his previous career bests, here’s his RAPM chart from February 27th: *Photo Credit: Evolving HockeyĪs pictured, his defensive game was mediocre at best. That right there is an improvement from what we’ve seen before. That makes him a +20 in his last 31 games. He also leads the LA Kings in plus/minus, with +20. This year, the 27-year-old has played in 50 games. Could it have been the added ice time that motivated him? Whatever it was, it helped him accelerate his game to another level. Maatta was receiving more criticism than he ever was.Īlthough the start to his season was abominable, Maatta has surprisingly picked up his game in the last month. The giveaways and the slow-paced skating started to weigh into Olli’s on-ice performance. Victor Hedman gets the on the board first. This did quite a number to his confidence and the results on the ice weren’t great: He wasn’t in the opening night lineup, and he only joined the team when there was some sort of injury. Coming into the 2021-22 season, Maatta had the role of the seventh defenseman. Not to mention how he had six points in nine games in the playoff bubble, too.Īfter his debut season with the Kings where he was expected to be a regular, there were questions on where he fit last summer. It was quite the woeful season seeing how he hit 17 points in 65 games with the Blackhawks the previous season. The Jyvaskyla, Finland, native had just four points in 41 games. Maatta’s first year with the Kings wasn’t didn’t breed a lot of confidence.
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