On October 16th in 2008, Mattias Ohlund took a first period powerplay shift at Joe Louis Arena unaware of a towel draped over his right arm.
Circling the ice for 40 seconds before noticing the appendage, Ohlund casually disposed of it behind Roberto Luongo's net to the amusement of players and fans alike. The Canucks beat the Red Wings 4-3 in overtime.
That's today in NHL history.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Today In NHL History - Ohlund's Towel
Posted by MG at 12:01 AM 0 comments
Labels: Canucks, Today In NHL History
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
2012 NHL Individual Awards Winners
NHL Award | Winner |
Conn Smythe Trophy | Jonathan Quick |
Art Ross Trophy | Evgeni Malkin |
Maurice Richard Trophy | Steven Stamkos |
Plus-Minus Award | Patrice Bergeron |
Hart Trophy | Evgeni Malkin |
Ted Lindsay Award | Evgeni Malkin |
Selke Trophy | Patrice Bergeron |
Norris Trophy | Erik Karlsson |
Vezina Trophy | Henrik Lundqvist |
Jennings Trophy | Brian Elliott/Jaroslav Halak |
Roger Crozier Award | Brian Elliott |
Calder Trophy | Gabriel Landeskog |
Jack Adams Award | Ken Hitchcock |
GM of the Year | Doug Armstrong |
Bill Masterton Trophy | Max Pacioretty |
Lady Byng Trophy | Brian Campbell |
King Clancy Trophy | Daniel Alfredsson |
Foundation Award | Mike Fisher |
Messier Award | Shane Doan |
2012 NHL First All-Star Team honors went to Lundqvist (G), Karlsson (D), Weber (D), Malkin (C), Neal (RW) and Kovalchuk (LW). The 2012 NHL Second All-Star Team roster was Quick (G), Chara (D), Pietrangelo (D), Stamkos (C), Gaborik (RW) and Whitney (LW).
The 2012 NHL All-Rookie Team was comprised of newcomers Jhonas Enroth (G), Justin Faulk (D), Jake Gardiner (D), Adam Henrique (F), Gabriel Landeskog (F) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (F).
* See also 2019 NHL Individual Awards Winners.
* See also 2018 NHL Individual Awards Winners.
* See also 2017 NHL Individual Awards Winners.
* See also 2016 NHL Individual Awards Winners.
* See also 2015 NHL Individual Awards Winners.
* See also 2014 NHL Individual Awards Winners.
* See also 2013 NHL Individual Awards Winners.
* See also 2011 NHL Individual Awards Winners.
* See also 2010 NHL Individual Awards Winners.
* See also 2009 NHL Individual Awards Winners.
Posted by MG at 8:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Awards
2012 NHL Individual Statistical Leaders
With only 5 trophies awarded for statistical achievement alone (Art Ross, Rocket Richard, Plus-Minus, Jennings, Crozier) there are plenty of regular season accomplishments that escape recognition at the NHL Awards. The list below provides a complete picture of the NHL's individual leaders in a variety of statistical categories for 2012.
----------- SKATERS
Statistic: -------------- Leader
Points:------------''----- Malkin (109)
Points/G:-----------''--- Crosby (1.68)
ES Points:-----------'--- Malkin (75)
PP Points:-------'------- Giroux (38)
SH Points:---------''---- Parise/Henrique (7)
Goals:-----------------'-- Stamkos (60)
Goals/G:-------------'--- Stamkos (.73)
ES Goals:---------------- Stamkos (48)
PP Goals:---------------- Neal (18)
SH Goals:-------''------- Henrique/M. Richards/Clutterbuck (4)
GW Goals:------------'-- Stamkos/Vrbata (12)
EN Goals:-----------''--- Michalek (5)
Assists:----------------''- H. Sedin (67)
Assists/G:------------''-- Crosby (1.32)
Shots:-------------------- Malkin (339)
Missed Shots:----------- Ovechkin (135)
Plus/Minus:----------'-- Bergeron (36)
PIMs:--------------'-''-'- Dorsett (235)
Minor Penalty:-------''- Subban (47)
Major Penalty:----'-'-''- Prust/Thornton (20)
Game Misconduct:----- Smyth/Bogosian/Lucic/Grabovski (2)
TOI:-------------------'-- Campbell (2,205:31)
TOI/Game:-----------'-- Campbell/Keith (26:53)
Shifts:-----------------'-- Pietrangelo (2,668)
TOI/Shift:----------''''-- Beauchemin/Kovalchuk/Letang (59)
Face Off %:----------''''- Peverley (61.1)
Giveaways:----------'''-- Kovalchuk (120)
Takeaways:---''-----''--- O'Reilly (101)
Blocked Shots:---------- Gorges (250)
Hits:------------------''-- Martin (374)
----------- GOALIES
Statistic: -------------- Leader
Wins: ------------------- Rinne (43)
Losses: ------------''---- Hiller (30)
Shots Against: --------- Rinne (2,153)
Saves: --------'''''--'''-'- Rinne (1,987)
GA: ----------------'''''-- Pavelec (191)
GAA: ------------------'- Roloson (3.66)
SV%: ----------------'--- Elliott (.940)
Shutouts: --------------- Quick (10)
TOI: -------------'------- Hiller (4,252:31)
Perhaps one day the NHL will expand their annual awards selection to include more leaders of these statistical categories. Until then, we'll leave it up to the voters to determine who's ripe for recognition.
Posted by MG at 12:02 AM 0 comments
Labels: Awards
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
2012 NHL Playoff Projections - 82 Games Played
When it comes to the NHL playoffs, a general rule of thumb is to expect the unexpected. While division winners typically hoist the Stanley Cup, top-seeded teams are no stranger to first round playoff upsets.
Acknowledging that the best predictor of future behavior is typically past performance, the chart below tracks teams over the second half of the 2012 NHL regular season examining their 10, 20 and 41 game records in order to measure where momentum lies heading into the postseason.
Team Performance Heading Into 2012 NHL Playoffs | ||||||||||
EAST | ||||||||||
Final | 10 GP | 20 GP | 41 GP | |||||||
Team | W | Pts | W | Pts | W | Pts | W | Pts | ||
1. NYR | 51 | 109 | 6 | 12 | 10 | 21 | 24 | 51 | ||
2. BOS | 49 | 102 | 7 | 15 | 11 | 23 | 21 | 45 | ||
3. FLA | 38 | 94 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 22 | 18 | 46 | ||
4. PIT | 51 | 108 | 6 | 12 | 15 | 31 | 26 | 62 | ||
5. PHI | 47 | 103 | 5 | 11 | 13 | 28 | 22 | 49 | ||
6. NJD | 48 | 102 | 7 | 15 | 13 | 28 | 25 | 54 | ||
7. WAS | 42 | 92 | 6 | 14 | 11 | 25 | 20 | 46 | ||
8. OTT | 41 | 92 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 20 | 20 | 45 | ||
WEST | ||||||||||
Final | 10 GP | 20 GP | 41 GP | |||||||
Team | W | Pts | W | Pts | W | Pts | W | Pts | ||
1. VAN | 51 | 111 | 8 | 17 | 11 | 25 | 26 | 58 | ||
2. STL | 49 | 109 | 4 | 11 | 11 | 26 | 25 | 56 | ||
3. PHO | 42 | 97 | 7 | 16 | 10 | 24 | 23 | 54 | ||
4. NAS | 48 | 104 | 6 | 12 | 12 | 25 | 26 | 56 | ||
5. DET | 48 | 102 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 22 | 49 | ||
6. CHI | 45 | 101 | 6 | 15 | 12 | 28 | 21 | 49 | ||
7. SJS | 43 | 96 | 7 | 14 | 10 | 23 | 18 | 41 | ||
8. LAK | 40 | 95 | 5 | 13 | 13 | 29 | 20 | 48 |
In the East, Pittsburgh led all others over the final 41 game and 20 game measures with Boston and New Jersey posting the best records during the final 10 games of the season. Ottawa trailed its playoff conference peers at each interval during the second half, with Florida being a close second.
In terms of streaks, New Jersey finished with six straight wins and Phoenix won their final five, leading their conferences in the category. Ottawa dropped their last three games owning the coldest finish, though three others (New York, Detroit, Los Angeles) lost their last two.
In short, Vancouver, Nashville, Phoenix, New Jersey, Boston and Pittsburgh are hot heading into the playoffs while Ottawa, Florida and Detroit are not. Of course, none of these statistical measures matter when puck drops tonight. It's a new dawn. It's a new day. It's a new life.
Let the second season begin. The real season. 16W.
Posted by MG at 12:03 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music, Playoffs, Projections, Standings, Statistical Anomaly, Video Clip
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
2012 NHL Draft Lottery Results
Tonight TSN televised the NHL Draft lottery from Toronto where the top overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft was awarded to the Edmonton Oilers for the third straight year.
Designed to guard against teams purposely losing regular season games to improve draft position, the weighted lottery system implemented prior to the 1995 NHL Entry Draft provides weaker teams with a greater chance of a higher pick while allowing teams to advance up to four spots and fall only one. Despite all non-playoff bound clubs participating, only the league's five worst regular season teams are eligible for the top overall pick with the last place club enjoying a 48.2% likelihood of the loot.
For the first time in five years, the top pick went to someone other than the statistical favorite with the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets edged out by the lottery winning Oilers. The win gives Edmonton their third first overall pick in as many years (2010 Hall, 2011 Nugent-Hopkins), matching the Quebec Nordiques top overall pick threepeat dating back to the pre-lottery era (1989 Sundin, 1990 Nolan, 1991 Lindros).
Other than Edmonton and Columbus trading places, the remaining clubs placed as predicted by their statistical probabilities set forth below.
1. EDM: 18.8%
2. CLB: 25.0%
3. MTL: 14.2%
4. NYI: 10.7%
5. TOR: 8.1%
6. ANA: 6.2%
7. MIN: 4.7%
8. CAR: 3.6%
9. WPG: 2.7%
10. TBL: 2.1%
11. WAS: 1.5% (via COL)
12. BUF: 1.1%
13. DAL: 0.8%
14. CGY: 0.5%
Remaining NHL Entry Draft positions are set after the playoffs with the Stanley Cup champion and runner-up picking 30th and 29th, respectively. Conference finalists (28th, 27th) as well as division winners and wildcard teams (26th through 15th) are then ordered among their respective subgroup based on regular season standings, positioning teams with better regular season records to pick later than their peers.
* See also 2018 NHL Draft Lottery Results.
* See also 2017 NHL Draft Lottery Results.
* See also 2016 NHL Draft Lottery Results.
* See also 2015 NHL Draft Lottery Results.
* See also 2014 NHL Draft Lottery Results.
* See also 2013 NHL Draft Lottery Results.
* See also 2011 NHL Draft Lottery Results.
* See also 2010 NHL Draft Lottery Results.
* See also 2009 NHL Draft Lottery Results.
Posted by MG at 8:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: Draft, Playoffs, Rules, Statistical Anomaly, Video Clip
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
2012 NHL Playoff Projections - 10 Games To Play
With 72 games banked and 10 to play, the NHL playoff picture is all but set. The chart below projects final standings based on the points-per-game pace to date.
Projected 2012 NHL Playoff Picture: 72 Game Pace | |||||||
EAST | WEST | ||||||
Team | W | Pts | Pace | Team | W | Pts | Pace |
1. NYR | 45 | 97 | 1.35 | 1. STL | 45 | 98 | 1.36 |
2. BOS | 42 | 87 | 1.21 | 2. VAN | 43 | 94 | 1.30 |
3. FLA | 36 | 85 | 1.18 | 3. DAL | 39 | 83 | 1.15 |
4. PIT | 45 | 96 | 1.33 | 4. DET | 44 | 92 | 1.28 |
5. PHI | 42 | 92 | 1.28 | 5. NAS | 42 | 92 | 1.28 |
6. NJD | 41 | 87 | 1.21 | 6. CHI | 39 | 86 | 1.19 |
7. OTT | 37 | 84 | 1.17 | 7. SJS | 36 | 82 | 1.14 |
8. WAS | 36 | 78 | 1.08 | 8. LAK | 35 | 82 | 1.14 |
9. WPG | 34 | 76 | 1.05 | 9. COL | 38 | 81 | 1.12 |
10. BUF | 33 | 76 | 1.05 | 10. PHO | 35 | 81 | 1.12 |
11. TOR | 32 | 72 | 1.00 | 11. CGY | 34 | 80 | 1.11 |
12. TBL | 32 | 71 | 0.99 | 12. ANA | 30 | 71 | 0.99 |
13. CAR | 28 | 71 | 0.99 | 13. MIN | 30 | 70 | 0.97 |
14. NYI | 29 | 69 | 0.96 | 14. EDM | 28 | 64 | 0.89 |
15. MTL | 28 | 68 | 0.94 | 15. CLB | 23 | 53 | 0.74 |
Projected 2012 NHL Playoff Picture: 10 Game Pace | |||||||
EAST | WEST | ||||||
Team | W | Pts | Pace | Team | W | Pts | Pace |
1. PIT | 54 | 115 | 1.40 | 1. STL | 52 | 113 | 1.38 |
2. FLA | 42 | 98 | 1.19 | 2. VAN | 46 | 102 | 1.24 |
3. OTT | 42 | 97 | 1.18 | 3. DAL | 46 | 98 | 1.19 |
4. PHI | 50 | 109 | 1.33 | 4. NAS | 48 | 105 | 1.28 |
5. NYR | 49 | 106 | 1.29 | 5. DET | 47 | 99 | 1.21 |
6. NJD | 47 | 100 | 1.22 | 6. CHI | 45 | 99 | 1.21 |
7. BOS | 46 | 95 | 1.16 | 7. LAK | 42 | 96 | 1.17 |
8. BUF | 39 | 90 | 1.10 | 8. COL | 45 | 95 | 1.16 |
9. WAS | 41 | 89 | 1.08 | 9. CGY | 40 | 93 | 1.13 |
10. WPG | 39 | 87 | 1.06 | 10. SJS | 39 | 91 | 1.11 |
11. CAR | 33 | 83 | 1.01 | 11. PHO | 38 | 89 | 1.08 |
12. TBL | 37 | 82 | 1.00 | 12. ANA | 33 | 78 | 0.95 |
13. TOR | 35 | 79 | 0.96 | 13. MIN | 32 | 75 | 0.91 |
14. MTL | 32 | 78 | 0.95 | 14. EDM | 31 | 72 | 0.88 |
15. NYI | 32 | 78 | 0.95 | 15. CLB | 28 | 63 | 0.77 |
A harsh reality for the alleged hockey capital of the world.
Posted by MG at 12:02 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music, Playoffs, Projections, Standings, Video Clip
Saturday, March 3, 2012
2012 NHL Playoff Projections - 20 Games To Play
With 62 games banked and 20 to play, the NHL playoff picture is taking shape. The chart below projects final standings based on the points-per-game pace to date.
Projected 2011 NHL Playoff Picture: 62 Game Pace | |||||||
EAST | WEST | ||||||
Team | W | Pts | Pace | Team | W | Pts | Pace |
1. NYR | 41 | 88 | 1.42 | 1. VAN | 40 | 86 | 1.39 |
2. BOS | 38 | 79 | 1.27 | 2. DET | 41 | 85 | 1.37 |
3. FLA | 30 | 72 | 1.16 | 3. SJS | 33 | 73 | 1.18 |
4. PIT | 36 | 77 | 1.24 | 4. STL | 38 | 83 | 1.34 |
5. PHI | 34 | 75 | 1.21 | 5. NAS | 36 | 79 | 1.27 |
6. NJD | 35 | 74 | 1.19 | 6. CHI | 33 | 73 | 1.18 |
7. OTT | 32 | 72 | 1.16 | 7. PHO | 32 | 73 | 1.18 |
8. WAS | 31 | 67 | 1.08 | 8. DAL | 32 | 68 | 1.10 |
9. TOR | 29 | 65 | 1.05 | 9. CGY | 28 | 67 | 1.08 |
10. WPG | 29 | 65 | 1.05 | 10. COL | 31 | 66 | 1.06 |
11. TBL | 28 | 62 | 1.00 | 11. LAK | 27 | 66 | 1.06 |
12. BUF | 27 | 62 | 1.00 | 12. MIN | 28 | 65 | 1.05 |
13. NYI | 26 | 60 | 0.97 | 13. ANA | 27 | 64 | 1.03 |
14. CAR | 23 | 59 | 0.95 | 14. EDM | 25 | 56 | 0.90 |
15. MTL | 24 | 58 | 0.93 | 15. CLB | 18 | 43 | 0.69 |
If teams maintain their 62 game pace, the playoff points cutoff will be 89 (East) and 90 (West), a slight dip from last year's 93 and 97. An uptick in production, however, is needed for outliers to salvage their season.
Points Needed In Final 20 Games | |||||
EAST | WEST | ||||
Team | Pts | Pace | Team | Pts | Pace |
9. TOR | 24 | 1.20 | 9. CGY | 23 | 1.15 |
10. WPG | 24 | 1.20 | 10. COL | 24 | 1.20 |
11. TBL | 27 | 1.35 | 11. LAK | 24 | 1.20 |
12. BUF | 27 | 1.35 | 12. MIN | 25 | 1.25 |
13. NYI | 29 | 1.45 | 13. ANA | 26 | 1.30 |
14. CAR | 30 | 1.50 | 14. EDM | 34 | 1.70 |
15. MTL | 31 | 1.55 | 15. CLB | 47 | 2.35 |
While most have enjoyed relatively consistent production thus far this season, some have deviated drastically during the past 21 games. Most notably Anaheim has doubled their pace posting .74 more points per game during the past 21 games than they did in their first 41 games. On the other hand, Pacific Division sibling San Jose has fallen further than any other team collecting .48 fewer points per game than the first half.
Points Collected In Past 21 Games | |||||
EAST | WEST | ||||
Team | Pts | Pace | Team | Pts | Pace |
PIT | 31 | 1.48 | VAN | 33 | 1.57 |
NYR | 30 | 1.43 | DET | 32 | 1.52 |
NJD | 26 | 1.24 | ANA | 32 | 1.52 |
CAR | 26 | 1.24 | NAS | 31 | 1.48 |
OTT | 25 | 1.19 | STL | 30 | 1.43 |
FLA | 24 | 1.14 | PHO | 30 | 1.43 |
TBL | 24 | 1.14 | CGY | 26 | 1.24 |
NYI | 24 | 1.14 | CHI | 21 | 1.00 |
BOS | 22 | 1.05 | DAL | 21 | 1.00 |
PHI | 21 | 1.00 | COL | 21 | 1.00 |
WAS | 21 | 1.00 | EDM | 21 | 1.00 |
BUF | 21 | 1.00 | LAK | 19 | 0.90 |
WPG | 20 | 0.95 | SJS | 18 | 0.86 |
MTL | 19 | 0.90 | MIN | 17 | 0.81 |
TOR | 18 | 0.86 | CLB | 16 | 0.76 |
Understanding past behavior is a strong indicator of future performance, the question is how far back does one look to prepare predictions. The chart below posits final standings extrapolating the points pace for the past 21 games over the remainder of the regular season.
-
------
Projected 2011 NHL Playoff Picture: 21 Game Pace | |||||||
EAST | WEST | ||||||
Team | W | Pts | Pace | Team | W | Pts | Pace |
1. NYR | 55 | 117 | 1.43 | 1. VAN | 55 | 117 | 1.43 |
2. BOS | 48 | 100 | 1.22 | 2. DET | 56 | 115 | 1.40 |
3. FLA | 40 | 95 | 1.16 | 3. PHO | 45 | 102 | 1.24 |
4. PIT | 52 | 107 | 1.30 | 4. STL | 52 | 112 | 1.36 |
5. NJD | 47 | 99 | 1.20 | 5. NAS | 50 | 109 | 1.33 |
6. OTT | 43 | 96 | 1.17 | 6. ANA | 41 | 94 | 1.15 |
7. PHI | 43 | 95 | 1.16 | 7. CHI | 42 | 93 | 1.13 |
8. WAS | 40 | 87 | 1.06 | 8. CGY | 38 | 92 | 1.12 |
9. TBL | 39 | 85 | 1.03 | 9. SJS | 41 | 90 | 1.10 |
10. WPG | 38 | 84 | 1.02 | 10. DAL | 41 | 88 | 1.07 |
11. CAR | 33 | 84 | 1.02 | 11. COL | 40 | 86 | 1.05 |
12. NYI | 37 | 83 | 1.01 | 12. LAK | 34 | 84 | 1.02 |
13. TOR | 37 | 82 | 1.00 | 13. MIN | 35 | 81 | 0.99 |
14. BUF | 36 | 82 | 1.00 | 14. EDM | 34 | 76 | 0.93 |
15. MTL | 32 | 76 | 0.93 | 15. CLB | 25 | 58 | 0.71 |
Posted by MG at 12:01 AM 0 comments
Labels: Music, Playoffs, Projections, Standings, Video Clip