Top (and bottom) NHL Team Goaltending (Save Percentage), 1952-53 to present

[Doctor No]

Moving this from a History board thread because it's distracting.

In that thread, I asked what team in "NHL save percentage history" (currently, 1952-53 to the present) had the greatest number of total team Goals Above Replacement.

Stated differently, which teams' goaltenders (measured solely by save percentage) prevented more goals than would be prevented had a top minor-league goaltender played the entire season for them?

Here's the top forty:

TEAM|GAR|SNWL
1974-75 Los Angeles Kings|116.1|54-26
1982-83 New York Islanders|115.4|52-28
1993-94 Florida Panthers|111.8|54-30
1983-84 New York Islanders|111.3|50-30
1973-74 Chicago Black Hawks|109.0|53-25
1973-74 Philadelphia Flyers|105.9|53-25
1975-76 Montreal Canadiens|105.7|54-26
1967-68 Toronto Maple Leafs|105.7|49-25
1975-76 New York Islanders|101.3|52-28
1968-69 St. Louis Blues|101.2|51-25
1992-93 St. Louis Blues|100.5|51-33
1996-97 Buffalo Sabres|100.1|52-30
1984-85 Philadelphia Flyers|99.0|49-31
1977-78 Chicago Black Hawks|97.7|50-30
1972-73 Montreal Canadiens|96.6|49-29
1997-98 Buffalo Sabres|96.2|52-30
1985-86 New York Islanders|95.7|47-33
1978-79 Chicago Black Hawks|95.6|47-33
1976-77 New York Islanders|94.8|51-29
1981-82 New York Islanders|94.7|48-32
1989-90 Buffalo Sabres|94.4|48-32
1998-99 Buffalo Sabres|94.1|52-30
1974-75 Atlanta Flames|93.7|49-31
1971-72 Minnesota North Stars|93.6|49-29
1986-87 Philadelphia Flyers|93.3|49-31
1981-82 Montreal Canadiens|92.8|50-30
2010-11 Boston Bruins|91.6|51-31
1981-82 Minnesota North Stars|91.3|47-33
1978-79 New York Islanders|90.8|49-31
2008-09 Florida Panthers|89.9|49-33
1985-86 Philadelphia Flyers|89.1|48-32
1979-80 Chicago Black Hawks|89.0|47-33
1976-77 Montreal Canadiens|87.6|51-29
1995-96 Buffalo Sabres|86.0|48-34
1982-83 Chicago Black Hawks|85.5|47-33
1969-70 Chicago Black Hawks|85.2|48-28
1985-86 Edmonton Oilers|84.8|45-35
1991-92 St. Louis Blues|84.3|46-34
1988-89 Minnesota North Stars|84.2|47-33
1978-79 Toronto Maple Leafs|84.1|47-33

I was surprised (but perhaps shouldn't have been) to see the Rogie Vachon Kings at the top of the list. I also included Support Neutral Wins/Losses, which asks: if a goaltender played for a team that allowed as many shots against as shots for, and was playing against a league average save percentage goaltender, what would their record be?

By this measure, the 1974-75 Kings would have been 54-26 (for 108 points, instead of 105 points).

We hear a lot about Vachon's season, but Gary Edwards also played 27 games (Vachon played 54) and had a 91.6% save percentage (Vachon had a 92.6% save percentage).

Not a lot of recent seasons on the list, which speaks to the fact that there are fewer horrible teams any longer (with respect to save percentage), and the "average" has increased. It's harder and harder to stand out from average.

Click to read more...

 

[Doctor No]

And just for giggles, here's the bottom forty.

Don't peek, but I bet you can guess the bottom team (perhaps even the bottom two):

TEAM|GAR|SNWL
1954-55 Chicago Black Hawks|-10.2|28-43
1981-82 Los Angeles Kings|-10.5|35-45
1966-67 Boston Bruins|-11.6|28-42
1980-81 Colorado Rockies|-12.8|34-46
1994-95 Edmonton Oilers|-13.0|19-29
1971-72 California Golden Seals|-13.9|32-46
2008-09 Toronto Maple Leafs|-14.8|33-49
1965-66 New York Rangers|-14.9|28-42
2011-12 Tampa Bay Lightning|-15.0|34-48
1982-83 Detroit Red Wings|-15.0|34-46
1967-68 Detroit Red Wings|-17.3|29-45
1976-77 Detroit Red Wings|-19.1|33-47
1969-70 Los Angeles Kings|-19.5|30-46
1982-83 Pittsburgh Penguins|-19.7|34-46
1953-54 Chicago Black Hawks|-19.8|27-43
1982-83 Los Angeles Kings|-19.8|33-47
1971-72 Vancouver Canucks|-20.1|31-47
1985-86 New Jersey Devils|-20.7|34-46
2014-15 Edmonton Oilers|-20.7|31-51
1973-74 Detroit Red Wings|-21.2|31-47
1975-76 Washington Capitals|-21.2|33-47
1973-74 California Golden Seals|-22.5|31-47
1970-71 Detroit Red Wings|-23.0|32-46
1974-75 Detroit Red Wings|-23.5|34-46
1999-00 Atlanta Thrashers|-23.5|32-50
1981-82 Detroit Red Wings|-25.2|33-47
1970-71 California Golden Seals|-25.4|32-46
1984-85 Vancouver Canucks|-25.5|33-47
1996-97 Boston Bruins|-26.3|31-51
1999-00 Tampa Bay Lightning|-27.6|31-51
1972-73 New York Islanders|-28.0|30-48
1989-90 Quebec Nordiques|-29.2|32-48
1985-86 Winnipeg Jets|-31.0|32-48
1995-96 San Jose Sharks|-31.6|32-50
1972-73 Vancouver Canucks|-33.6|31-47
1985-86 Detroit Red Wings|-38.0|32-48
1992-93 Ottawa Senators|-40.1|32-52
1961-62 Boston Bruins|-42.2|25-45
1993-94 Ottawa Senators|-58.3|31-53
1974-75 Washington Capitals|-64.6|28-52

 

[blogofmike]

Any idea of the impact of the PK?

A) PK% - For example the 74 Flyers and 74 Hawks had a league high PK (both 5 points above 3rd place). Part of that is the goalie, I imagine part is Bobby Clarke, Stan Mikita et al.

B) PPOA - Of course the 74 Flyers led the league in PPOA with 422. Chicago had a league low 208. That kind of low volume (in Chicago's case) would probably make it easier for the team's goaltender(s) to post a good GAR.

 

[Doctor No]

Excellent question! This is something on my short list to study.

For newer seasons, we have both the ability to adjust save percentages based upon the mix of shots faced (PP, ES, and SH). In other words, we can express a goaltender's save percentage and express it as what it would have been if they'd faced a league-average mix of PP/ES/SH shots.

For older seasons, we can't do this of course. The best we have is aggregate PP and SH counts (and time on PP, time on SH, if someone wanted to walk through the Hockey Summary records).

Something I'd like to do is take the newer seasons and fit a predictive model to the aggregate numbers, in order to best estimate the league-average SVPCT mix (since for the newer seasons, we have both, and we know the "right" answer).

Then if the model works well enough, we can make a reasoned guess at how goaltenders were affected.

 

[MXD]

I honestly expected the '80ies Flyers to look a little better than they do.

 

[Sanf]

I noticed this in other thread too, but 1967-1968 Maple Leafs season is certainly interesting. Non-Playoff team had such high GAR. Ofcourse Panthers 93-94 is there too, but that is easier to understand.