The Scoring this year...

BlueBull

Habby Man
Oct 11, 2017
1,698
1,435
Vancouver Island
Over the year I have been looking at just how high scoring is.
Here is an example I did in Mid-November: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/threa...on-lets-acknowledge-the-high-scoring.2410751/
The scoring around then was 2.98 goals per game. The scoring now, at the end of the year, is 2.93 goals per game (subtracting each of the 1 added goals from games going into shootouts). If we add shootout goals, the average is 2.97 goals per game, the most in a season since 2006. 24 players this season averaged a point per game in at least 56 games. In the 3 years prior, combined, just as many players in at least 45 games have done that (23 for at least 57 games... McDavid's Rookie Year.).
The leading scorer this year, coincidentally, is Connor McDavid with 108, the most since 2012 when Malkin had 109. Going with these connections, Barzal scored 85 points as a rookie, the most since Malkin in 2007 had just as many. 3 players had 100 points (McDavid, Kucherov and Giroux), the most 100 point seasons since 2010 (Henrik Sedin, Crosby, Ovechkin and Backstrom). While there may have been no 50 Goal season, 8 people had 40 goal season, the most since 2009, which also had 8. Meanwhile, 29 players had at least 50 assists, the most since 2007, which again, also had 29. What do you think has happened? Is there a lot of Offensive Talent now in the NHL, or is it something else?
Yes I just showed a bunch of stats and facts about how good the scoring is. I just like it that way. I may even love it. I love it when Team A wins 6-4 over Team B. I also love it when the goalies are still playing well. So that brings us to our two last stats, this season had the most Shots against (31.8) since they started tracking it in 1983, the next most being 1986 with 31.0, and this season had the 7th best save % since they started tracking that in the 1983, also.
-BlueBull
 
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authentic

Registered User
Jan 28, 2015
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Powerplays. That is essentially it with a bit more talent as well to help.
 

ESH

Registered User
Jun 19, 2011
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Powerplays. That is essentially it with a bit more talent as well to help.

Powerplay opportunities were up from last season sure, but it was also the second lowest average PP opportunities ever in a season since 1964. Probably even before then but I don’t know where to find the stats for that.

So it’s not the powerplay.
 

NeelyWasAWarrior

Don't Poke The Bear
Dec 23, 2006
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Boston Garden
NHL is a better league when the scoring is healthy. Ideally it would be nice to have several 50 goal scorers. It's hard having lead changes and comebacks when the final score is 2-1. Take alot of fighting, hitting, two pad stack saves and odd man rushes out of the game and scoring becomes even more essential.
 

Alexei Yashvalev

Registered User
Nov 15, 2006
2,773
1,846
Victoria B.C.
Perhaps we just got lucky.

I do feel like we have more talent in the league this year than last. Players like Barzal.

And formerly dominant goalies like Carey Price have had rough years.
 

authentic

Registered User
Jan 28, 2015
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Powerplay opportunities were up from last season sure, but it was also the second lowest average PP opportunities ever in a season since 1964. Probably even before then but I don’t know where to find the stats for that.

So it’s not the powerplay.

True enough.
 
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authentic

Registered User
Jan 28, 2015
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Scoring always goes up after expansion. Not because Vegas is a bad team but because other teams have lost everyday players.

You know what, this is also true. I just did not believe the effect would be much at all with just one team added.
 

NeelyWasAWarrior

Don't Poke The Bear
Dec 23, 2006
4,416
2,307
Boston Garden
Most of the increase is from the powerplay scoring percentage I see. Highest it's been since 1989-90. Pretty interesting, I wonder why this is?

Well I think teams are more aggressive on the power play as well as they should be. There's better skilled defenseman with better shots. Bottom line is if you're on the power play your foot (or skate) should be on the opponents throat. I think teams realize this and are becoming less predictable which makers it harder to defend.
 

authentic

Registered User
Jan 28, 2015
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Well I think teams are more aggressive on the power play as well as they should be. There's better skilled defenseman with better shots. Bottom line is if you're on the power play your foot (or skate) should be on the opponents throat. I think teams realize this and are becoming less predictable which makers it harder to defend.

True. I had noticed over the years penalty killing was getting a lot better, now the powerplay is finally catching up again.
 

authentic

Registered User
Jan 28, 2015
25,858
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I have no stats to back this up, but I feel like we're seeing the benefit of third and fourth lines being comprised of skilled kids instead of shutdown grinders.

This is part of it, but didn't just happen over night (or beginning this season). Scoring before this year was pretty much the same for about 5 years.
 

authentic

Registered User
Jan 28, 2015
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The average team scored 3 more goals than they did last year, most of the extra scoring came from ES

Powerplay scoring is also way up, conversion rate highest it's been in 28 years. The 10th powerplay scorer had 2 less than the leader last season.
 

Canadiens1958

Registered User
Nov 30, 2007
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Lake Memphremagog, QC.
Scoring always goes up after expansion. Not because Vegas is a bad team but because other teams have lost everyday players.

Not so. 1967 expansion saw scoring drop from 5.96 TG/G to 5.58.

Also, not the PP since the Oilers with McDavid scored only 31 PPG.

Scoring increases as the offensive talent of the 3rd and 4th liners improves at ES.
 

ESH

Registered User
Jun 19, 2011
5,304
3,413
Not so. 1967 expansion saw scoring drop from 5.96 TG/G to 5.58.

Also, not the PP since the Oilers with McDavid scored only 31 PPG.

Scoring increases as the offensive talent of the 3rd and 4th liners improves at ES.

It’s not like the 3rd and 4th liners randomly started scoring more this season though. It even seems that the top-end players were the ones who scored more this year when compared to the last few.
 
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LeHab

Registered User
Aug 31, 2005
15,957
6,259
Most of the increase is from the powerplay scoring percentage I see. Highest it's been since 1989-90. Pretty interesting, I wonder why this is?


Actually not that much. Here is a quick calculation of percentage PP goals represent of the total goals for the past 20 years. This year has the worst ratio.

2.970.6120.53872
2.770.5720.57762
2.710.5821.40221
2.730.5720.87912
2.740.5921.53285
2.720.6122.42647
2.730.5720.87912
2.790.6422.93907
2.840.6823.94366
2.910.7927.14777
2.780.7627.33813
2.950.8528.81356
3.081.0333.44156
2.570.727.23735
2.650.7327.54717
2.620.6524.80916
2.760.7627.53623
2.750.6523.63636
2.630.6926.23574
2.640.726.51515
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
 

BlueBull

Habby Man
Oct 11, 2017
1,698
1,435
Vancouver Island
Actually not that much. Here is a quick calculation of percentage PP goals represent of the total goals for the past 20 years. This year has the worst ratio.

2.970.6120.53872
2.770.5720.57762
2.710.5821.40221
2.730.5720.87912
2.740.5921.53285
2.720.6122.42647
2.730.5720.87912
2.790.6422.93907
2.840.6823.94366
2.910.7927.14777
2.780.7627.33813
2.950.8528.81356
3.081.0333.44156
2.570.727.23735
2.650.7327.54717
2.620.6524.80916
2.760.7627.53623
2.750.6523.63636
2.630.6926.23574
2.640.726.51515
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
For the last 6 years the league felt boring as 90 or 100 points was rare-ish for a player to get. .2 is alot on a player scale. I found this season more interesting than others before.
 
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BlueBull

Habby Man
Oct 11, 2017
1,698
1,435
Vancouver Island
To add on to this, while only one (Connor McDavid) player got 90+ last year, 9 got it this year. (McDavid, Giroux, Kucherov, Malkin, MacKinnon, Hall, Kopitar, Kessel and Wheeler)
 

MNNumbers

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Nov 17, 2011
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Using this: NHL League Averages | Hockey-Reference.com
And, it's the same as LeHab, and doing a quick subtraction, I find that ES goals from 08-09 until 15-16 were in the range of about 2.05 - 2.19 or something like that. In 16-17, a jump to 2.20, and this year, it's 2.36. Clearly, something has changed.
Compare to the years 98-99 to 07-08, where the number was about 1.90 - 2.10, and we are up even more.

The last time this many ES goals were scored was in 92-93, and for as long as you want to look before that, you will see the same.

After 92-93 began the DPE.

So, what's changed this year?
Well, as far as rules, there are 2 things:
1- Goalie equipment
2- Emphasis on slashing puck carrier's hands.

There isn't anything else, really.

No other idea that I can think of to explain it.
 

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