Running 2007 NHL regular season thread

The Five Statistical Laws of Hockey, according to the Globe and Mail ...

http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080118.wsptryder18/GSStory/GlobeSportsHockey/home



ALAN RYDER

Globe and Mail Update

January 18, 2008 at 5:21 PM EST

I am asked with great frequency what it is that I have learned looking at hockey through the lens of a spreadsheet. The first part of the answer is that I have identified five important laws of hockeynomics that should shape any investigation. Failure to respect these laws will doom an analysis.

Law #1: Winning is what matters
Law #2: Goals for and against are the only factors that affect winning
Law #3: Goals are random events
Law #4: Winning has a nearly linear relationship to goal differential
Law #5: Goal prevention is more valuable than goal scoring

 

usually when there is a lot of swelling its ligaments and not bones, not a good sign for the Pens ...

 

Superstar Russians collide in Pittsburgh, and Malkin gets the best of it.

Malkin scored in the first after coming around the net. Went for it a second time and Ovechkin came in looking for the kill shot. Malkin saw him and sent him absolutely flying into the boards. Pretty entertaining game so far. 2-2 after one.

 

# 5 reminds me of what Harry Neale says regularly (as in 8 ball), "It's not what you make, it what's you leave".

Good piece.

 

This has become a 'topper' contest between Ovechkin and Malkin. Both are apparently determined to out-do the other.

 

Great game, awful goaltending.

Road hockey at its best.

 

So, how long will it take Fletcher to give up the Leafs first round picks for the next decade?

 

Good call yesterday.

Damien Cox is less than impressed in his column today about The Leafs and the trading deadline (Feb 26)

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/296198

Intelligent clubs, of course, get all this sorted out in the off-season, or at worst in the early part of the season. The Dallas Stars did that, dumping GM Doug Armstrong in favour of Brett Hull and Les Jackson and, lo and behold, the Stars are humming along, first in the very, very tough Pacific Division.

Not MLSE, however, and not the Leafs. The arrogance of these people knows no bounds. They think because they can sell condos and sucker people into watching a horrific expansion soccer team that they know the right way to get things done in the hockey world.

They don't and they've proved it.

 

Leafs should still contact Neil Smith and find out his availability.

Not sure about Fletcher because of what hockeybeat said...

 

Fletcher is the guy. No doubt about that. As EF said, it's a matter of timing the announcement.

I read that JFJ was heading out to the Young Prospect's Game tomrrow night in Edmonton.

I guess they'll do it before he gets on the plane or they could wait till he's out there, do it and then have the PA guy at Rexall Place announce, "Hey, Sam the Eagle, aka JFJ, you're fired!"

 

--Stoppage of play, midway through the second period. JFJ is furiously jotting down notes, along with talking to fellow executives and Leafs scouts. Then...PA Announcer: "John Ferguson, Maple Leaf Sports And Entertainment thanks you for all of your hard work and dedication as the General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, the on-ice results haven't been what we have hoped they would have been. So, we think it's for the best if we part company. Again, thank you for all of your hard work with the Leafs and we wish you well in your future."