For the first half of the NHL season, the Anaheim Ducks were a shoo-in as the league’s most disappointing team. After pushing their way to the Western Conference Final a year ago, the Ducks floundered out of the gate, falling so far behind the rest of the league that even in the weak Pacific Division they still find themselves outside the playoff picture.
That poor performance has obscured an absolutely stunning performance from the team since November 1.
The Ducks’ record and goal differential are self-explanatory, but it is the bottom row on the chart above that should be of particular interest.
Score-adjusted Fenwick, at least in my view, is the gold standard of shot metrics. It rewards teams for being good at blocking shots and getting their shots through, because it includes shots and missed shots but excludes blocked shots. It doesn’t penalize them for playing with the lead because it incorporates score effects (teams with the lead often see their share of shots fall; the reverse is true of teams trailing).
By that metric, the Ducks have authored a remarkable turnaround, goi ...
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Article written by Jonathan Willis
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February 2nd, 2016 by Jonathan Willis Leave a reply »
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