Hey everyone. This is my list for power rankings entering this season. I know nearly everyone will disagree somewhat, but I am sticking by these picks!
1. Los Angeles Kings: The Kings have proven to be a team that can turn it on down the stretch. They are one of the deepest teams up front. Youngsters Toffoli and Pearson are creating some great chemistry with Jeff Carter, which makes all 3 of the Kings' top lines extremely dangerous. Very few teams have the luxury of this depth. Combine that with Johnathan Quick, and stellar defense; You have a team built for success.
2. Boston Bruins: The Bruins are quite possibly the best defensive team in the league. They always bring great centerman, and physical defense to the table. Tuuka Rask will put up great numbers once again playing behind the likes of Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci and Zdeno Chara. These guys will be crucial to the teams' overall success. Don't forget about newcomers Rielly Smith and Carol Soderberg, though. Both these guys will be looking to follow up last year with another great season. With these two in the mix, the Bruins will have a very deep roster.
3. Anaheim Ducks: The Ducks are looking a little better than last year. I believe adding Kesler will help round out the offence a little more. Now the team can hopefully lighten the load for Getzlaf and Perry. With the added depth, expect the teams youngsters to improve drastically. With Cam Fowler, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler; the team has four very dangerous players in the prime of their careers. If they can find security in goal, they will put up some great numbers this season.
4. St. Louis Blues: The Blues have been my pick to win a cup for the past several years. They have depth in every position that can grind the opposition down. If the pieces fall into place offensively, the Blues will be very dangerous. Vladamir Tarasenko started to look dangerous offensively late last season, and Jaden Schwartz is still showing signs of development. Adding Stasny will only boost the team up in the standings. I guess it does not hurt to have Shattenkirk, Pietrangelo and Bouwmeester on the back end either.
5. Colorado Avalanche: The Avalanche really turned it on down the stretch last season. They did not have the success they wanted in the post season, but we have to remember that the entire team is still very young. Matt Duchene, Nathan Mckinnon and Gabriel Landeskog are still developing. To have this kind of success so soon is startling, and they will continue to improve. Adding Jarome Iginla should help the young forwards develop quicker.
6. Pittsburgh Penguins: The Penguins are a big question mark for me when it comes to the playoffs. Crosby and Fleury are so inconsistent in big games. On top of that, Crosby and Malkin have reported injuries entering pre-season. To mane thins worse, Letang is coming off of a serious stroke from last season. The talent is there, but the team will have to face a lot of adversity if they want to succeed.
7. Chicago Blackhawks: The Hawks are still one of the powerhouses in the West, but they do lack some depth compared to the other Western teams. Don't get me wrong, they are a very deep and skilled team. However, the conference is strong and the Blackhawks are no longer the top dogs in the West. Key pieces like Toews and Kane will ensure the teams stays competitive for years to come.
8. New York Rangers: The Rangers made it clear that they are a competitor in this league last season. They battled hard all playoff long, and Henrik Lundqvist proved that he is an elite goaltender once again. They still have key pieces in place, including King Henry, Rick Nash and Ryan McDonagh. Losing Brad Richards to the Blackhawks could prove to be an issue later on this season if they cannot keep up offensively.
9. San Jose Sharks: The Sharks are one of those teams that always seem to be in the mix. They usually tear up the regular season, but flounder come playoff time. I rate them in the top ten because the roster is very similar to last season, and I believe that Pavelski and Couture are ready to take on control of the team. Guys like Joe Thorton and Patrick Marleau will still be there as well, which adds some serious depth for the Sharks offense.
10. Tampa Bay: The Lightning are not an overly dangerous team apart from a few select players. However, they do have Stamkos who is quite possibly the best scorer in the league. He should be healthy to start the season and will likely start potting goals right off the hop. They have some depth as well, with the likes of Ondrej Palat, Valterri Flippula. I expect Ben Bishop to be steady in goal again this year, and he is the main reason why I am comfortable putting Tampa in my top ten.
Showing posts with label Kings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kings. Show all posts
Friday, 26 September 2014
Wednesday, 10 September 2014
NHL and Advanced Statistics ( Corsi-Number)
The NHL has developed in many ways over the past ten or so seasons. We have seen rule changes, lockout seasons, and even several unfortunate events which resulted in the loss of some great individuals. However, one thing that has not changed is the importance of numbers and statistics.
We have come so far from the days where the only stat that counted was a teams' record. In modern day hockey, we have seen an incredible revolution in hockey statistics. The value and application of these stats have proven crucial to the game. When it comes down to it, even hockey is a game of averages and percentages. If utilized correctly, a team can theoretically maximize their chances of winning. Of course these systems are far from perfect, but they have proven to be crucial in analyzing an individual's value. For example; baseball is undoubtedly a game of numbers. Going late into the game, a manager will occasionally change out a pitcher for just one batter. Sometimes you will hear people questioning the move, and wondering why he would make that change. The answer is simple, that batter is statistically less likely to get a hit off certain pitchers. I did some research to prove this point and I found that Ted Williams hit only 12% of his home runs off of left handed pitchers. Babe Ruth hit only 30%, and Duke Snider hit a measly 8%. When given those numbers, it seems stupid to NOT make that change.
The same exact thing happens in hockey, except slightly less focus is placed on match ups. Do not get me wrong, match-ups are key. However, most of these modern hockey statistics are used to identify hidden information which can help to understand why a team is performing a certain way. I guess it would make sense to use the most talked about modern statistic, the Corsi-Number.
Essentially, each individual player receives a score based on their even-strength play. This score is very similar to a plus / minus rating, except the score itself is determined by how many shots are directed at the net while that player is on the ice. This includes shots on net, missed shots, and blocked shots. Any shot that is directed at one's own net is a minus, and any shots directed at the opponent is of course, a plus. If you are still somewhat new to the stat, various websites will provide some great info for you.
What stats like this do is break down the game into a very organized set of numbers. Each and every player earns these statistics, and it helps coaches as well as General Managers make important decisions. On a very basic level, it is obvious that teams who get more shots win more games. It is a very basic law of averages, but it can be over-looked. What the Corsi number does is analyse the score of each individual on the team. All a coach has to do is take that number, and locate which guys are struggling the most. Most good coaches will make some slight adjustments to get the team average up. All of a sudden, each line is maximizing shots for and drastically reducing shots against ( in theory ).
I was scanning through some of the Corsi stats online and it can be a real pain to find. However, the hockeyanalysis.com website does have a variety of different versions of the classic Corsi-number. From what I have seen, certain teams have a lot of individuals making the list compared to others. For example, the LA Kings slaughtered the competition with regards to Corsi and other related statistics. Over the past two seasons, the Kings have ten players who made the top 100 list for Corsi ratings. This includes depth players like Jake Muzzin, Dwight King, and Roby Regehr. I almost expected Kopitar, Doughty and other top tier players to make the cut, but seeing a lot of depth guys is quite surprising. None of these individuals are known for shooting the puck. In fact, many of them are role players who focus primarily on making the smart play and limiting time in the defensive zone. Nonetheless, these stats are vitally important for the Kings coaching staff as they plan to maintain the same level of success moving forward.
We have come so far from the days where the only stat that counted was a teams' record. In modern day hockey, we have seen an incredible revolution in hockey statistics. The value and application of these stats have proven crucial to the game. When it comes down to it, even hockey is a game of averages and percentages. If utilized correctly, a team can theoretically maximize their chances of winning. Of course these systems are far from perfect, but they have proven to be crucial in analyzing an individual's value. For example; baseball is undoubtedly a game of numbers. Going late into the game, a manager will occasionally change out a pitcher for just one batter. Sometimes you will hear people questioning the move, and wondering why he would make that change. The answer is simple, that batter is statistically less likely to get a hit off certain pitchers. I did some research to prove this point and I found that Ted Williams hit only 12% of his home runs off of left handed pitchers. Babe Ruth hit only 30%, and Duke Snider hit a measly 8%. When given those numbers, it seems stupid to NOT make that change.
The same exact thing happens in hockey, except slightly less focus is placed on match ups. Do not get me wrong, match-ups are key. However, most of these modern hockey statistics are used to identify hidden information which can help to understand why a team is performing a certain way. I guess it would make sense to use the most talked about modern statistic, the Corsi-Number.
Essentially, each individual player receives a score based on their even-strength play. This score is very similar to a plus / minus rating, except the score itself is determined by how many shots are directed at the net while that player is on the ice. This includes shots on net, missed shots, and blocked shots. Any shot that is directed at one's own net is a minus, and any shots directed at the opponent is of course, a plus. If you are still somewhat new to the stat, various websites will provide some great info for you.
What stats like this do is break down the game into a very organized set of numbers. Each and every player earns these statistics, and it helps coaches as well as General Managers make important decisions. On a very basic level, it is obvious that teams who get more shots win more games. It is a very basic law of averages, but it can be over-looked. What the Corsi number does is analyse the score of each individual on the team. All a coach has to do is take that number, and locate which guys are struggling the most. Most good coaches will make some slight adjustments to get the team average up. All of a sudden, each line is maximizing shots for and drastically reducing shots against ( in theory ).
I was scanning through some of the Corsi stats online and it can be a real pain to find. However, the hockeyanalysis.com website does have a variety of different versions of the classic Corsi-number. From what I have seen, certain teams have a lot of individuals making the list compared to others. For example, the LA Kings slaughtered the competition with regards to Corsi and other related statistics. Over the past two seasons, the Kings have ten players who made the top 100 list for Corsi ratings. This includes depth players like Jake Muzzin, Dwight King, and Roby Regehr. I almost expected Kopitar, Doughty and other top tier players to make the cut, but seeing a lot of depth guys is quite surprising. None of these individuals are known for shooting the puck. In fact, many of them are role players who focus primarily on making the smart play and limiting time in the defensive zone. Nonetheless, these stats are vitally important for the Kings coaching staff as they plan to maintain the same level of success moving forward.
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