Behind Hockey's Stars: a Statistical Analysis of Critical Hockey Team Metrics

Power Play Percentage

The fifth and final metric included in the model is the percentage of "power plays" scored on in the season. When the penalized team becomes short handed, the opposing team which gets to keep playing with 5 skaters is on what is called a power play. This metric refers to the percentage of power plays during which this teams scores. On the left is a popular power play formation, where one team is playing with one more skater than their opponent. This allows the team on the power play ample time in the offensive zone with addition skating room to create shots on the opposing goalie. 
This metric is used to assess a team's ability to generate high quality scoring chances when playing with an extra player. High octane offensive teams generally have great power play percentages, as patience and chemistry are key when playing on a power play. The positive relationship between power play percentages and regular season points is below, with a R-squared value of 36%.

 

 

Mouse over each datapoint to see more about specific teams, and toggle between playoff teams and non playoff teams to see what sets them apart!

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