2008-09 season in review stats pack

by James Mirtle on Jul 14, 2009 6:00 PM CDT in Statistics Comment 7 comments

Well, it's mid-July so that means season in review season for me. I generally do some work for a few magazines and annuals around now, including the McKeen's Hockey Yearbook, and as part of that, I put together some stats-based cheat sheets with relevant information to refer back to.

Here's a good example: What follows is the rankings for all 30 teams in six key categories: points percentage, goals for per game, goals against per game, special teams (power play and penalty killing) and goaltending (save percentage).

Team	P%	RK	G/G	RK	GA/G	RK
ANA	0.555	17	2.90	14	2.87	18
ATL	0.463	27	3.05	9	3.40	29
BOS	0.707	2	3.29	2	2.32	1
BUF	0.555	17	2.95	12	2.79	14
CAR	0.591	11	2.88	16	2.70	8
CBJ	0.561	15	2.68	21	2.72	9
CGY	0.598	10	3.06	7	3.00	23
CHI	0.634	6	3.17	4	2.55	5
COL	0.421	28	2.32	30	3.08	26
DAL	0.506	22	2.73	20	3.06	25
DET	0.683	3	3.52	1	2.93	19
EDM	0.518	21	2.78	18	2.98	22
FLA	0.567	13	2.82	17	2.72	9
LAK	0.482	25	2.46	27	2.76	11
MIN	0.543	19	2.61	22	2.40	2
MTL	0.567	13	2.95	12	2.93	19
NJD	0.646	5	2.90	14	2.52	4
NSH	0.537	20	2.52	24	2.78	13
NYI	0.372	30	2.42	29	3.34	28
NYR	0.579	12	2.44	28	2.58	6
OTT	0.506	22	2.60	23	2.82	15
PHI	0.604	8	3.17	4	2.83	16
PHX	0.482	25	2.50	26	3.04	24
PIT	0.604	8	3.15	6	2.84	17
SJS	0.713	1	3.06	7	2.43	3
STL	0.561	15	2.77	19	2.77	12
TBL	0.402	29	2.52	24	3.28	27
TOR	0.494	24	2.98	10	3.49	30
VAN	0.610	7	2.96	11	2.60	7
WSH	0.659	4	3.27	3	2.93	19

Team	PP%	RK	PK%	RK	Sv%	RK
ANA	23.6	4	79.7	23	0.906	14
ATL	19.3	11	76.0	29	0.896	26
BOS	23.6	4	82.4	11	0.925	1
BUF	21.0	7	81.8	14	0.911	7
CAR	18.7	18	80.4	19	0.909	11
CBJ	12.7	30	82.1	13	0.902	19
CGY	17.0	21	83.4	4	0.899	25
CHI	19.3	11	80.6	17	0.911	7
COL	15.7	25	79.9	20	0.894	27
DAL	15.4	27	78.6	24	0.891	29
DET	25.5	1	78.3	25	0.894	27
EDM	17.0	21	77.5	27	0.909	11
FLA	16.6	24	82.6	9	0.922	2
LAK	19.2	13	82.9	7	0.902	19
MIN	20.1	9	87.6	2	0.922	2
MTL	19.2	13	82.4	11	0.908	13
NJD	18.9	15	79.9	20	0.914	4
NSH	15.7	25	82.5	10	0.905	16
NYI	16.9	23	79.8	22	0.900	23
NYR	13.9	29	87.8	1	0.913	5
OTT	19.5	10	81.5	15	0.901	21
PHI	22.5	6	83.0	6	0.913	5
PHX	14.5	28	76.8	28	0.904	17
PIT	17.2	20	82.7	8	0.906	14
SJS	24.2	3	83.3	5	0.911	7
STL	20.5	8	83.8	3	0.903	18
TBL	17.8	19	78.0	26	0.900	23
TOR	18.8	16	74.7	30	0.885	30
VAN	18.8	16	81.4	16	0.911	7
WSH	25.2	2	80.6	17	0.901	21

So, let's say we're looking at what the Kings did last season. Looking at just the numbers, you can conclude that they were near the league's basement despite strong special teams and mediocre goaltending, a finish that came as a result of not being able to score goals at even strength (Los Angeles was last by a mile in goals for at 5-on-5 with only 114).

Some teams, like the Avs, were horrible at everything, but some bad teams like Atlanta and Toronto had their strengths with decent goal scoring and strong power plays. The top teams across these six metrics, on average, were (1) Boston, (2) San Jose, (3) Philadelphia, (4) Chicago and (5) Minnesota. (The ranking puts a lot of emphasis on goals against given all three of GAA, penalty killing and save percentage are included.)

Barring big news, I should be a bit quieter over the next couple days, but the blog will still be pretty active throughout the summer.

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Comments

I love the statistical analysis...

Can I humbly request that you start offering big stats charts as embedded Google Docs spreadsheets, or something similar? Several times I’ve wanted to sort by a particular column, but obviously we can’t do that with plain old text.

by dbarefoot on Jul 14, 2009 7:35 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I haven’t found a way to do that where I like the looks of the results, but I may try it out. You can easily pull this stuff off and toss it in a spreadsheet.

Blogging on hockey at fromtherink.com

by James Mirtle on Jul 14, 2009 11:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Interesting how much of a difference one goal per game can make both for and against. Pretty much takes a team from first to last.

Holy crap NYR. 1st in PK but 29th in PP%. That would explain their ranking in G/G though

by Hansmoleman on Jul 14, 2009 9:55 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

However Will the Leafs Score?!?!

And people wonder why Burke’s been so focused on the defence and the goaltending…

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Jul 14, 2009 11:10 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

The second set of stats would surely include team discipline, would it not? That would help explain Boston having the league’s top save percentage and GAA but a mediocre (if 11th is mediocre) penalty kill.

Hockey blogging can't get any flatter.

by saskhab on Jul 14, 2009 11:26 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

If offense wins, then the Central may not be the toughest division next year

During the playoffs and prior Razor on versus repeated comments of his that stars fans have heard over the last few years, the league has changed and now you have to score to be successful. Looking at the data of the top 16 teams on offense 13 made the playoffs. Of the three that didn’t make the playoffs two had horrible defense, not just bad but horrible, and Buffalo who had to overcome the loss of their stud goalie Miller. Conversely in looking at the defensive numbers, of the top 16, 6 teams failed to make the big dance. Min had great numbers, but didn’t really challenge and cellar dwellers OTT and the Kings were also present. It’s always easier to play D, but you have to score to win.

One can also see how the performance by just a few key players can turn a season. Dallas arguably had good enough numbers, but Turco’s implosion which is captured in the save percentage and goals against doomed the team. St. Louis rode a strong performance by Mason to lift their team with a competitive offense but a first half soft save percentage and goals against into the playoffs. Also Miller appears to have been a difference maker; his injury opened the door for Montreal to reach the post season, a spot Buffalo likely would have gained without the multi week injury to their star goalie.

For all the talk of the Central being the toughest division, a few changes are needed or it may underwhelm next year. Next season STL needs the same solid performance from Mason, but additional offense from EJ coming back into the lineup to maintain a spot in the playoffs, not to mention solid growth from their core youth. CBJ could be on the outside looking in, they only made the playoffs because their late season swoon came just late enough it didn’t knock them out. Their anemic offense isn’t getting better; their good defense isn’t likely to get materially better either. Nashville needs goals.

by sctlaw on Jul 15, 2009 9:12 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs