Tuesday, October 31, 2006

 

Potpourri For 3-6-1, Alex Tanguay

• I'm looking to add some new sites to the blogroll. If people have any recommendations about quality hockey sites I should be adding, leave a link and a description in the comments, please.

• Avi has developed his own ranking system over at SportsMatters. Those pictures really creep me out.

• There was a great story in the New York Times on Sunday about the Oilers Hail Mary goal against the Coyotes last year. The story is behind the wall, but is well worth the sign up. One thing that caught my eye in the story was this statement by Craig MacTavish:

"[I had already] pulled the goalie with a minute left in the game to get an extra forward to attack. Generally, I pull him between a minute-30 and a minute left to go. Experience tells me that anything more than that ends up with a puck in your net."

It makes me wonder, is that actually true? It certainly would be good information to have, knowing the statistically best window of time to pull your goalie. But I don't know how you could get the information, since I don't think the NHL keeps track of when goalies leave the net, or extra-man, end-of-the-game goals.

• Anyone else notice that Jarret Stoll had seven points in four games last week?

• Anyone looking for a good hockey book to read should pick up Ballad of the Whiskey Robber : A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelts, by Julian Rubinstein. It's a hilarious but informative story about a man named Attila Ambrus, a goalie, bankrobber and folk hero in post-Communist Hungary. I'd be shocked if this book hasn't already been optioned in Hollywood. Make sure and grab a copy.

• Allan Maki properly identifies Edmonton as the hockey City of Champions in the Globe & Mail. It's just too bad that I wrote that story eleven months ago on SportsMatters.

Comments:

http://www3.sympatico.ca/jmirtle/schremp.htm
 


A couple you could add to the Pacific are the blogs of the BoC Shark contributors, both of which are really good:

Sharkspage
Mike Chen

Also, I'm pretty fond of Orland Kurtenblog (Van) and American Hockey Fan (Bos).

Lastly, this might not qualify as "good", but I am always entertained by the wayward misfortunes of a certain Lubo Vaic, a classic underdog story.
 


James, you had me so excited about possible new content.
 


BTW, Technorati is out to destroy my sanity. It now says we haven't posted in 335 days.
 


Hey, thanks for the link. It took you long enough... :) Just kidding. I'm glad you did.
 


Blame Matt. I usually black out when I see Flames sites.
 


since I don't think the NHL keeps track of when goalies leave the net, or extra-man, end-of-the-game goals.

The NHL does track this, it should be available through game logs. However, I'm too lazy/inept to do it.

I've heard somewhere that 90 seconds is the optimal time down by a goal, but I forget how it was supported.
 


The NHL does track this, it should be available through game logs.

Duh. My bad.
 


Ward was born in Saskatoon, which disqualifies him from being an Edmonton boy on Maki's list. Mine too, oddly enough. Funny, that.
 


I think Bill of A2Y had to go to somewhere in New England to work for a couple of months. He was talking about trying to update the site, but maybe shuttering it in the short term was easier.
 


I swear someone has done the analysis of the best time to pull your goalie for the extra attacker... I can't remember where I saw it but I'm sure it has been done. I think Andy Murray has something to do with the answer too. Maybe Tyler remembers?
 


Yah, someone cited it on IOF I believe(vic ferrari?)--IIRC, the best time was 2:30. This helps explain Murray's tendency to pull the goalie early. Plenty of time to get scored on, but who cares? The point is to tie the game, not avoid getting scored on.
 


Can you please move Edmonton above Cowfairy in the standings on the sidebar? Thanks.
 


Actually before MC notes this, if you search through his archives you'll find a writeup analyzing teams' tendencies to pull goalies for the extra attacker. I can't recall offhand if he comes to a conclusion regarding optimal time for pulling.
 


If I weren't so modest I'd ask you to check out my blog where I talk about the Flames and Oilers.

In regards to Stolly's point production last week - one game Heather Hunter was in the crowd, and during the other games Smytty or Mac T probably just tricked Stoll into believing Hunter was in the crowd.
 


That looks like pretty blatant plagarism...
 


I think this photoshop alone warrants Waiting For Stanley in your blogroll:

http://hockey-madness.blogspot.com/2006/10/flame-futility.html

Although, they've got other good stuff as well.
 


Oops, try this.
 

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