For the past few weeks at Puck Prospectus, I have been analyzing the correlation between certain statistics and points in the standings since the lockout for the entire NHL. So far there have been number of findings that could be considered significant, but what about blocking shots? Does that correlate to accumulating points in the standings?
Let’s take a look at that very question; here is an excerpt to the article:
Well, first off, the NHL has ceased in its keeping of time of possession statistics for reasons unbeknownst to me. That being said, I would hazard to guess that the above teams who lead the league in blocked shots since the lockout generally have the puck less than their opposition. Teams in the top six in terms of blocked shots, like the New York Islanders and Edmonton Oilers (as an aside, Isles/Oilers fans must have been longing for the 80s over the past four seasons), were quite awful in terms of points in the standings. Remember, even when the Oilers made the Stanley Cup Finals in 2006, the team was seeded eighth in the entire Western Conference.
Of the top ten teams in terms of shots blocked since the lockout, four of these teams were in the bottom third in the NHL over the same period in shots for. Now, shots for is not exactly a foolproof method of calculating puck possession, but it may be our most useful gauge.
Read the entire article here.
