The Isles have had the toughest SOS so far this year, the Wild the easiest

[SLAPSHOT723]

As an Isles fan, I personally don't care. We have a team that can beat anyone and we haven't been up until recently.

 

[madmike77]

I'm guessing this SOS is based solely on opponents' winning percentages. It tells you something, but unlike the NFL, where every team plays consistently once per week, NHL schedules can be tougher based on the number of games played in a period of time and back-to-backs.

The Flames got shafted by the schedule makers early with an obscene number of games in a short period of time including 7 back-to-backs and 6 Eastern Conference road games in 9 nights, which is just stupid.

Fortunately their schedule has been less packed the last coupe of weeks, although they still lead the league in games played.

 

[Maukkis]

Winnipeg should be in the other end of the list. What was it, 17 games in 29 days, including 4 back-to-backs? I don't think that's one of the easiest, especially for a western team.

 

[tsujimoto74]

The Oilers suck against the crappier teams. They've lost twice to the Leafs, Sabres, and Coyotes. They play better against the so called good teams

Notice the Sabres near the top of that chart, and they've been playing a lot of games missing half their top 4 D (Kulikov and Bogo) and their top 1-2 forwards (Eichel and ROR). Maybe the Sabres' record wouldn't look that different if everyone was healthy, but it's hard to really make a fair evaluation of the team when they haven't.

 

[Lunatik]

For those like myself who didn't know what SOS was off the top of my head, it's Strength of Schedule.

and I thought it was save our souls and was very confused

 

[madmike77]

Winnipeg should be in the other end of the list. What was it, 17 games in 29 days, including 4 back-to-backs? I don't think that's one of the easiest, especially for a western team.

They don't factor that into this because there's no statistical way to measure it.

 

[Stickpucker]

Given any team in the Easts travel schedule I feel that this is suspect. The teams that travel more than any other teams Wild, Nashville, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Vancouver, Dallas and Colorado are at the bottom yet the teams that travel very little between in conference games have the tougher schedule? Give me a break. I'll take 15 back to backs against eastern teams over 10 back to backs amongst western teams with the added travel time. Must be so hard to travel up state, meanwhile western teams are traveling halfway across the continent.

Oilers traveled something like 49,401 miles to the Isles 35,015 last year. That's a difference of 14,386 miles. Yet the Oilers played 9 B2B's to the Isles 15. Guess which one is harder on the players bodies and minds? Can't see how you can possibly think that the Isles have the toughest schedule.

Carolina started the first 2 weeks on the road. Made the western Canada road trip and are on the cali trip now.

They've played NYR 2x, mtl 2x, phi 2x, and will have played SJ 2x.

They haven't played buffalo, nyi, dallas, col, or ari.

Not suprised to see them up there in sos.

 

[Hobble]

Funny, because the Jets schedule actually leads the league as being a POS.

 

[Lunatik]

Winnipeg should be in the other end of the list. What was it, 17 games in 29 days, including 4 back-to-backs? I don't think that's one of the easiest, especially for a western team.

The Flames were in the same boat, 17 games in November, 12 of the on the road including at 6 game in 9 day road trip. They played 4 back to backs in that time, all with travel between the games; I think the strangest part og the 4 back to backs is the only of those 8 games to be a home game saw the most travel before it, as the Flames played in Minnesota the night before.

 

[JustGivingEr]

Should be called Strength of Opposition

 

[PinSeeker]

Does not bode well for us Oiler fans... egads.

 

[Jester9881]

As an Isles fan, I personally don't care. We have a team that can beat anyone and we haven't been up until recently.

I don't think they are as strong as they have been the past two seasons, but they are certainly better than their record would indicate. If you look at their schedule up until now, it does look like it's probably one of the tougher ones (at least to this point).

 

[Crede777]

What does last year have to do with this year? That's even dumber then the statistic the OP is showing.

This year is way too early to understand who the good teams are and who the bad ones are. As I pointed out, bad teams will look like they have a difficult SOS because the teams they are playing have high winning percentages by beating up on them.

The more meaningful stat is how many of the teams made the playoffs last year.

Going back to when the schedule was compiled, who would you have rather played between Columbus and the Islanders? Columbus finished 27th and the Islanders made the playoffs. The obvious answer is that the team playing Columbus has an easier schedule than the one playing the Islanders.

 

[boredmale]

Does this calculation include home vs road schedule? I know the Islanders start to the season has been front loaded with home games.

 

[Random Forest]

Should be called Strength of Opposition

Yup. A big part of the skepticism people have for statistics and data these days is because of poor description and characterization of what the data represents.

This information is useful, but not in the way it's described. When you mislabel or misrepresent data, people will simply disregard it instead of interpreting it in the way it should be. Same problem is evident with regard to all kinds of stats in hockey these days.

 

[10coach*]

The Wild haven't even played well against the opponents they have played. I would be surprised if they're in a playoff spot by year end, too many better teams in the central.

I'm sensing some major sarcasm here

 

[M2Beezy]

Canucks one of the easiest scheds so far... no wonder were doing so fantastic

 

[Kaako Kappo]

I'm sorry but what the **** is Winnipeg doing so low on the list? We have like 5 games on everyone else for crying out loud. And at least 5 b2b's i think.

 

[Duke749]

I'm sorry but what the **** is Winnipeg doing so low on the list? We have like 5 games on everyone else for crying out loud. And at least 5 b2b's i think.

It's strength of opposition. Doesn't take into account travel and B2B's which I think has been covered in this thread.

 

[Axel574]

Carolina started the first 2 weeks on the road. Made the western Canada road trip and are on the cali trip now.

They've played NYR 2x, mtl 2x, phi 2x, and will have played SJ 2x.

They haven't played buffalo, nyi, dallas, col, or ari.

Not suprised to see them up there in sos.

Don't sleep on the NYI... they are by far and away a better team than Carolina.

 

[SPF6ty9]

I assume this wouldn't omit games played by the teams measured themselves. So a crappy team would be making their schedule slightly "harder" by feeding more wins to opponents and vice versa. Likely wouldn't make a huge variance in results.

 

[Tom Collins]

What a crappy stat.

At some point we're going to rate teams by "Recorded Stats per 60 Minutes" to determine what teams are the most "aggressive" on the ice. Someone will loosely attribute this to a win by watching a good team buzz about and dominate some crapshow and BAM, RSTAT/60 is born.

 

[Bounces R Way]

The schedule this year generally is ass for everyone because of that silly World Cup of Hockey.

Watch the injuries add up in February and March.

 

[THall4]

SOS = an excuse for a bad team to justify the season they are having?

 

[Empty Net Goal]

Given any team in the Easts travel schedule I feel that this is suspect. The teams that travel more than any other teams Wild, Nashville, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Vancouver, Dallas and Colorado are at the bottom yet the teams that travel very little between in conference games have the tougher schedule? Give me a break. I'll take 15 back to backs against eastern teams over 10 back to backs amongst western teams with the added travel time. Must be so hard to travel up state, meanwhile western teams are traveling halfway across the continent.

Oilers traveled something like 49,401 miles to the Isles 35,015 last year. That's a difference of 14,386 miles. Yet the Oilers played 9 B2B's to the Isles 15. Guess which one is harder on the players bodies and minds? Can't see how you can possibly think that the Isles have the toughest schedule.

The Sharks travel more miles than any other team in the league and they seem to be doing alright.