NLL Insider

In keeping with the even strength versus special teams debate sparked by Shanny and myself this week, today we wanted to take a quick look at what special team scoring, extra or short-man, means to a team in the NLL when trying to grab that all important W every weekend and holy grail at the end of the year.

Like both Shanny and I eluded to this week, power-play scoring has taken over a lot of the game in the NLL these days.

Or has it?

Last year, like probably most would have guessed, the team that scored more extra man goals in a game won more often than not, but probably not as overwhelmingly as many would think.

Teams that scored more power-play goals in regular season contests last year went 45-31, a pretty average .592 winning percentage.

In fact, it was short-handed markers that usually had teams running away with wins last winter. Teams that had more short-handed goals than their opposition last year went a more impressive 32-16, just under a .700 winning percentage.

A team like New York, who had a number of the league’s top forwards in power-play situations, guys like Casey Powell, Mike McLellan and Pat Maddalena, actually did better when their man-up was sagging versus topping the other team on the court on the PP. The Titans went just 4-4 when they scored more power-play goals than their opposition in 2008, but went an odd 6-2 when they were either outpointed a man-up or posted the same amount of markers in extra man situations. New York might of gained a rep as being one of last year’s most high power man-up units, leading the league in total PP goals scored with 60, but it evidently didn’t help them much in the standings.

New York’s much more telling 42.25% percentage on the power-play, which had them mid-table in the NLL, might give a better reading of where they rank in the league in that category. It’s also important to note that the Titans had by far the most chances on the power-play with a ridiculous 142 opportunities a man-up. The next closest team to New York last year was Colorado at 114. Both teams, especially the Titans, have gained a rep with players as being coddled by the zebras in recent years, and last year’s numbers don’t do anything to help kill that myth. Coincidentally, New York led in power-play chances in 2007 too.

In comparison, the Edmonton Rush had just 78 power-play chances last season, in the ball park of half the chances the Titans were allowed. The Rush would have needed to have converted close to 80% of their chances last year to match New York’s 60 power-play goals. An 80% conversion rate would have shattered anything any team in the NLL had ever done… ever!!

During last year’s playoffs, teams that scored more power-play goals in games went an unflattering 1-5, the champion Bandits scoring just four over their three games, with not a single extra man goal in the final versus Portland’s three in just that game alone. Evidently, the power-play meant very little to teams in last year’s post-season.

One of last year’s most intense and exciting playoff games was a back-and-forth barn burner between San Jose and Portland. The game had zero power-play goals and only two man-up chances were handed out. The highest scoring game of the playoffs and not a single power-play goal in the mix. Coincidence?

In fact, if you look at the playoff numbers over the past few seasons, more often than not, the team that wins it all can usually find themselves somewhere in the middle of the power-play stats, but outside of Colorado in 2006, Cup winners usually owned the most shortie markers.

But if scoring short-handed usually seems to translate to success in this league, why the heck did Rochester, who led the league with 19 man-down goals, not even make last year’s playoffs? Even their penalty kill was easily last year’s best in the league (68.75%). Had Rochester cracked the playoffs last year, would they have won it all based on what kind of game they were running?

So we’ll ask you again, what’s more important in the NLL, even-strength or special team scoring? And if you say special team (which most probably would), what’s more inportant, power-play or short-man markers? And come on guys, know it’s easy to critique, but how bout some of you try to actually add to the debate instead of just crying about typos.

Rate This Story:

(+6 rating, 2 votes)

 Loading ...