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Which teams really had the best and worst power plays last season? (Power play +/- in 2010-11)

Derek Mackenzie

Columbus Blue Jackets center Derek Mackenzie celebrates short-handed goal in the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche, Tuesday, March 22, 2011, in Denver. Avalanche right wing Milan Hejduk, of the Czech Republic, is left. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)

AP

Thanks to a mixture of nostalgia, laziness and stubbornness, many professional sports teams and writers are unwilling to consider “new” statistics. Just look at baseball; Major League Baseball’s statistical schism over the use of such “groundbreaking” stats as On Base Percentage was so strong that it inspired the fantastic Michael Lewis book “Moneyball” (which has been developed into a Brad Pitt vehicle that may or may not be fantastic).

It’s quite possible that it might take decades (if ever) until people can put everything that happens on an ice hockey rink into neat little statistical categories. That being said, various stat-heavy sites are providing new ways of thinking for those unsatisfied with the traditional methods.

Much of the work usually focuses on the defensive side of the game, as many (myself included) consider widely-used defensive stats to be rather lacking. Yet there’s two special teams stats that stick in my craw: power play and penalty kill percentages.

What Power Play Plus/Minus is (and why it’s better than PP %)

For that reason, I shared my* own power play stats a few times already on Pro Hockey Talk. This post will reveal the 2010-11 totals for Power Play Plus/Minus, which follows the simple (but effective) formula: power play goals scored minus shorthanded goals allowed. If you ask me, it provides a more accurate depiction of a team’s power play than the percentage model for two major reasons.

1. Some teams draw more penalties than others, so they might convert less often but score more PP goals overall. Really, isn’t all about how many goals you score, not how “efficient” your power play is?

2. Power play percentage doesn’t factor shorthanded goals allowed, so reckless units are rewarded. Let’s not forget how devastating it can be to allow a goal when you’re on the PP.

For a frame of reference, here are the NHL’s top teams according to the industry standard power play percentage. This table includes power play opportunities, power play goals and shorthanded goals allowed. Note: both of these stats use 2010-11 regular season totals only.

TeamPP OppPPGPP%SHGA
VAN2967224.32
SJS2896823.57
ANA2856723.57
CHI2776423.14
DET3016722.37
TBL3366920.516
MTL2905719.76
CGY3186219.59
BUF2795419.413
STL2795218.61
COL2654918.511
ATL2895318.310
MIN2925318.27
DAL306551815
OTT2574517.54
WSH2634617.55
NYI3025217.27
NYR2904916.95
PHI2954916.65
BOS2654316.25
LAK2924716.16
TOR32652168
PHX2894615.96
CAR3465515.96
PIT3114915.86
NSH2694115.22
EDM3044414.52
NJD2373414.48
CBJ301421411
FLA2673513.15

***

Now, let’s look at how the 30 teams fared in Power Play Plus/Minus.

TeamPP OppPPGSHGAPP +/-
VAN29672270
SJS28968761
ANA28567760
CHI27764460
DET30167760
TBL336691653
CGY31862953
MTL29057651
STL27952151
CAR34655649
MIN29253746
NYI30252745
NYR29049544
PHI29549544
TOR32652844
ATL289531043
PIT31149643
EDM30444242
BUF279541341
OTT25745441
WSH26346541
LAK29247641
DAL306551540
PHX28946640
NSH26941239
COL265491138
BOS26543538
CBJ301421131
FLA26735530
NJD23734826

***

When it comes to the elite PPs, the top six stayed the same and the top 10 was very similar overall. That being said, there were other squads who made big jumps or dropped far when you looked at the mere quantity of goals their units scored and how many shorties they allowed.


  • The Hurricanes only connected on 15.3 percent of their man advantages, but they drew 346 penalties, the highest total in the NHL. That allowed them to score 55 power play goals, making their unit productive in the big picture.
  • The Penguins and Oilers made big jumps (Pittsburgh from 25th to tied for 16th; Edmonton 27th to 18th) because they drew more than 300 power plays. The Oilers only scored 44 goals but rarely shot themselves in the foot, only allowing two shorthanded goals.
  • The Sabres (ninth to tied for 19th) and Stars (14th to 23rd) allowed more than 10 shorties, revealing that their PP units were double-edged swords.
  • The Avalanche found the net on 18.5 percent of their opportunities, but they were tied with the Bruins for fourth-worst at drawing them (265 PP’s) and allowed 11 shorthanded goals. Calling their power play a top-10 unit seems laughable when you put it in the proper context.

***

Stay tuned for a look at Penalty Kill Plus/Minus and a big picture wrap-up later on.

* - Well, I think I introduced these very simple stats, because no one else came forward in the many times I published them. They’re so simple that I wouldn’t be shocked if someone else explored them, though.