Crunch numbers like the pros do

An advanced stat primer

Analytics are used by NHL teams to help assess players, plot tactics and prepare for opponents. With these advanced statistics becoming more mainstream among fans and media, The Canadian Press takes a look at some of the more common terms in today’s hockey world.

CORSI

First developed by former Buffalo Sabres goalie coach Jim Corsi, this advanced statistic includes not only shots on goal, but also ones that were blocked by a defender or missed the net with teams playing 5-on5. The statistic — termed even-strength shot differential by the NHL — has become a barometer for how much a team has the puck. If a player has a lower shot differential, in theory his team is more likely to be in the defensive zone when he’s on the ice.

There is also tracking for even-strength shot differential when a team is trailing, tied, ahead or in a close game. Calgary Flames defenceman Mark Giordano had an overall 57.63 shot differential percentage at even strength to lead the league last season, while the Carolina Hurricanes topped the NHL in evenstrength shot differential at 54.45 per cent.

FENWICK

Dubbed unblocked shot attempts by the NHL, this statistic is similar to Corsi except it includes only shots that make it through to a goalie or miss the net. Like Corsi, there are variable categories for when a team is tied, trailing, ahead or involved in a close game. The Boston Bruins led this category last season at 53.80 per cent, slightly edging out the Flames (53.32) and Hurricanes (53.17).

PDO

This statistic adds together a team’s shooting and save percentages at 5-on-5. The NHL terms this stat “shooting plus save percentage.” The shooting percentage represents the frequency a team scores on one of its shots, while the save percentage is the frequency of saves made by its goalies.

The Tampa Bay Lightning had a 5-on-5 shooting percentage of 9.4 last season and a save percentage of 92.9. Those numbers added up to 102.3. The stat is then multiplied by 10, giving the Lightning the highest PDO at 1023. The Toronto Maple Leafs were second at 1019, while the Nashville Predators were third at 1018.

Because the combined shot and save percentages of the league’s 31 teams will always equal 100 per cent — a shot on goal either goes in or it doesn’t — a club above that number can usually expect a regression over a large enough sample size, while one below can expect the opposite.

The stat is also applied to players with Toronto’s Auston Matthews leading the way last season at 1070 followed by linemate William Nylander at 1058.