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Thoughts on Puck Possession
by Alanah McGinley on 05/23/08 at 12:18 PM ET
Comments (5)
From Alan Ryder at the Globe & Mail,
Detroit 53, Pittsburgh 46.
It is not the halftime score of a basketball game but the percentage success rates of the Red Wings and Penguins in the faceoff circle. These numbers might seem close to you, but they are a rink apart. One of these teams led the NHL in faceoff winning percentage and the other was dead last.
It could be that the story of this year’s Stanley Cup final is told by this gap. The faceoff is the first step to puck possession. And control of the puck is the first step to winning. The statistical evidence is that Detroit will own the puck in this series. That does not bode well for the Penguins.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins | KK Hockey | Permalink
Comments
Interesting insight. So far all anyone has been talking about with respect to puck possession is how similar the two teams are in style, not how the differences might play out in the course of a game or a series.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 05/23/08 at 12:37 PM ET
No argument on the faceoffs, but to say the Penguins are not a puck-possession team because of number of shots is just plain wrong. Anyone who’s watched the Pens knows that they only shoot (sometimes to their detriment) when the perfect play is available. They’re not the type of team that throws the puck aimlessly at the net, unless they’re following a bad game where MT tells them to do so. The skill players control the puck, and then go for the shot. So, basing time with the puck on shots is using false assumptions.
That said, the Penguins will need to improve on their faceoffs. They’ve been slightly better in the playoffs verses regular season, so there’s some hope there.
Posted by penguinsfan on 05/23/08 at 12:39 PM ET
They’re not the type of team that throws the puck aimlessly at the net…The skill players control the puck, and then go for the shot.
And that’s exactly where the Pens may run into trouble against the Wings. Guys like Pavel, Drapes, St. Nick and others are very adept at taking the puck away from players who over-handle it. Crosby, Hossa and Malkin may find that, just as they think they’ve got the “perfect” shot set up, they don’t have the puck any more.
Babbles’ shoot-the-damn-puck approach is an effective counter to other teams’ efforts to do that to the Wings. Of course, all bets are off when Sammy has the puck. He can neither hit the net or hang on to it. 
Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 05/23/08 at 01:14 PM ET
I agree to an extent. I find myself screaming “shoot the puck” on occasion, until that perfect play finally turns into a goal. That said, the Penguins have some pretty good puck thieves themselves, particularly Hossa on the back-check. I can’t say enough about his effort away from the puck.
Posted by penguinsfan on 05/23/08 at 01:20 PM ET
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Great job on the article. This is the most under-discussed strength of the Wings and weakness of the Penguins.
Not specifically the faceoffs, but the inferred points about puck possession are a tribute to, no matter how good the Pens’ D have been, how much better Detroit’s D has been.
Posted by Nathan from the scoresheet! on 05/23/08 at 12:29 PM ET