Training camp questions #10: Will the penalty kill be better?

[dudacek]

It enjoyed a good last six weeks, but for the rest of the season it was the worst in the league and cancelled out the league's best PP

 

What has to happen for that to change?

[LGR4GM]

Better defenders and to stop playing the Bylsma loser passive box on the pk which gave up the perimeter and allowed extended zone time

[Eleven]

Just as the powerplay must necessarily regress from last year's freakishness, the PK must necessarily regress from last year's abylsmaness.

[nfreeman]

This -- not the shootout -- is where Lehner needs to make a statement.

[Randall Flagg]

The weird thing is, the only difference between last year and the top 10 PK the year before was Legwand, no?

[dudacek]

This -- not the shootout -- is where Lehner needs to make a statement.

Didn't somebody post something like Lehner's PK save percentage was like #5 in the league?

[LGR4GM]

Who had the most shots against on the pk? Was it Buffalo

[Randall Flagg]

Didn't somebody post something like Lehner's PK save percentage was like #5 in the league?

That was me, but it was over the last 3 seasons, not just last year.

[dudacek]

I think Scandella is expected to get a lot of time and should help, but player-wise, he's pretty much the only addition expected to help, right?

 

O'Reilly, of course, is good and Kane should be.

Gionta and Foligno are gone, so who replaces them?

 

I like the idea of giving Girgensons a bigger role here and Fasching has done a lot of this at lower levels.

Josefson? Larsson?

Edited September 9, 2017 by dudacek

[Thorny]

This -- not the shootout -- is where Lehner needs to make a statement.

He needs to make a statement in both. If last year wasn't an anomaly, and shootout saves are going to be few and far between for him, it'll be too many points lost for my liking.

 

I think Scandella is expected to get a lot of time and should help, but player-wise, he's pretty much the only addition expected to help, right?

O'Reilly, of course, is good and Kane should be.

Gionta and Foligno are gone, so who replaces them?

I like the idea of giving Girgensons a bigger role here and Fasching has done a lot of this at lower levels.

Josefson? Larsson?

I'm excited to see if we have anything in Josefsson. I think he'll get a crack at the PK.

[nfreeman]

I stand corrected -- per NHL.com (which has pretty good stats, btw), Lehner's SH SV% was #5 in the NHL last year among goalies playing 50 games or more.

 

So how were they so freaking bad?

[Huckleberry]

He needs to make a statement in both. If last year wasn't an anomaly, and shootout saves are going to be few and far between for him, it'll be too many points lost for my liking.

 

 

I'm excited to see if we have anything in Josefsson. I think he'll get a crack at the PK.

 

Pominville and Josefson should be good on PK.

[rakish]

I stand corrected -- per NHL.com (which has pretty good stats, btw), Lehner's SH SV% was #5 in the NHL last year among goalies playing 50 games or more.

 

So how were they so freaking bad?

 

There are different strategies playing hockey.

 

One strategy tries to not give up good shots. If you are trying to not give up good shots, you use techniques like dump and chase because failing to carry a puck into the opponent's zone often leads to the other team having an odd man rush the other way. One team that tried to win using shooting percentage against was the Buffalo Sabres.

 

Another strategy tries to maximize the shot differential on the theory that the quantity of shots is more important. A couple of teams that maximized shots last season were the LA Kings and the Boston Bruins.

 

A goaltender in the shooting percentage strategy will face more shots, but they will face less difficult chances. If you measure goaltenders by their save percentage, the goaltenders for teams using this strategy will be better, because save percentage is a bad stat, the stat needs more context.

 

For me Lehner's stats aren't freaking bad, but they're not freaking good either (I had him at about 30th last year, I had Nilsson considerably better), but there are problems (though less I think) with how I calculate that.

Edited September 10, 2017 by rakish

[Samson's Flow]

They will still be bad, but not earth shattering soul crushing bad. Having more competent defenders and not allowing our goalie to be subject to a shooting gallery should help. I am expecting 15th-20th in PK percentage, which coupled with a top 5 in PP % and we end up pretty good at special teams.