What's Staying The Same: Avalanche Stats Revisited

by Joe @ MHH on Jan 6, 2009 7:18 AM MST in News Comment 14 comments

The last time we looked at the Avalanche team statistics in comparison to the rest of the NHL, their record for the season was 9-11-0. Twenty games later, their record is 19-19-1. So at least they're up to .500. Unfortunately, that's really the only good news.

Once again I'll run through the major statistical categories. The first number will be the Avs' score, followed by their league rank in parentheses, followed by the change in position since the last time we looked at these stats in italics.

Point Percentage: .500 (22nd) +5

Goals Per Game: 2.49 (26th) +2

That's up .19 and two positions in the league rankings since Game 21, but it's really not much of an improvement.

Goals Against Per Game: 2.92 (21st) -1

A slight improvement in score, a slight slide in ranking.

Five-on-Five Goals For/Against Ratio: 0.83 (27th) +2

Power Play Percentage: 16.0 (21st) no change

Penalty Kill Percentage: 79.4 (25th) -5

Special teams continue to be a major weakness for the Avalanche. They haven't improved at all over the last 20 games on the power play, and they've gotten worse on the kill. Paul Stastny, a very effective penalty killer, hasn't missed that many games yet, so his absence can't be the sole reason the team sucks worse than they did before.

Shots Per Game: 28.9 (20th) +1

Shots Against Per Game: 28.4 (7th) +1

Almost no change at all from first quarter of the season. The Avs aren't shooting more, nor are they allowing more shots.

Winning Percentage When Scoring First: .688 (15th) -1

Winning Percentage When Trailing First: .348 (13th) +2

Winning Percentage When Leading After The First Period: .667 (19th) +3

Winning Percentage When Leading After The Second Period: 1.000 (T1st) no change

The Avalanche are still money when leading after the second period. The problem is they don't lead after the second period often enough. Consider that a symptom of only really trying for 20-30 minutes a game, instead of putting in a full effort for the entire 60 minutes of regulation. Sometimes that 20 minute effort comes in the third period, but by then it's far too late.

Winning Percentage When Outshooting Opponents: .400 (29th) no change

The Avs have significantly improved their number here (up from .250), but it's still the second-worst score in the league, just above Anaheim at .375. This kind of number is indicative of having a reasonably strong offense but a shaky defense.

Winning Percentage When Being Outshot By Opponents: .565 (6th) +1

The good news is that the Avs don't have to panic when being outshot. They still have a 50-50 chance of winning a game in which the other team peppers their net. Despite what some may argue, this can be considered an indication of decent goaltending.

Face Off Win Percentage: 49.2 (21st) no change

Still below 50%, still crappy.

The general trend among all these statistics is that the Avs are not improving as a team. Granted, they're not really getting worse, even with significant recent personnel losses. But consistent mediocrity is not really something to celebrate, you know?

0 recs | Comment 14 comments |

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Consistent Mediocrity. That screams MHH banner slogan to me…

Colorado Avalanche: Gellin' and Propellin'!!!

by Mike @ MHH on Jan 6, 2009 8:12 AM MST reply actions 0 recs

APE

Of course, “.500” is meaningless in today’s NHL. The Avs have won 8 games in OT or SO. Therefore, they have earned 39 points, but given up 48. Their awarded points earned percentage is actually .448. In other words, yes, they do suck.

MHH: Shagging Dater one contributor at a time.

by Bob in Boulder on Jan 6, 2009 10:42 AM MST reply actions 0 recs

Fire the GM

I’m telling you, this GM needs to go…

Also, not to bash Budaj (as my per usual), but the goaltending is a major weakness on this team. Sure, he has brilliant stretches…but Jesus: Our combined goaltending tandem hovers around .893. That’s BAD. I think Budaj needs more work to be good. When being outshot, the Avs are actually better than when they outshoot the opponent!

The Angry Avalanche Nerd.

by BraxtanFILM on Jan 6, 2009 11:24 AM MST reply actions 0 recs

Fail

Also not to bash Budaj, well actually… yes, to bash Budaj.

You’re saying that the Avalanche’s goaltending tandem needs to generate less shots so the Avalanche will get outshot and be better? I’m going to fax that strategy into the team’s corporate office ASAP.

by JonHaven on Jan 6, 2009 11:46 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

In order

It’s a bit disingenuous to mention Budaj, then use the combined stats of Budaj and Raycroft. You may be right, goaltending is a problem, but Raycroft, and the coaching staff’s reluctance to use him is the biggest problem with the goaltending. Budaj’s save % is .901, which you’ll notice is inline with (and better than) most other goalies on bad teams, save a few exceptions (Mike Smith, Mason in CLB).

And I think all areas are a major weakness on this team, in order of biggest weakness to least:

1. Coaching
2. Offense
3. Defense
4. Goalie

At the beginning of the season everyone thought the goaltending would be the weak link. Every Budaj backer around here said : “If the goaltending, and more specifically Budaj, is the weakest part of this team the Avs will be in excellent shape because Budaj is a capable NHL starter.” No one has said any more than this.

Well guess what, Budaj has not been the weak spot for this team. As sad as it may be the goaltending is one of the stronger points of this team, which is why they struggle. No one here ever said the Avs could get anywhere relying on Budaj to bail them out. The team is 26th in goals/game scored and 21st in GA/game.

Budaj has faults, and has had his problems this year. But he is not a large part of why this team is failing.

I believe in Peter Budaj

by Jibblescribbits on Jan 6, 2009 12:06 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

You started off so well, sir

Had you just stopped after “this GM needs to go…” we’d be cool. Besides the GM being a numbers cruncher for all of his professional life, he somehow landed a prime gig picking out talent for a once awesome NHL franchise. Nice choice, d00dz. Then the coaching sucks. Right. Check. Know what else sucks?

EVERYTHING ELSE.

They call me Bubblegum.

by SlamDunkTheFunk on Jan 6, 2009 2:04 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Just in case anyone is unsure from the stats above, they indicate that the Avs are generally weak across ALL areas of their game. It’s not like they’re scoring 15 goals a game and still losing. In many games, they struggle to score two goals. That’s important to remember the moment before anyone gets tempted to write “the goalies suck” or any other such nonsense.

Go Avs! Let's get some goals!

by Joe @ MHH on Jan 6, 2009 12:18 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

My order of suckage

I know this has been done a lot recently, but here is mine:

1. The GM sucks (he hired number 2 on the suckage list, re-signed Arny, brought in Tucker, etc.)
2. The coach sucks
3. The forward depth sucks (Arnason as a number one center, under any circumstances? I rest my case.)
4. The defensemen suck at shooting canons from the blue line. At least Blake put fear into a team’s heart, even though his shot sailed wide 90% of the time.
5. The team physically sucks. There is a tremendous overall lack of physicality on the team. They don’t hit. They don’t finish checks. They rarely even stand up for one another. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen someone on another team make contact with Budaj with absolutely no retribution of any sort. Other teams don’t put up with that crap. The Avs do for some reason. And that is one of the few things that I thought Granato would be able to instill within this bunch. But he hasn’t.
6. The goaltending has been inconsistent, but generally hasn’t sucked. Budaj would be fine with a decent effort in front of him. But he isn’t getting it, largely I think due to number 2 above. This is about as poorly coached an NHL team as I think I have seen. At times they look like mites out there, bunching together, running into each other, not being able to do simple things like clear the damn zone or get the puck in deep the other way.

MHH: Shagging Dater one contributor at a time.

by Bob in Boulder on Jan 6, 2009 12:34 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

+10

I’d also like to add to #4 that the defense suck not only at shooting, but defending the backdoor plays especially on the PK. It’s like playing NHL 94 for other teams against our PK; they have a move that they know works every time.

by JonHaven on Jan 6, 2009 2:43 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

NHL 94

Loved that version. Wasn’t that the one with blood flowing out of the head on the ice? Classic. After the Avs came into being, I’d play whole seasons as the Nords on that version. Good times. Except I found this annoying glitch. I went undefeated one season and after my last win the damn thing dropped me down to last place in my division with a perfect record and I missed the playoffs. Wtf?

MHH: Shagging Dater one contributor at a time.

by Bob in Boulder on Jan 6, 2009 2:54 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

The team physically sucks. There is a tremendous overall lack of physicality on the team. They don’t hit. They don’t finish checks. They rarely even stand up for one another. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen someone on another team make contact with Budaj with absolutely no retribution of any sort. Other teams don’t put up with that crap. The Avs do for some reason. And that is one of the few things that I thought Granato would be able to instill within this bunch. But he hasn’t.

Wasn’t that the only reason we went after Tucker, to add some much needed toughness. The only thing thing tough about him is trying to work out what he actualy does on this team.

The Savage - Game Thread Leader and King Of The World

"Two roads divurged in a wood, and I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference"
R. Frost

by Savage33 on Jan 6, 2009 5:56 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Excellent point

5. The team physically sucks. There is a tremendous overall lack of physicality on the team. They don’t hit. They don’t finish checks. They rarely even stand up for one another. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen someone on another team make contact with Budaj with absolutely no retribution of any sort. Other teams don’t put up with that crap. The Avs do for some reason. And that is one of the few things that I thought Granato would be able to instill within this bunch. But he hasn’t.

For a team that essentially was using 2 4th lines for 1/2 the season (Lappy-Guite-McLeod, McCormick, Jones and Tucker) and have called up kids that do hit (Stewert) this team should have a lot more hits.

I believe in Peter Budaj

by Jibblescribbits on Jan 6, 2009 12:37 PM MST reply actions 0 recs