Preseason Points Estimate

[nfreeman]

i saw them at just <90 points and in the 9 or 10-slot - i would've been happy to have been very wrong.

while i know it's not an apples-apples comparison, i do take some solace in the fact that, like us this year, montreal finished with 90 points and in 10th place in 06-07.

go sabres.

 

Good call.

[bob_sauve28]

Was the league average for goal scoring down? Anyone know?

[That Aud Smell]

Good call.

 

thanks, free -- in my more optimistic moments, i focus on the fact that the two teams are built to play similar styles (thereby making them both "apples").

 

i firmly believe that our club is just a couple of tweaks and some more maturity/focus away from being right in the thick of things again.

[X. Benedict]

thanks, free -- in my more optimistic moments, i focus on the fact that the two teams are built to play similar styles (thereby making them both "apples").

 

i firmly believe that our club is just a couple of tweaks and some more maturity/focus away from being right in the thick of things again.

 

The Habs did go out and get Hamirlik for the D after losing Souray. (sp?)

[nfreeman]

thanks, free -- in my more optimistic moments, i focus on the fact that the two teams are built to play similar styles (thereby making them both "apples").

 

i firmly believe that our club is just a couple of tweaks and some more maturity/focus away from being right in the thick of things again.

 

I'm with you that not that much is needed.

 

If we wanted to take the comparison a step further, we could note:

 

1. both teams lost an offensive defenseman after their bad season (the habs lost Souray, the Sabres lost Soupy -- not quite after this year, but close to the end of the year).

 

2. the Habs brought in a top 4 UFA defenseman (Hamrlik, who was 2nd on the team in ice time this year), who is more of a defensive defenseman, after their offensive defenseman left as a FA -- I think most of us here are hoping the sabres do the same.

 

3. both teams had an enigmatic, skilled Russian forward have poor seasons during their bad year (Kovalev, Max) -- and Kovy had a huge rebound year this year.

[Bmwolf21]

3. both teams had an enigmatic, skilled Russian forward have poor seasons during their bad year (Kovalev, Max) -- and Kovy had a huge rebound year this year.

That's as far as the comparison should go. Max can have his huge rebound year somewhere else as far as I'm concerned.

[inkman]

3. both teams had an enigmatic, skilled Russian forward have poor seasons during their bad year (Kovalev, Max) -- and Kovy had a huge rebound year this year.

I wish Max was 1/2 the player Kovalev is. His finishing ability and hitting put him in a different stratosphere although I think he is even more streaky than Max.

[Knightrider]

Was the league average for goal scoring down? Anyone know?

 

Thanks to the link earlier in the thread...

 

Goals scored last year was 7082, and this year was 6691. So we lost nearly 391 goals this season, and 752 when comparing to the 05-06 season.

 

When comparing 07-08 to 05-06:

 

There were 34 more even strength goals (5 on 5) in 07-08

There were 70 fewer SH goals

There were 68 fewer 4 on 4 goals (one more 3 on 3)

There were 669 fewer PP goals

There were 37 more empty netters

There were 297 fewer 1st period goals

There were 254 fewer 2nd period goals

There were 181 fewer 3rd period goals

There were 20 fewer OT goals

[bob_sauve28]

Thanks to the link earlier in the thread...

 

Goals scored last year was 7082, and this year was 6691. So we lost nearly 391 goals this season, and 752 when comparing to the 05-06 season.

 

When comparing 07-08 to 05-06:

 

There were 34 more even strength goals (5 on 5) in 07-08

There were 70 fewer SH goals

There were 68 fewer 4 on 4 goals (one more 3 on 3)

There were 669 fewer PP goals

There were 37 more empty netters

There were 297 fewer 1st period goals

There were 254 fewer 2nd period goals

There were 181 fewer 3rd period goals

There were 20 fewer OT goals

So....looking at it like that, our goal decline isn't that bad, but our goals against is worse. If I'm figuring that right

[Bmwolf21]

So....looking at it like that, our goal decline isn't that bad, but our goals against is worse. If I'm figuring that right

No, our goals against has held steady the last few years, and actually improved slightly this season:

 

2005-06 - 234 GA; 2.85 GA/Game

2006-07 - 238 GA; 2.90 GA/Game

2007-08 - 233 GA; 2.84 GA/Game

[Knightrider]

So....looking at it like that, our goal decline isn't that bad, but our goals against is worse. If I'm figuring that right

 

Yep. Miller's stats look the same, but his contemporaries got better.

 

Those numbers make you wonder how the 05-06 crew would have fared this season...

[bob_sauve28]

No, our goals against has held steady the last few years, and actually improved slightly this season:

 

2005-06 - 234 GA; 2.85 GA/Game

2006-07 - 238 GA; 2.90 GA/Game

2007-08 - 233 GA; 2.84 GA/Game

I was thinking in terms of the league scoring is down so our goals against should be down, but it stayed basically the same. So our scoring was down, following the league trend but the goals against went against the trend

[Bmwolf21]

I was thinking in terms of the league scoring is down so our goals against should be down, but it stayed basically the same. So our scoring was down, following the league trend but the goals against went against the trend

In terms of league scoring going down, I guess so. I'd like to take a look at the teams in the playoffs the last few years and see how their numbers changed over the last few years to see if it is a league-wide thing or a handful of teams skewing the numbers.

 

It shouldn't be surprising that the team's GA numbers have remained stagnant, though - we are still one of the few teams to play an all-out attacking/pond hockey system that surrenders a lot of odd-man rushes and premium scoring ops against.

[Bmwolf21]

Total goals against for the last three years.

 

Teams that really standout to me - Boston and Philly both shaved 70 goals off last season's total, Phoenix dropped 57 goals, Washington dropped 48 goals, while Columbus knocked 34 off last year; Detroit - 179 GA, Anaheim 184, San Jose - 187GA - 1-2-3 in the league; Ottawa +36 goals over last year; Rangers' much-maligned D allowed just 190 GA, 4th-best in NHL.

 

BTW - Detroit was the 3rd-highest scoring team this year and the stingiest defense. Guess some teams have figured out how to score consistently while playing solid defense.

Team  	05-06 	06-07	07-08
ANA 	222 	198  	184  
ATL 	270 	241 	266 
BOS 	258 	285 	215 
BUF 	234 	238 	233 
CAR 	258 	248 	246 
CBJ 	276 	244 	210 
CGY 	193 	221 	224 
CHI 	279 	251 	231 
COL 	251 	247 	216 
DAL 	217 	193 	204 
DET 	206 	191 	179 
EDM 	242 	245 	247 
FLA 	252 	249 	220 
LAK 	269 	277 	263 
MIN 	212 	184 	210 
MTL 	244 	251 	216 
NJD 	225 	193 	193 
NSH 	224 	207 	224 
NYI 	275 	235 	240 
NYR 	211 	211 	190 
OTT 	205 	216 	242 
PHI 	253 	297 	227 
PHX 	268 	282 	225 
PIT 	310 	240 	212 
SJS 	235 	197 	187 
STL 	284 	248 	232 
TBL 	256 	259 	266 
TOR 	263 	262 	256 
VAN 	251 	197 	206 
WSH 	300 	275 	227 

[Knightrider]

In terms of league scoring going down, I guess so. I'd like to take a look at the teams in the playoffs the last few years and see how their numbers changed over the last few years to see if it is a league-wide thing or a handful of teams skewing the numbers.

 

It shouldn't be surprising that the team's GA numbers have remained stagnant, though - we are still one of the few teams to play an all-out attacking/pond hockey system that surrenders a lot of odd-man rushes and premium scoring ops against.

 

When comparing 07-08 to 05-06 Playoff teams:

 

There were 326 fewer goals against in 07-08 playoff teams

There were 2 fewer even strength goals (5 on 5) in 07-08

There were 40 fewer SH goals

There were 28 fewer 4 on 4 goals (2 more 3 on 3 goals)

There were 274 fewer PP goals

There were 25 more empty netters

 

No time to do it period by period...

 

I think you get the info you were looking for, though. It looks league wide, to me.