Well we are back again for another installment on statistical oddities. Maybe the first test should be how many times you can say it fast. We dig into various sites and look at numbers you may not see at first glance but then go “Holy ****!”. The reality is as the season goes on…the stats that we come up with will actually get more and more bizarre. Why is this? Because it gets harder to come up with them. None of this is made up in the least and our goal as always is to inform. Let’s dig into our ten for this week.
- This one not quite so odd but still makes you say wow. The Toronto Maple Leafs have a league worst -11 goal differential at HOME. I guess the Air Canada Centre is not quite so friendly to them but cordial to everyone else that plays there. In five games, the Leafs have scored 8 but given up 19 goals. Its not the record that is surprising….it is the margin in all honesty.
- My good buddy Curtis Lanton ran into Devin Setoguchi yesterday at a Dunkin Donuts. The chance meeting apparently sparked Setoguchi to a three point night in their 7-3 win over the Rangers at MSG last night. For the record I ran into Scott Niedermayer at a Ducks-Yotes game and he didn’t get a point for 2 weeks. Coincidence? Maybe not.
- Congratulations to every NHL team for at least killing off a penalty 3 out of 5 times (60%). I know it is early but last year only one team was below 75%. This year there are a total of nine including four under 70%. Funny that the team that was under 75% last year is also dead last in the PK this year as well at 60.7%. That team is the Toronto Maple Leafs. Woe to the TML.
- More signs you know its early. The Atlanta Thrashers lead the league in goals per game now at exactly 4 (20 GF in 5 games). The Thrashers have only given up a respectable 13 in that span. Now the weird in the last four Atlanta games…the winning team has scored exactly four goals. Atlanta did lose to Tampa 4-2 in between wins against NJ, Buffalo, and St. Louis which were all on the road. Before this one gets any more strange…..
- Doing what everyone else has done with numbers early in the season. Here is one not likely to project out. Joe Thornton now has 12 assists in 9 games this season. If you do that math, that adds up to about a 103 assist season for Jumbo Joe. It could happen but that would require him to play all 82. I know.
- The Rangers and Sharks are the only two teams that have played 9 games last year. Surprisingly enough for the last three years they have played 9 games first before anyone else. If anybody can explain that one to me….I am all ears seriously. The Kings 9th game started a little later last night….yes I know.
- Another strange one from these two teams. Both are 11-41 on the Power Play this year. If you would have told me the Rangers and Sharks would be both clicking on their man advantage at a 26.8% clip…I would have laughed at you. However it is no laughing matter. The Kings have the most PP chances at 43 but Tampa averages the most PP chances with 40 in 7 games or 5.7 per game.
- How about a nice differential for fun? The Dallas Stars score 9 goals in their first 4 home games and you would think Dave Tippett is still coaching. But put them on the road and they become the 1985 Oilers (okay not quite). However, they have 16 goals in 4 road games for an average of you guessed it 4.0. That is a hearty 1.67 GPG difference. Usually you score more at home but with Dallas this year they tend to play more loose on the road.
- Another early stunner….Nashville has scored 9 goals in 7 games this year for a paltry average of 1.26 goals per 60 minutes. That puts them on pace for 119 goals. If that pace continues for much longer…they still will at least outscore the football team in town (the Nashville Titans). Not surprisingly their shot percentage is at 4.6% to add more salt to said wound.
- Lastly, on the flipside. Phoenix has a GAA of just 1.40 and a save percentage of .947. If you saw that one coming, take me to Vegas and I mean now!!!!!
Well that is it for now. See you next week for more stat oddities that will have you scratching you head and boggle your mind on top of it.
