Do Pre-season stats carry any weight...

[CantHaveTkachev]

have we played a team with mostly NHL vets yet?
I guess the game in Winnipeg has been the closest thus far

pretty meaningless IMO

 

[McGoMcD]

I tried to find some actual evidence, funny so far every one just has given thier opion. It would come down to a simple correlation. This was the only one I found, not very indept but:

"As a League as a whole, there happens to be a pretty close relation between the points percentage in the preseason and the regular season."

http://thehockeywriters.com/does-preseason-success-translate-into-the-regular-season/

According to this it does seem that terms that do better in the pre season go on to do good in the regular season.

Like anything it is a small sample size, Any bad team will go 7-3 in a 10 game stretch during the regular season. So, I it is a good sign, no question. Of course we shouldn't get ahead of our selves though.

 

[Ninety7]

Building a winning culture is always good, especially taking account the **** storm this team has gone through in the past years.

 

[Halibut]

Like anything it is a small sample size, Any bad team will go 7-3 in a 10 game stretch during the regular season. So, I it is a good sign, no question. Of course we shouldn't get ahead of our selves though.

Yup, Eakins first season the Oilers went 5-2-1 in the preseason, the regular season didnt go nearly as well. It doesn't mean much.

 

[Roof Daddy]

Sure, just ask Steve Kariya what a pre-season scoring title did for his career.

In all seriousness though, while it doesn't necessarily reflect what the team might look like when the puck drops for real, winning is never a bad feeling. I'd much rather see our team exuding confidence - justified or not - to enter the regular season. It just makes it that much easier for the team to buy in as a group as McLellan rolls out the game plan. When was the last time this team looked like it trusted one another?

 

[Mcnofool6110]

We have played one NHL team so far, and even then, they were the Arizona Coyotes. Our preseason schedule was sooooft.

I'd be super happy if I was Buffalo though.

 

[JetsOilersfan]

I tried to find some actual evidence, funny so far every one just has given thier opion. It would come down to a simple correlation. This was the only one I found, not very indept but:

"As a League as a whole, there happens to be a pretty close relation between the points percentage in the preseason and the regular season."

http://thehockeywriters.com/does-preseason-success-translate-into-the-regular-season/

According to this it does seem that terms that do better in the pre season go on to do good in the regular season.

Like anything it is a small sample size, Any bad team will go 7-3 in a 10 game stretch during the regular season. So, I it is a good sign, no question. Of course we shouldn't get ahead of our selves though.

Not in the least - not even close

See, here's the problem (go ahead - ask Eberle) NHL PLAYERS are going at 2/3 speed at best. They want to stay healthy - preseason they work on things. The 'kids' are the only ones working hard - because they need to prove themselves and try to win a spot.

The Oilers are doing well because Peter Chiarelli has brought in 'competition' this year. No more "Leon - you made team" (Craig MacTavish - July 2, 2014).


It was all put in perspective for me a long time ago - and you and anyone else look it up - I won't bother - it's ingrained in my memory.

The Winnipeg Jets started a 12/13 game preseason with ONE Loss - to their FARM team - Tulsa - they lost 3 - 2. That was the last game of the preseason. they had 9 wins I believe along with 2 or 3 ties plus that loss (yes it was that long ago - they had ties still).

They lost their first game - on the road. Then they won their home opener against the Chicago Black Hawks - 6 to 2.

The next game they won was against the Colorado Rockies (later to become the New Jersey Devils) in mid-December 30 games later. Setting a record that still stands - longest winless streak in the NHL.

Ever since then - I realized pre-season means nothing and has no bearing on where a team will finish in the standings.

It's just the law of circumstance that good teams have decent pre-season records, that's it.

 

[GRadio]

Don't forget we got 4 points from that split squad game that most teams don't get.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

A pre-season record means little to nothing. However how a team uses pre-season indicates how it will set itself up going into the regular season.

Are they using it to determine the bottom of their lineup, or is it for establishing team structure so you can hit the ground running once the games that matter roll around?

 

[joestevens29]

See you in the Finals, Buffalo

I hope to god that the two top teams from pre-season never make the cup finals. That's all we'll hear for the whole year every year after

 

[Perfect_Drug]

Haha, the teams that pick 1st and 2nd overall in a year meet in the cup finals.

How embarassing would that be for the league?


No chance it happens with the Oil. They will have to fight and claw tooth and nail just to climb out of the lottery.

We will likely have 5 rookies on our opening night roster.

 

[LaGu]

Don't forget we got 4 points from that split squad game that most teams don't get.

Take away 4 points from EDM and see what happens to that standing.

 

[Alberta]

The 1972 Miami Dolphins went 14-0 (17-0 if you count the playoffs) but they lost three pre-season games.

The 2007 New England Patriots went 16-0 (2-1 in the playoffs) but lost their first two pre-season games (they were 2-2 in the pre-season).

The 2008 Detroit Lions went 0-16 but they were 4-0 in the pre-season.

I don't think it means much, except maybe a little confidence. There wouldn't be a great feeling if the team was 1-5 right now.

 

[Soundwave]

Don't forget we got 4 points from that split squad game that most teams don't get.

Not that I really care that much about preseason, but why shouldn't that count as two wins? It was two wins, it just happens the games were played simultaneously rather than say on different days. Other teams have had split squad games too.