Last week for Puck Prospectus I took a look at the correlation between shots on the opposition’s net and points in the standings. This week, I felt it was necessary to look at the opposite end of the ice and look at the correlation between shot prevention and points in the standings.
Here is an excerpt:
So, last week we saw that the Leafs were one of the biggest exceptions to the rule. This week, we see that the St. Louis Blues are the biggest exception. The Blues accumulated the second-fewest points in the NHL from 2005 through 2009, yet allowed the seventh least shots against in the NHL. Along with St. Louis, both Tampa Bay and Chicago stand out as teams that were in the bottom third in points accumulated, but finished in the top ten in shots allowed.
What is the moral of the story? Well, first off, it would be far too simplistic to say that just one facet of the game is directly responsible for a team’s poor performance. However, in the above three exceptions, a lack of solid goaltending most likely played a significant part in the team’s poor record since the lockout.
Read the entire article here.
