Be it the guys I mention in the book (Boersma, Ryder, Fyffe), the great work over at Puck Prospectus or Gabe Dejardins’ “Behind the Net” website (which offers a ton of unique statistics, free to use), there are some great sites doing analysis. I’ve been lucky enough to have relocated to Edmonton, where sites like mc79hockey, the Copper and Blue as well as Vic Ferrari and friends (Irreverent Oilers Fans) write about the home team from a statistical analysis slant. I’m sure there are plenty of similar sites supporting other NHL clubs.

Once a fan has the basics down, I think there’s a veritable treasure trove of work being done, just outside of the mainstream. It’s up to us to discover and discuss.

Thanks again for the kind words,

-Darcy Norman

FYI: I am not easily impressed, but really impressed with this piece of work. The 8/10 resemble that while i think it is a really good final product, I am looking forward to even more arguments being analyzed in this fashion, more developed metrics or metrics and stats that are more refined. As well, I’m looking forward to more books on this subject matter!

I really enjoyed reading and learning about some of the relatively new stats, metrics and systems out there that dig deeper into the heart of hockey numbers, and trying to quantify stuff that we previously had no way of putting numbers to it.

As you emphasize, the fluid nature of hockey makes things difficult, but the work of the guys mentioned show us that nothing is impossible.

I look future to more of their work and definitely more of your work! Any hints for readers on upcoming current or potential projects?

Cheers,
-Chris

It seems I’m destined to eat some crow with regards to Brodeur. I say this as I watch him diligently go to work for the Devils as they dismantle the rest of the conference. And my serving may get bigger; it’s hard to predict a preciptitous decline in his future performance. Brodeur is also likely to be his dependable self next month, backstopping the Canadian team to gold in Vancouver, bolstering his position amongst hockey fans.

You bring up a great point about Brodeur’s puck-handling ability, something I was obviously aware of but neglected in the book. Before I dig into the feather-laden feast, however, let’s see if I can’t “lawyer” your point into support of my argument:

The purpose of the essay – and the book, as you correctly note – is to introduce fans to some concepts beyond the box score. That chapter in particular focuses on the work of Alan Ryder (and later Ken Krzywicki) on shot quality neutral save percentage. With regards to that statistic and other classical measurements of a goaltender’s ability, I think the argument of his being overrated is sound; there are circumstances outside of his control that have inflated Brodeur’s (and many other goaltenders’) statistics. If you buy into the logic of SQNSV%, then by defintion Brodeur is rated too high relative to some of his peers.

Of course, also important to looking beyond the box score is, well, looking beyond the box score. That involves putting a value on things that are difficult to measure or derive from the newspaper. This is where Brodeur shines. You’ve got his tremendous puck-handling ability that forced the league to rewrite the rule book, as you mention. There’s also his amazing durability and consistency. This can’t be understated; it’s incredibly beneficial to players, coaches and management to play in front of, design a system around and build a team based on the predictible performance of a goaltender. The Devils encapsulate that idea.

I think it’s sometimes difficult for the average fan to grasp the notion that it is acceptable to be completely average (or worse) in some facets of the game, while exceptional in others. But when you add up the relative strengths and weaknesses here, you get a great goaltender, which Brodeur most certainly is. He only becomes overrated when he’s attributed with skills that the numbers don’t support.

There. Hopefully that’ll save some face for the time being. That is until Brodeur stands on his head next month, then continues on his way, annihilating the NHL record book.

Love the blog. Cheers,

-Darcy Norman