The Panther
Registered User
I've mentioned it in another thread, but it's worth repeating here: In 1983-84, the Edmonton Oilers scored 36 short-handed goals, or almost one every other game.
That's not only far more than any other team, ever, it's a lot more than even the 1980s' Oilers scored in any other season. Gretzky alone had 23 short-handed points! (It must have been odd for Gretzky to play on the 1997-98 NY Rangers, which is one of only four teams since expansion to score zero short-handed goals in a season!)
So, in light of this, what do the following teams have in common?:
1968-69 Los Angeles Kings
1972-73 New York Islanders
1973-74 New York Islanders
1997-98 Tampa Bay Lightning
2011-12 Dallas Stars
2013-14 Florida Panthers
2014-15 Buffalo Sabres
2016-17 Colorado Avalanche
2016-17 Vancouver Canucks
2017-18 Edmonton Oilers
2018-19 Nashville Predators
2018-19 Montreal Canadiens
2018-19 New York Islanders
Answer: They're all NHL clubs (76 games or more played) that scored 33 or fewer power-play goals in a season. That is, each of them scored at least 3 fewer goals on the power-play than Edmonton scored short-handed in 1983-84.
(What's odd about all this is that while the Oilers had about five of the top-seven seasons ever for short-handed goals, their power-play was never anything special. No Oilers team ranks in the top-75 PP goals-scored seasons. In the 1980s, though, they generally had fewer PP opportunities than other clubs.)
That's not only far more than any other team, ever, it's a lot more than even the 1980s' Oilers scored in any other season. Gretzky alone had 23 short-handed points! (It must have been odd for Gretzky to play on the 1997-98 NY Rangers, which is one of only four teams since expansion to score zero short-handed goals in a season!)
So, in light of this, what do the following teams have in common?:
1968-69 Los Angeles Kings
1972-73 New York Islanders
1973-74 New York Islanders
1997-98 Tampa Bay Lightning
2011-12 Dallas Stars
2013-14 Florida Panthers
2014-15 Buffalo Sabres
2016-17 Colorado Avalanche
2016-17 Vancouver Canucks
2017-18 Edmonton Oilers
2018-19 Nashville Predators
2018-19 Montreal Canadiens
2018-19 New York Islanders
Answer: They're all NHL clubs (76 games or more played) that scored 33 or fewer power-play goals in a season. That is, each of them scored at least 3 fewer goals on the power-play than Edmonton scored short-handed in 1983-84.
(What's odd about all this is that while the Oilers had about five of the top-seven seasons ever for short-handed goals, their power-play was never anything special. No Oilers team ranks in the top-75 PP goals-scored seasons. In the 1980s, though, they generally had fewer PP opportunities than other clubs.)