This year's Stanley Cup could very well be California-bound, but will it wind up in Anaheim? The second-place Ducks recently had a 10-game winning streak broken by the San Jose Sharks, who are fifth overall. And then there's the seventh-place Los Angeles Kings, who have allowed the fewest goals in the NHL. Is Anaheim the best of California's three dominant teams?
On the surface, the Ducks have a slight edge, but a deeper look at some of the high-level team analytics raises several concerns that prevent a definitive ruling in their favor. Most notably, their special teams and their possession game are inferior to both the Kings and the Sharks.
This latter weakness is the greater concern, given the transient nature of the shooting percentages Anaheim success relies upon, and how that edge over Los Angeles and San Jose does indeed disappear when you look back any more than a full season's worth of games. Come this May, the Ducks could find themselves at the bottom of this three-team pack just as easily as the top.
Has Anaheim Been the Best This Season?
While the mos ...
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Article written by Rob Vollman
Are the Anaheim Ducks the Best NHL Team in California?
January 4th, 2014 by Rob Vollman Leave a reply »
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