Obscure hockey facts/stats

[The Panther]

If we look at the standings, at least since 1963-64 (probably longer back too), we can see that:

Even the worst offensive team score as many GF as league average / 1.6. WSH 1974-75 181 GF, average 274. = 1.51
Even the best defensive team allows as many GA as league average / 1.6. MTL 1975-76 174 GA, average 273. = 1.57
Even the worst defensive team allow as "few" GA as league average * 1.6. WSH 1974-75 446 GA, average 274. = 1.63
Even the best offensive team doesn't score more than league average * 1.6. BOS 1970-71 399 GF, average 243.5. = 1.64, where 2nd best is 1.46 times..

In other words...
Even the worst offensive team will score at least 62 % or so of the league average GF, while even the best defensive team will allow 62 % of league average GA.
And even the worst defensive team will "only" allow 162 % or so of league average GA, while even the best offensive team won't score more than 162 % of league average GF.

Wouldn't the top offensive team be Edmonton in 1983-84?

 

[plusandminus]

Wouldn't the top offensive team be Edmonton in 1983-84?

No, not compared to league average. In that regard BOS 1970-71 stands out more.

 

[The Panther]

No, not compared to league average. In that regard BOS 1970-71 stands out more.

Ah, yes I see what you mean.

 

[hacksaw7]

Brian Boucher's record-breaking shutout streak falls into a similar vein - guy was a terrible goalie who somehow dropped 5 shutouts in a row but was a .880 goalie for the rest of the 4 seasons surrounding that.

Yes. Good find there

 

[Iapyi]

Kind of a funny one here and more of anecdote then a fact or stat.

During the Gulf War a fan in Vancouver held up a sign that said "Gino is tougher than Saddam". Odjicks response, in all sincerity, was "What number does that guy Saddam wear?"

 

[Iapyi]

In December 1940, a game between Chicago and New York featured four sets of brothers.

Muzz and Lynn Patrick
Neil and Mac Coville
New York


Bob and Bill Carse
Doug and Max Bentley
Chicago

 

[The Panther]

Kind of a funny one here and more of anecdote then a fact or stat.

During the Gulf War a fan in Vancouver held up a sign that said "Gino is tougher than Saddam". Odjicks response, in all sincerity, was "What number does that guy Saddam wear?"

Calls to mind Jonathan Bernier and Mandela...

 

[Big Phil]

This is more surreal rather than obscure but did anyone else notice that Jacques Plante and Elvis Presley looked eerily similar?

 

[The Panther]

This is more surreal rather than obscure but did anyone else notice that Jacques Plante and Elvis Presley looked eerily similar?

Never noticed it, but yes, sort of!! (except Plante had that perpetually broken nose)

A bit different in the 70s, though, when Plante was still in good shape... Elvis, not so much.

 

[Toene]

Shannahan scored 46
Dionne scored 47
Gordie Howe scored 49
...
but the man we are looking for... is

(Find him by coincidence by looking for Dionne's line mates)

Gallant?

 

[frisco]

Wayne Gretzky was even or minus for seven of his sixteen playoff seasons.

Of the top 35 NHL top scorers, only Mark Messier (1.25 vs. 1.07), Doug Gilmour (1.03 vs 0.96), Jari Kurri (1.17 vs. 1.12), Gil Perreault (1.14 vs. 1.11) upped their points/game in the playoffs vs. regular season points/game.

My Best-Carey

 

[Iapyi]

The 1924-25 Victoria Cougars were the last non-NHL team to win the Stanley Cup.

 

[Sadekuuro]

Gallant?

Danny Grant

 

[frisco]

Forward Paul Gardner scored 201 career goals. 105 of them were on the power-play.

My Best-Carey

 

[TheEye]

Wayne Gretzky was even or minus for seven of his sixteen playoff seasons.

Interestingly, Orr, Gretzky and Lemieux were all minus players for 37.5% of their postseason appearances. Howe represents the outlier in this situation. Of his recorded playoff appearances, he was a minus player 50% of the time.

 

[The Panther]

Players are most often 'minuses' when their teams lose in the playoffs -- esp. if the teams lose in four or five games. Generally, if your team loses four out of five games and you're on the ice a lot, you're a minus. Rather than looking at individual playoffs years (which compares a 1-round loss to a 4-round Cup win -- guess which plus/minus is going to look better?), it might be instructive to look at overall career playoff results at even strength, particularly for players who had long careers on diverse-level clubs (i.e., good and bad clubs, not only dynasties).

In Gretzky's case, his career playoff plus/minus works out to +92 in 208 games, or +36 per 82 games.

In Guy Lafleur's case, his career playoff plus/minus works out to +50 in 128 games, or +34 per 82 games.

In Mario Lemieux's case, his career playoff plus/minus works out to +20 in 107 games, or +15 per 82 games.

In Jaromir Jagr's case, his career playoff plus/minus works out to +30 in 208 games, or +12 per 82 games.

In Bryan Trottier's case, his career playoff plus/minus works out to +31 in 221 games, or +11 per 82 games.

In Gilbert Perreault's case, his career playoff plus/minus works out to -21 in 90 games, or -19 per 82 games. (Not surprisingly, he's the only guy here who didn't win any Cups.)

(Bobby Orr, not unusually, stands out here. He works out to +66 per 82 games. It's incredible, but of course it's an "All killer-no filler" playoff career, entirely on good teams and in his prime years.)

 

[Big Phil]

This will stun you, and it might make you realize that there are times plus/minus needs to be looked at in context.

Here is the plus/minus for great players in the 1987 Canada Cup tournament:

Gretzky: - 2
Fetisov: - 6
Krutov: - 4
Kasatonov: - 5
Larionov: - 3

For whatever reason Mario was +5 and Larry Murphy +8. Semenov + 7

 

[The Panther]

This will stun you, and it might make you realize that there are times plus/minus needs to be looked at in context.

Here is the plus/minus for great players in the 1987 Canada Cup tournament:

Gretzky: - 2
Fetisov: - 6
Krutov: - 4
Kasatonov: - 5
Larionov: - 3

For whatever reason Mario was +5 and Larry Murphy +8. Semenov + 7

The plus/minus here (clearly) doesn't tell us much, but I will say that Larry Murphy was incredible in the 3-game Final series. When I watched that again a year or two ago, he REALLY stood out as solid as hell. By comparison, Bourque was not as good in the 3-game Final. Fetisov had some rough moments, too, especially in game one.

 

[c9777666]

conor sheary has more penguin playoff OT goals than mario lemieux

 

[Big Phil]

conor sheary has more penguin playoff OT goals than mario lemieux

I'll go further. Howe, Mario, Messier and Ovechkin have a big old goose egg when it comes to playoff overtime goals. No kidding. Yet all are considered warriors in the postseason (Ovechkin probably considered 4th on that list).

 

[alko]

conor sheary has more penguin playoff OT goals than mario lemieux

I'll go further. Howe, Mario, Messier and Ovechkin have a big old goose egg when it comes to playoff overtime goals. No kidding. Yet all are considered warriors in the postseason (Ovechkin probably considered 4th on that list).

How many times did they play Overtime?

 

[Vujtek]

How many times did they play Overtime?

Ovechkin has 39 playoff OT-games on his belt (most ever by a forward without a goal) and Messier had 37 OT-games (was tied for record holder with Denis Savard for playoff OT-games amongst forwards without a goal before Ovechkin passed them).

Howe has 20 playoff OT-games and Lemieux 11 OT-games. With Lemieux he only played in 10 of those overtimes as he was famously ejected in regulation from the game against Capitals that went into 4th OT period. 3 of his 11 OT-games came in 2001 against the Sabres.

 

[Iapyi]

In 1925-26 Dunc Munro captained the Montreal Maroons to the Stanley Cup over the Victoria Cougars. He had already captained teams to the Memorial Cup, the Allan Cup and Canada for Olympic Gold.

I am a bit confused on this win over Victoria which a source says but according to other sources it was over Ottawa Senators.

 

[kaiser matias]

In 1925-26 Dunc Munro captained the Montreal Maroons to the Stanley Cup over the Victoria Cougars. He had already captained teams to the Memorial Cup, the Allan Cup and Canada for Olympic Gold.

I am a bit confused on this win over Victoria which a source says but according to other sources it was over Ottawa Senators.

The Maroons played the Senators in the NHL final (and previously beat Pittsburgh; Ottawa finished first overall and qualified for the final). 1926 was the last year of the PCHA/WCHL/WHL, so there was an inter-league series for the Cup.

 

[Big Phil]

How many times did they play Overtime?

Someone already mentioned it, but yeah plenty of times. Lemieux the least though. If this were a trivia question I would think Messier is the name that would shock the most. His face is littered all over the 1980s and 1990s postseason moments. 4 playoff rounds, lots of overtimes, high scoring teams. No overtime goals. No kidding.