Which teams are top-heavy and rely on a few forwards to generate offense? Which teams have more balanced scoring throughout their lineup? Are balanced teams more successful than top-heavy teams? Find out the answers to these questions on this episode of Ice Analytics. I will be joined by Jon from The Oil Country Podcast to get his thoughts on the Oilers, the most top-heavy team in consecutive seasons.
Author: Matthew Arp
Episode 18: Hits and Penalties
What is the relationship between hitting and penalties? Do players and teams that hit more often receive more penalties? Find out the answers to these questions on this episode of Ice Analytics. I will be joined by TJ and The Grumpy Old Man from the Never Say Die Podcast to talk about the Islanders, the most disciplined and physical team in the league.
Monday Mock MADNESS!
IT’S FINALLY DRAFT WEEK!!! (UPDATED ON 4/23)
This is the one and only mock draft that I will publish, although I reserve the right to alter it prior to 8pm on Thursday. This is a combination of what teams SHOULD do and what they WILL do based on the evidence we have.
1. Cincinnati Bengals – Joe Burrow (QB, LSU)
Mark this pick in sharpie, there’s no way the Bengals trade away a bonafide franchise quarterback, even for multiple 1st rounders. Burrow was the highest graded QB by PFF in the past 6 years. He finished last season with 5,671 yards, 76.3 completion percentage, 60 touchdowns and 6 interceptions en route to a national championship. Case Closed.
2. Washington Redskins – Chase Young (EDGE, OSU)
The Skins have a decision to make: do they move back and collect a kings random of picks or select the best EDGE since Myles Garrett? I suspect they will opt for the latter and upgrade their pass rush by selecting a generational player in Chase Young. He led the nation last year with 16.5 sacks and 6 forced fumbles while also amassing 21 tackles for loss in only 12 starts.
3. [DET TRADE] Miami Dolphins – Tua Tagovailoa (QB, Bama)
Book it: someone will trade with the Lions to ensure they get the second best quarterback in the draft class – Tua Tagovailoa. The Lions could use the extra draft capital and I suspect the Dolphins and Chargers will both be in the running. Everybody knows that the Dolphins are going to draft a QB this year, the only question is “which one?” Tua started 24 games over the course of his sophomore and junior seasons, finishing with 7451 yards and nearly an 8:1 TD-to-INT ratio. If not for a season ending injury, there might be more of a controversy at #1. But due to his injury and some concern about his long-term durability, Tua will be the second QB taken.
Episode 17: The Loser Point
What is the loser point and what are its alternatives? How would a winner-take-all or tiered point system change the playoff picture? Find out the answers to these questions on this episode of Ice Analytics. I will be joined by Shane Ryan from the SENSturion Overtaking Podcast to chat about the Senators and ways to improve the NHL.
Episode 16: Back-to-Back Games
How does the back-to-back impact team performance? Which teams have performed the best with no rest? Find out the answers to these questions on this episode of Ice Analytics. I will be joined by Michael Farley from the Clean Skate Pod to chat about the Dallas Stars, a team that has performed poorly in back-to-back games over the past decade.
Episode 15: PDO
What is PDO? How useful of a metric is it? Does it adequately measure “luck”? Find out the answers to these questions on this episode of Ice Analytics. I will be joined by Chase Crawshaw from the Bolts Broadcast to chat about the Tampa Bay Lightning, who currently lead the league in PDO.
Episode 14: Goals Above Replacement
What is goals above replacement (GAR) and how is it calculated? How useful of a metric is it? Which players have the best (and worst) GAR this season? Find out on this episode of Ice Analytics. I will be joined by JFresh to discuss player valuation metrics and his visualizations that feature a ton of useful information.
Episode 12: Faceoffs
How important is winning the faceoff to team success? Which players are the most effective at winning faceoffs? What is the relationship between faceoff deployment and possession? These questions (and many more) will be answered on this episode of Ice Analytics. I will be joined by Dan Silver from The Gettin’ Bullied Podcast to discuss the Flyers effectiveness in the faceoff dot.
Episode 11: Zone Starts
What is a zone start and how much does it matter for goal scoring? Which teams have been the best at starting their shifts in the offensive zone? These questions (and many more) will be answered on this episode of Ice Analytics. I will be joined by Mark Warner from The Vegas Hockey Podcast @VegasHockeyPod to discuss the Golden Knights’ success at generating offensive zone and faceoff starts.
Episode 10: Trade Deadline Special
How does the NHL trade deadline compare to other major sports? Which star players have been traded at the deadline before? Which teams made savvy moves this trade deadline? These questions (and many more) will be answered on this episode of Ice Analytics. I will also be joined by Joel Nelson to discuss the comparison between the NHL and NBA trade deadlines.
