Unbalanced
It's often been said that this year's edition of the Habs features an odd combination of special teams prowess and even strength ineptitude. But just how broad is the chasm? Well, not including empty net goals, they've allowed 41 more than they've scored at even strength and they've scored 26 more than they've allowed in all special teams situations. If your car tires were this far out of balance, you'd experience some seriously uneven tread wear.
But how do they compare to other teams? Let's see... NHL.com has usable team GF/GA data from the last five seasons. To compare teams, I invented a number called Powerplay IMbalance Points, or PIMPs. It's the goal differential of your special teams minus your goal differential at even strength. The more PIMPs you have, the greater your even strength suckage compared to that of your special teams.
Here are the teams having the top 20 PIMPs over the last five seasons:
The first thing you notice is that these teams, by and large, stink. It contains the 30th place team in each of the last four seasons. The only club in the top dozen with a better than .500 win/points% is your 2006-07 Montreal Canadiens, smack dab between this year's .344 Flyers (.344w%) and the powerhouse 01-02 Bluejackets (.348w%). The only team to score more PIMPs than the Habs were back-to-back editions of the Bluejackets. If they printed up t-shirts to commemorate that feat, I'd buy one.
Now here is the "bottom" 10. They are teams who perform much better at ES than on special teams:
Particularly weird is the appearance of the 05-06 and 06-07 Leafs and Sabres on both lists. The 05-06 Sabres were dominant on special teams and average at ES. This year, they're dynamite at ES and sub-par on special teams. The Leafs have flipped the other way, from being a good ST/bad ES club last season to a bad ST/good ES club this year.
In conclusion, no team in the last five seasons has performed the feat the Habs are pulling off this year. No one else has been this much worse at ES than on special teams and still finished better than .500. We Habs fans are witnessing something pretty special.
But how do they compare to other teams? Let's see... NHL.com has usable team GF/GA data from the last five seasons. To compare teams, I invented a number called Powerplay IMbalance Points, or PIMPs. It's the goal differential of your special teams minus your goal differential at even strength. The more PIMPs you have, the greater your even strength suckage compared to that of your special teams.
Here are the teams having the top 20 PIMPs over the last five seasons:
The first thing you notice is that these teams, by and large, stink. It contains the 30th place team in each of the last four seasons. The only club in the top dozen with a better than .500 win/points% is your 2006-07 Montreal Canadiens, smack dab between this year's .344 Flyers (.344w%) and the powerhouse 01-02 Bluejackets (.348w%). The only team to score more PIMPs than the Habs were back-to-back editions of the Bluejackets. If they printed up t-shirts to commemorate that feat, I'd buy one.
Now here is the "bottom" 10. They are teams who perform much better at ES than on special teams:
Particularly weird is the appearance of the 05-06 and 06-07 Leafs and Sabres on both lists. The 05-06 Sabres were dominant on special teams and average at ES. This year, they're dynamite at ES and sub-par on special teams. The Leafs have flipped the other way, from being a good ST/bad ES club last season to a bad ST/good ES club this year.
In conclusion, no team in the last five seasons has performed the feat the Habs are pulling off this year. No one else has been this much worse at ES than on special teams and still finished better than .500. We Habs fans are witnessing something pretty special.
posted by Jeff J at 4:47 p.m.
5 Comments:
uhhh... hooray for freakish and inexplicable adequacy?
The 05-06 Sabres were dominant on special teams and average at ES. This year, they're dynamite at ES and sub-par on special teams. The Leafs have flipped the other way, from being a good ST/bad ES club last season to a bad ST/good ES club this year.
If I am reading your tables correctly didn't the Sabres and Leafs do the same thing? That is, go from good special teams to good even strength?
As for Montreal, the only thing separating them from the other lowsy teams is goaltending (which from October to December and the last 8 or so games has been really good) which really helps their penalty kill and Souray for his PP dominance though he is horrid at ES. Columbus, Philadelphia, etc. don't have either of those but otherwise there isn't really much different between the teams.
Jeff,
Can ya give me a quick email?
jes.golbez (at) gmail dot com
are you planning to come back, or is this blog dead?
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Post a Comment
<< Home