Sharks game stats, 2014-15 season

Some interesting numbers looking at the season that was.

Unfortunately, you had less than a 50% chance of the team winning the game (with only 39 wins on the season). But a very good chance of seeing them score, as the team was shut out only three times all season. (And shut out their opponent 8 times.)

Importantly, you want to arrive at the game on time.  More than 25% of games had the first goal within the first five minutes; and half the games had a goal scored within the first ten minutes. (More than 80% of games had the first goal scored in the first period.  (Sharks scoring first in 42 games of the season.)

But, if the Sharks were behind and the meter was running on the baby sitter, it might be OK to leave. The Sharks only came back from a deficit in 13 games all season.

However, if the team was ahead, there was nearly 25% of a chance, they’d give up a tying and winning goal, losing the game.

The Sharks best intra-game goal advantage was five goals (happened once), but their worst was also five goals against (happened twice).

The Sharks scored a maximum of seven goals (median 2).  (And gave up a max of seven goals, median of 3.)

Sharks were 4-6 in the shootout.  And lost three times in OT.

Sharks incurred 302 penalties (to opponents 341), enduring an average of just under 6 minutes of penalty kill time, while enjoying more than 6:55 minutes of power play time (offsetting penalties notwithstanding).

Sharks scored 55 power play goals, but gave up 48 power play goals.  But even strength, the Sharks scored only 165 goals compared to 171 for their opponents.

In summary, the Sharks were an OK team, but not an elite team for the 2014-15 season.  It will take a good coaching staff AND the right mix of players to ensure the Sharks return to the playoffs and/or elite status.

Most offensively productive players

So, you want to know who’s the best player on the Sharks?  What criteria do you use?

When you use statistics, you can almost any result you want.

So, excluding “power” rankings, opponent quality, etc., here are the ranked players by point production per minutes played, based on last season’s stats.

Forwards

  • Matt Nieto
  • Tommy Wingels
  • Raffi Torres
  • Tomas Hertl
  • James Sheppard
  • Patrick Marleau
  • Andrew Desjardins
  • Joe Pavelski
  • Joe Thornton
  • Logan Couture
  • Tyler Kennedy
  • Mike Brown
  • Eriah Hayes
  • John Scott (Buffalo #s)
  • Freddie Hamilton, Adam Burish == no points

Nieto and Wingels are way and above top of the class; it drops significantly to the next in the list.

Defense

  • Jason Demers
  • Brent Burns (using his “forward” #s)
  • Marc-Edouard Vlasic
  • Matt Irwin
  • Scott Hannan
  • Justin Braun

Now, you kinda expect the defense to not be as offensive as the forwards, especially those players identified as “defensive defensemen”.

But take all that with a big Sharkarita in your hand, while wearing teal sun glasses, if you think it means anything with respect to line assignments/defensive pairings or fantasy hockey.

Just a way to fill the time waiting for the season to start (and find a starting point for discussion).