I used to have access to a better site where I could pull up the TOI information you are seeking. However the site failed due to the few people that actually paid much attention to it. However you can due the math on your own by using the total time on ice for a given player ( sorry no pairs ) and performing a goals on ice per minute for any player. I use to call mine averages points per minute, plus per minute, etc. I am sure if you did that you would find that the third pair had a much lower GA per minute than the second pair and most likely beats the first pair.
I understand the numbers, but what I'm really struggling with understanding is why you are having a hard time grasping the usage and quality of competition, which is why the numbers are what they are. Or are you purposely ignoring this because it negates your point?
For the 3rd time. Cole/Smith played against players that don't score much, so of course they'll give up fewer goals. That was the case with Jake Bean last year also.
For instance, Jake Bean and Hakanpaa last season had a Goals Against / 60 min. of only 0.66. Slavin/Hamilton had 2.02. Do you really think that Bean and Hakanpaa were superior defensively to Slavin/Hamilton? Do you really think that if Bean and Hakanpaa would have put up similar numbers if they faced the same level of competition that Slavin/Hamilton or Pesce/Skjei did. The numbers were lower because they were sheltered, plain and simple.
Look at who these players faced in my post above. Cole faced a bunch of 3rd and 4th liners with little offensive talent and with less D-zone starts. Pesce faced Ovi, Crosby, Guentzel, Kuznetsov, Kreider, Zibanejad, etc.
Facing Ovi, Kreider, Crosby, Guentzel, etc.. is going to result in more goals than facing 3rd/4th liners.
You might have to comb through multiple resources to perform but the math does not lie.
Numbers don't lie, but using only specific numbers without context (ie..usage and quality of competition) is a poor way to draw a conclusion. That's exactly what you are doing.
As far as folks in the penalty box that just reinforces the statements I am making. Along with giving up the fewest goals in the league the Canes gave up the fewest powerplay goals if I remember correctly. So if you are referring to Cole or Smith taking penalties that would indicate that since Smith wasn't a pk specialist that the Canes had trouble when Cole was in the box and unavailable for the pk.
I'm sorry, but your statement isn't reinforced by this, the PK is a totally different game plan than even strength and the Canes already had a good PK prior to these guys joining. Also, it wasn't very good in the playoffs. And Cole played with Slavin on the PK, the team's best defender.
Lets just see how many goals the team gives up this coming year. The number to beat is 202.
Yes, Admittedly, that will be a difficult number to beat, but the team is different than they were last season.
1) Trocheck, who took a lot of key draws is gone. Nino, who was a key cog on the team's shutdown line is gone. Lorentz is gone. Those 3 guys were 3 of the top 5 forwards on the team in terms of lowest GA/60. The team lost 3 of the top 5 forwards in terms of 5v5 GA/60. Trocheck also took a lot of tough draws from the RH side in key situations, which we no longer have.
2) The defense will have 3 new faces (TDA, Cole, Smith gone).
3) Frederick Andersen had a career year with a SV% well above his career average. I'm not sure we can count on that again, but we'll see.
With all those changes, 202 will be tough to meet or beat.
I agree with you on one point. Can "whoever" the Canes have on the 3rd pair handle the role at least as effectively as this year's 3rd pairing players did. That's an appropriate question/concern. Where I disagree with you wholeheartedly, is how much impact that 3rd pairing had on Carolina's success. They got easy assignments and low minutes.
Anyhow, I'll stop now as it doesn't seem to be making a difference.
