Why is KHL such low scoring league?

[alko]

Day after day we can see results like 2:1, 2:0, 1:0...

Top scoring team CSKA Moscow had 62 goals for in 17 games, that means average of 3,65 goals per game.

When we look to goalie statistics, saves percent, to be in the top 10 a goalie needs minimum 94 %. With 92 %, that could be in other leagues top achievement, are now 25 goalies.

Its about goalie quality? Game tactics?

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[SoundAndFury]

Well with the switch of the rink sizes it became obvious it's about nothing else but the tactics deployed.

I also think it's very natural that 2 teams that play the active speed game and look to stretch the ice a lot - Vityaz and Ak Bars - are so successful.

 

[Atas2000]

Day after day we can see results like 2:1, 2:0, 1:0...

Top scoring team CSKA Moscow had 62 goals for in 17 games, that means average of 3,65 goals per game.

When we look to goalie statistics, saves percent, to be in the top 10 a goalie needs minimum 94 %. With 92 %, that could be in other leagues top achievement, are now 25 goalies.

Its about goalie quality? Game tactics?

Goalie quality is a factor. I often have to remind people, that only the 62 goaltenders play in the NHL, but hundreds of skaters. Most of those backups there and even some starters are worse than some KHL starting goalies. Naturally because you play one goalie per team the difference in goaltending quality between leagues is much less that it is for skaters. A factor again. Very close in quality goaltending, a much bigger gap for skaters. Which means worse skaterst agains nearly same level goalies.

And the whole tactics theory is crap. There are enough NHL teams that play tight defence first systems and in general defence is severely overemphasized in NA in general. They crap over freshmen european players all the time for not being able to play their structured "responsible" systems.

 

[SoundAndFury]

And the whole tactics theory is crap. There are enough NHL teams that play tight defence first systems and in general defence is severely overemphasized in NA in general. They crap over freshmen european players all the time for not being able to play their structured "responsible" systems.

Yes, that's why the Russian leagues, both KHL and even more so the VHL are so notoriously low scoring. Just the most obvious example, how many teams use 4 forwards on PP?

 

[Atas2000]

Yes, that's why the Russian leagues, both KHL and even more so the VHL are so notoriously low scoring. Just the most obvious example, how many teams use 4 forwards on PP?

LOL What does 4F on PP make? More scroing? Are you serious?

 

[SoundAndFury]

LOL What does 4F on PP make? More scroing? Are you serious?

Well duh.

 

[SoundAndFury]

I mean what "goalie quality vs. system" argument can be made when some of the goalies who were in top-10 Sv%, some posted amazing stats (.94+), are Vladislav Fokin, Vitali Kolesnik, Sergei Borisov, Alexei Kuznetsov, Vadim Tarasov, Jan Laco, Mark Dekanich, Pavel Poluektov, Kevin Lalande.. The list goes on, those are from 2012 to 2015.

All these guys have been a) good for one season after landing on a good/defensive-minded team despite sucking throughout their career and being known as quite terrible goalies; b) while playing for the said good/defensive-minded team if they managed to stick for more than a year (Kolesnik). As you can see, it isn't necessarily the goalies of good teams. Some starters, some backups. Point is, "system goalie" is very much a thing in the KHL and although there definitely are some very talented ones in the KHL statistically they aren't any better than those guys. Look at Lars Johansson, never really recognized as a very good goalie throughout his career he, numbers-wise, outperforms Sorokin every season they have played together.

Very often, backups (who are obviously worse goalies than the starter) have the same, if not better numbers than the starters because well, obviously, those are the product of the team in front of them. Even if it isn't particularly good. Like Neftekhimik had ~.936 team Sv% in 2016, as another quick example.

And you can find the same examples on the offensive side of things. Lets take a look at 13/14 Donbass roster, for example. Stacked, stacked team. Kagarlitsky, Kaspar, Dadonov, Robittaile, etc. Kaspar with 36 points on the season is the leading scorer, everyone else is below 30. Goalies combine for, roughly, .938 Sv%. It doesn't take a genius to realize what's happening. And you can find it all over, top scorer on Ak Bars had 34 points in 2017, Loko was led by 35 points of Staffan Kronwall in 2018, etc.

And someone who has watched Bilyaletdinov's hockey for years saying "it's not a tactics thing" is just laughable. In case the eye test isn't enough, hasn't he said during the final series against MVD back in the day something along the lines of "if we score 1 5-on-5 goal and 1 PP goal we will win most games 2-1"? That's what so many coaches in the KHL are aiming for, hence 1/3 of the league scores 2 goals per game on average.

One could make a whole list of things that lead to that low scoring: the way teams break out, the way teams change, the way most teams don't use substantial net-front presence 5 on 5 to not get their guys trapped deep in the O zone, etc. Anyone will notice that if they pay attention.

 

[QnebO]

They have alot of vets who know their defence and eat their vegetables.