Getting easier to score in the National Hockey League
Harder to stop pucks early in the 2020-2021 season
Even with a low-scoring night Friday, the National Hockey League is averaging 6.00 goals per game this season, a little higher than last season’s final rate of 5.96 goals per game.
Typically, the goal rate declines as the season progresses so that advantage may not hold but there is at least one interesting factor leading to that offensive production.
The big difference appears to be in how likely pucks are to go in the net. Overall, goaltenders have a save percentage of .900, which is relatively low compared to recent seasons.
Last season, the save percentage was .905. The last season in which goaltenders finished with a save percentage below .900 was 1995-1996. I’m not drawing any conclusions just yet, more that this seems a little bit interesting that shots have a better chance of going in right now and the trick is to figure out why (It’s not as simple as Jonathan Quick and Martin Jones played last night.) and maybe wait for the sample size to get more significant. But, it is something to keep an eye on.
FRIDAY STARS
VGK D Nicolas Hague 1 G, 2 A in a 5-2 win vs. Los Angeles
VGK C William Karlsson 1 G, 2 A in a 5-2 win vs. Los Angeles
ANA LW Max Comtois 2 G in a 5-4 (SO) loss to San Jose
TB LW Barclay Goodrow 2 G in a 3-1 win vs. Detroit.
FRIDAY GAMES
Boston 2 Philadelphia 1
BOS G Tuukka Rask stopped 23 of 24 shots for the win.
Brad Marchand and Sean Kuraly scored for Boston.
Detroit 1 Tampa Bay 3
TB LW Barclay Goodrow 2 G (2 G, 2 A in past 3 GP)
TB G Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 27 of 28 shots for the win.
Nashville 1 Florida 2
FLA C Aleksander Barkov 1 G, 1 A (4 G, 7 A in 8 GP)
FLA LW Carter Verhaeghe 1 G, 1 A (6 G, 3 A in 8 GP)
In the absence of Ryan Johansen, Nashville forward Calle Jarnkrok moved into the center spot between Viktor Arvidsson and Rocco Grimaldi.
Los Angeles 2 Vegas 5
VGK C William Karlsson 1 G, 2 A (doubled his point total in one game)
VGK D Nicolas Hague 1 G, 2 A
VGK LW Max Pacioretty 3 A (3 G, 3 A in past 2 GP)
VGK LW Jonathan Marchessault 1 G, 1 A (2 G, 5 A in 8 GP)
VGK RW Mark Stone 1 G, 1 A (3 G, 10 A in 8 GP)
LA RW Dustin Brown 1 G, 1 A (3 G, 3 A in past 6 GP)
San Jose 5 Anaheim 4 (SO)
ANA LW Max Comtois 2 G
ANA RW Troy Terry 1 G, 1 A (first points of the season)
ANA C Derek Grant 2 A (4 A in past 6 GP)
SJ LW Evander Kane 1 G, 1 A
SJ D Brent Burns 1 G, 1 A
FRIDAY SHOTS/EXPECTED GOALS (Via Natural Stat Trick)
SATURDAY GAME PROBABILITIES
SATURDAY DFS VALUE PLAYS
SJ C Tomas Hertl $4800 at ANA
PIT C Sidney Crosby $6500 at NYI
SJ LW Ryan Donato $3000 at ANA
PIT RW Kasperi Kapanen $3100 at NYI
TOR D Jake Muzzin $4800 vs. VAN
PIT D Pierre-Olivier Joseph $3300 at NYI