2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs: What to Make of First Round Road Dominance?

April 24th, 2012 by MJ Kasprzak Leave a reply »
Much has been made of the success teams are having on the road in the first round of the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Through Monday night's actions, road teams are 28-16, earning three more wins in every 11 games than home teams. Hosts are over .500 in just one series (3-2 in the New Jersey-Florida series), with only one other series being even (3-3 for Philadelphia-Pittsburgh).

The Detroit Red Wings had the best home winning percentage in the NHL (same number of points, but one more win than St. Louis) and set a record for consecutive home victories.

They lost both of their home games to the Nashville Predators. Their rival Chicago Blackhawks lost all three times at the United Center.

The home team in hockey gets to set last for the faceoff and match the line it wants against the one the road team chooses. Personnel can be tailored to the environment.

The slow-footed Dallas Stars of the late 90s took advantage of the shallow pond that formed atop the ice in the spring, neutralizing opposing speed.

The Edmonton Oilers have long favoured fast players because they have the best ice in the NHL.

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Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
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