If your assertion is indeed factually accurate, then Bailen's + 12 score comes entirely from play at even strength, no?
The concern from last year had nothing to do with how effective Bailen was at scoring; it was merely a potential danger when he became so distracted with scoring that he neglected his duties on the other end of the ice. A + 12 would indicate that he is no longer doing so.
If he is scoring a lot of even strength goals from the blue line as part of a natural cycling of the puck after we dump it low in their end and forecheck, and no one from the other team is getting down ice past him because he never strays in past the top of the circle any more, then that's a fantastic result and a testament to the player, his coaches, and his teammates.
Now, that sentence started with an "if"...I haven't been able to watch many games this year and those kinds of first-hand observations don't usually make it into box scores or newspaper stories (or even in score threads, sometimes....). I'd have to rely on others to weigh in as to whether Bailen's overall tactics during even strength play have changed, or whether the rest of the team has adjusted this year to cover for him. Either way, if you are right in saying +/- doesn't include power play situations....that means he has at least 12 points at even strength play, without conceding a goal, right (or any other combination that preserves the same differential).
