Snap Wilson
Registered User
- Sep 14, 2003
- 5,838
- 0
Damn, I was actually planning a thread like this. With apologies to the original poster, he isn't taking one thing into account, which is the competitive balance of the league. It is easier for a good team to rack up a higher goal-differential in an unbalanced league, as there are more creampuff teams to beat up on.
I've accounted for this by figuring out the standard deviation for goal differential for each season in the NHL, and then calculating the number of standard deviations for each team above and below the average. What this determines is how difficult the accomplishment is given the competitiveness of the league. Here are the top fifty teams of all-time by this method:
(Note: I'm referring to teams by the ending year, e.g. the 1976-77 Canadiens are referred to as the 1977 Canadiens.)
1. 1977 Montreal Canadiens - 2.56
2. 1987 Edmonton Oilers - 2.52
3. 1996 Detroit Red Wings - 2.52
4. 1989 Calgary Flames - 2.51
5. 1971 Boston Bruins - 2.28
6. 1934 Toronto Maple Leafs - 2.27
7. 1959 Montreal Canadiens - 2.13
8. 1980 Buffalo Sabres - 2.10
9. 2001 New Jersey Devils - 2.08
10. 1979 New York Islanders - 2.06
11. 1958 Montreal Canadiens - 2.04
12. 1995 Detroit Red Wings - 2.03
13. 1978 Montreal Canadiens - 2.01
14. 1953 Detroit Red Wings - 1.99
15. 1982 Montreal Canadiens - 1.98
16. 1982 New York Islanders - 1.95
17. 1997 Colorado Avalanche - 1.92
18. 1984 Edmonton Oilers - 1.91
19. 1989 Montreal Canadiens - 1.91
20. 1930 Boston Bruins - 1.91
21. 1979 Montreal Canadiens - 1.90
22. 2003 Ottawa Senators - 1.89
23. 1967 Chicago Blackhawks - 1.88
24. 1988 Calgary Flames - 1.87
25. 1960 Montreal Canadiens - 1.86
26. 1939 Boston Bruins - 1.86
27. 1987 Philadelphia Flyers - 1.86
28. 1968 Montreal Canadiens - 1.85
29. 1950 Detroit Red Wings - 1.82
30. 1986 Edmonton Oilers - 1.81
31. 1973 Montreal Canadiens - 1.80
32. 1956 Montreal Canadiens - 1.79
33. 1928 Montreal Canadiens - 1.79
34. 2003 Dallas Stars - 1.77
35. 1982 Edmonton Oilers - 1.77
36. 1976 Montreal Canadiens - 1.76
37. 1974 Boston Bruins - 1.73
38. 1998 Dallas Stars - 1.73
39. 2000 St. Louis Blues - 1.68
40. 1990 Calgary Flames - 1.67
41. 1995 Quebec Nordiques - 1.65
42. 2001 Colorado Avalanche - 1.63
43. 2004 Ottawa Senators - 1.62
44. 1927 Montreal Canadiens - 1.62
45. 1991 Los Angeles Kings - 1.61
46. 1972 Boston Bruins - 1.61
47. 1952 Detroit Red Wings - 1.61
48. 1972 New York Rangers - 1.60
49. 1985 Philadelphia Flyers - 1.59
50. 1999 Dallas Stars - 1.58
Now, before you jump all over me, I'm not saying that the 1980 Buffalo Sabres are the eighth greatest team of all-time. These aren't the top fifty teams in order. First of all, the grouping here is very close. Second, one year doesn't tell us much. It's possible for a team to attain a high score here simply because of a fluke.
As time permits today, I will be posting the highest two-year, three-year, four-year and five-year levels as well. Stay tuned.
I believe in goal differential. Not because I think an 8-1 win is more impressive than a 3-2 win, but because goal differential (or run differential in baseball, or point differential in basketball) often proves to be a more consistent barometer of a team's talent. A team who has an abnormally high winning percentage in relation to their goal differential will more often than not decline the following year. A team that has a lower winning percentage than their goal differential would suggest is more likely to improve.
This isn't to emphatically suggest that the 1979 Islanders were better than the 1982 Islanders. Both teams rank pretty well by this method. Just that the regular-season accomplishments of the 1979 Islanders outweigh the regular-season accomplishments of the 1982 Islanders. Most of you don't care. The playoffs are all that matters, right? I won't disagree. I'll just say that anything can happen in a seven-game series. If there are fluke seasons, there are certainly fluke postseasons as well.
Incidentally, I have a different take on the 1979 Islanders than our man Trots. I think they were on a mission to dethrone the Habs, who had rolled over everyone else the past three seasons. They were trying to beat them during the regular season, to not show they were intimidated, and they were trying to get home ice for the Finals. I didn't think they "shot their wad." I think if they played 100 games against the Rangers that year, they would have won 70 or 80 of them, if not more. They just happened to play six games where nothing went in their favor. It happens.
More to come...
I've accounted for this by figuring out the standard deviation for goal differential for each season in the NHL, and then calculating the number of standard deviations for each team above and below the average. What this determines is how difficult the accomplishment is given the competitiveness of the league. Here are the top fifty teams of all-time by this method:
(Note: I'm referring to teams by the ending year, e.g. the 1976-77 Canadiens are referred to as the 1977 Canadiens.)
1. 1977 Montreal Canadiens - 2.56
2. 1987 Edmonton Oilers - 2.52
3. 1996 Detroit Red Wings - 2.52
4. 1989 Calgary Flames - 2.51
5. 1971 Boston Bruins - 2.28
6. 1934 Toronto Maple Leafs - 2.27
7. 1959 Montreal Canadiens - 2.13
8. 1980 Buffalo Sabres - 2.10
9. 2001 New Jersey Devils - 2.08
10. 1979 New York Islanders - 2.06
11. 1958 Montreal Canadiens - 2.04
12. 1995 Detroit Red Wings - 2.03
13. 1978 Montreal Canadiens - 2.01
14. 1953 Detroit Red Wings - 1.99
15. 1982 Montreal Canadiens - 1.98
16. 1982 New York Islanders - 1.95
17. 1997 Colorado Avalanche - 1.92
18. 1984 Edmonton Oilers - 1.91
19. 1989 Montreal Canadiens - 1.91
20. 1930 Boston Bruins - 1.91
21. 1979 Montreal Canadiens - 1.90
22. 2003 Ottawa Senators - 1.89
23. 1967 Chicago Blackhawks - 1.88
24. 1988 Calgary Flames - 1.87
25. 1960 Montreal Canadiens - 1.86
26. 1939 Boston Bruins - 1.86
27. 1987 Philadelphia Flyers - 1.86
28. 1968 Montreal Canadiens - 1.85
29. 1950 Detroit Red Wings - 1.82
30. 1986 Edmonton Oilers - 1.81
31. 1973 Montreal Canadiens - 1.80
32. 1956 Montreal Canadiens - 1.79
33. 1928 Montreal Canadiens - 1.79
34. 2003 Dallas Stars - 1.77
35. 1982 Edmonton Oilers - 1.77
36. 1976 Montreal Canadiens - 1.76
37. 1974 Boston Bruins - 1.73
38. 1998 Dallas Stars - 1.73
39. 2000 St. Louis Blues - 1.68
40. 1990 Calgary Flames - 1.67
41. 1995 Quebec Nordiques - 1.65
42. 2001 Colorado Avalanche - 1.63
43. 2004 Ottawa Senators - 1.62
44. 1927 Montreal Canadiens - 1.62
45. 1991 Los Angeles Kings - 1.61
46. 1972 Boston Bruins - 1.61
47. 1952 Detroit Red Wings - 1.61
48. 1972 New York Rangers - 1.60
49. 1985 Philadelphia Flyers - 1.59
50. 1999 Dallas Stars - 1.58
Now, before you jump all over me, I'm not saying that the 1980 Buffalo Sabres are the eighth greatest team of all-time. These aren't the top fifty teams in order. First of all, the grouping here is very close. Second, one year doesn't tell us much. It's possible for a team to attain a high score here simply because of a fluke.
As time permits today, I will be posting the highest two-year, three-year, four-year and five-year levels as well. Stay tuned.
I believe in goal differential. Not because I think an 8-1 win is more impressive than a 3-2 win, but because goal differential (or run differential in baseball, or point differential in basketball) often proves to be a more consistent barometer of a team's talent. A team who has an abnormally high winning percentage in relation to their goal differential will more often than not decline the following year. A team that has a lower winning percentage than their goal differential would suggest is more likely to improve.
This isn't to emphatically suggest that the 1979 Islanders were better than the 1982 Islanders. Both teams rank pretty well by this method. Just that the regular-season accomplishments of the 1979 Islanders outweigh the regular-season accomplishments of the 1982 Islanders. Most of you don't care. The playoffs are all that matters, right? I won't disagree. I'll just say that anything can happen in a seven-game series. If there are fluke seasons, there are certainly fluke postseasons as well.
Incidentally, I have a different take on the 1979 Islanders than our man Trots. I think they were on a mission to dethrone the Habs, who had rolled over everyone else the past three seasons. They were trying to beat them during the regular season, to not show they were intimidated, and they were trying to get home ice for the Finals. I didn't think they "shot their wad." I think if they played 100 games against the Rangers that year, they would have won 70 or 80 of them, if not more. They just happened to play six games where nothing went in their favor. It happens.
More to come...