Advanced statistics are not really all that advanced, and the ideas they convey are not especially complicated. Despite the idea that they require complex spreadsheets and lots of math, most of the concepts are based on operations like counting and simple division.
Many, if not most, of the numbers actually reaffirm basic ideas that any non-numbers observer of the game will understand and agree with, even if he or she hasn’t considered them from a statistical angle. That can be helpful even for casual fans, since the numbers can serve as a sanity check for observation.
The significant roadblocks to accepting “advanced” statistics are not math or terminology or even fundamental disagreement between the eyeballs of a competent observer and the conclusions offered by the new statistics. The three most common roadblocks are threefold:
1. Fan rationalization
2. Over-reliance on traditional statistics
3. A lack of awareness of the effect of chance on hockey
There is nothing to be done about the first point; fans want to hear good things about ...
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Article written by Jonathan Willis
The Idiot’s Guide to NHL Advanced Statistics, Part I
December 9th, 2013 by Jonathan Willis Leave a reply »
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