If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the years, it’s that people love sports. Whether it’s watching the big game on TV or attending a live event, fans across America are always looking for ways to keep up with what’s happening during the season.
However, understanding the nuances of the sport can sometimes seem like a daunting task. There are hundreds of stats out there, many of which you might find confusing, especially in hockey.
If you’re trying to make sense of all the numbers, here are some tips to help you better understand the ins and outs of hockey statistics.
The GF60 is indeed the most important stat but what exactly is it?
GF60/Chart
GF60 stands for “goals for per 60” which basically measures how good a player is at creating goal opportunities. This stat is shown on a chart called the RAPM.
RAPM stands for Regularised Adjusted Plus-Minus. This chart evaluates how well each player performs relative to his teammates on a nightly basis.
A positive number indicates that the player performed better than expected while a negative number suggests he underperformed.
In addition to providing a quick snapshot of a player’s performance over the course of one season, it allows us to compare the value of individual players across different seasons. The RAPM chart provides a simple overview of the data in a single image.
If you look closely at the chart over the course of a season you’ll notice that there are some significant differences between the charts for different players.
Other stats
What other stats are shown on the RAPM and what are they used for?
POS – Position
The NHL uses a five-by-five grid system to determine the positions of players on the ice. These are the four lines and the goalie. Each team has nine forwards, three defensemen, and one goaltender. The center position is usually occupied by the team captain.
There are many different ways to describe each position. For example, you could say that the left winger plays on the right side of the rink, while the opposite is true for the right winger.
You could also refer to the defenseman playing on the right side of his team as being on the right side of center ice. Or you could simply call him a right defenseman.
GM- Games Played
The number of games played per game type is shown here. This includes both the regular season and playoffs.
For example, if you are playing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the GP column will show 3.5 because you played 4 playoff games plus 5 regular season games. If you play one playoff game and no regular season games, the GP column will still show 3.5.
G- Goals
This stat refers to the number of goals the player makes during the match. It tells you how good a player is at scoring chances and finishing off plays.
A – Assists
The NHL uses assists to measure how well players are performing in games.
A player receives one assist for every time he passes the puck to another player while that player is in possession of the puck and either scores a goal or forces the opposition into taking a penalty.
If a team does not score on the resulting power play, it loses a man advantage.
Assists do not count toward a player’s total points; however, assists do affect his plus/minus rating. For example, if a player records five assists during a game, he will receive a +5 rating even though no goals were scored.
PTS – Points
The NHL uses three different scoring systems to determine how many points each team receives during the regular season. The most common system is called “points,” where one point is awarded for every goal scored and assist earned.
Plus/Minus Rating
The +/- rating is calculated by giving a player one point for every even-strength or shorthanded goal scored while he is on the ice, and subtracting one point per every even-strength or short handed goal scored by the opposition while he is playing.
This statistic measures how many goals a player contributes to his team compared to the number of goals his team allows while he is off the ice.
This stat is useful because it helps us understand whether a player is a key contributor to his team’s success, or just another cog in the machine.
For example, a player who plays well defensively and kills penalties might receive a lower score than a player who does most of his damage offensively.
A negative +/- rating doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a terrible hockey player; it simply tells us that you are less effective than average.
PIM – Penalties In Minutes
Penalty minutes are awarded for unsportsmanlike conduct, roughing, spearing, holding, checking from behind, tripping, diving, charging, elbowing, kneeing, instigating, cross-checking, slashing, illegal check to the head, boarding, interference, goaltender interference, fighting, deliberate kicking to the head, and excessive stick swinging.
They do not include penalties assessed for minor infractions such as hooking, clipping, and charging.
GWG/Game Winning Goals
A game-winning goal occurs when a player scores a goal that directly leads to a team winning the game. This includes both regular season matches and playoff matches.
If the team scores a winning goal in overtime, it counts as a game-winning goal.
PPG/Power Play Goal
The NHL used to track how many goals each team scored during a power play, but now it just tracks whether or not the team made a goal while its opponent served a penalty. This stat is called PPG and it’s tracked weekly.
SHG/Short Handed Goals
The statistic called short-handed goals to measure how many times teams score while shorthanded.
A goal scored while down a man is known as a short-handed goal. If you look at the stats, it’s clear that there are some teams that tend to score more short-handed goals than others.
SOG/Shots On Goal
Shots on goal is one way to measure how well a goalie did during a game. A shot on goal happens when the puck crosses the goal line (Also Check out What Is A Puck Line Bet) without touching anything else. If a goalie stops a shot on goal, it counts towards his save percentage.
If he doesn’t, it does not count against him.
SOA/Shootout Shots Against
The SOA metric measures how many times a team shoots the puck against the opposing goalie during a game. This statistic helps determine whether a team is getting good goaltending while playing shorthanded.
A low number indicates better goaltending. The metric is calculated by taking each shot attempt and adding up the amount of shots taken against the opponent’s netminder. For example, if a player attempts five shots and four are blocked, he gets one point added to his total.
SH%/Shooting Percentage
The shooting percentage (SH%) is used to determine how good a shooter you are. A high SH% indicates that you shoot well under pressure. If you score many goals, you probably have a high SH%.
To calculate your SH%, divide the total goals scored by the total shots taken. For example, if you had 10 goals and 20 shots, your SH% would be 50%.
Conclusion
Whilst GF60 is the most important stat in hockey , it’s also important to keep an eye on other statistics like GAA, Save Percentage, etc. These numbers will help you understand why certain players are performing well or poorly.
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