For those of us who are looking ahead to bet on OVER the first few weeks, I found the following info and got me thinking.
Since 1941-42, the only other time the season has been this short was 1994-95, when teams also played a 48-game schedule following the end of a work stoppage.
Using 1994-95 as a guide and indicator, the shorter schedule could be tough on shooters. Teams combined to average 5.97 goals per game in '94-95, a sharp drop from the 6.48 goals per game in 1993-94 (not to mention the 7.25 goals that were scored in the average 1992-93 game).
Teams shot less -- and less successfully -- in '94-95 than they had the previous season. They averaged 29.4 shots a game in '94-95, down nearly a shot per game from '93-94. Shooting percentages fell from 10.7 percent to 10.2 percent during the shorter season.
One big reason for the drop in scoring was a sharp decline in the number of power plays awarded. The average game in 1993-94 had 9.7 power plays, a figure that dropped to 8.7 in '94-95.
That number rebounded to 10.1 in 1995-96, the next full season, and goal-scoring bounced back to 6.29 per game -- a number that hasn't been exceeded since and was at 5.32 last season. Perhaps because of shortened training camps and a reduction in practice time, power-play efficiency dropped from 18.6 percent in '93-94 to 17.7 percent in '94-95.
The number of power plays awarded hit a 33-year low last season, so another drop would place increased emphasis on 5-on-5 play -- 13 of the 14 teams with a 5-on-5 goals for/against ratio of better than 1.00 made the playoffs last season.
Like to hear some thoughts
Since 1941-42, the only other time the season has been this short was 1994-95, when teams also played a 48-game schedule following the end of a work stoppage.
Using 1994-95 as a guide and indicator, the shorter schedule could be tough on shooters. Teams combined to average 5.97 goals per game in '94-95, a sharp drop from the 6.48 goals per game in 1993-94 (not to mention the 7.25 goals that were scored in the average 1992-93 game).
Teams shot less -- and less successfully -- in '94-95 than they had the previous season. They averaged 29.4 shots a game in '94-95, down nearly a shot per game from '93-94. Shooting percentages fell from 10.7 percent to 10.2 percent during the shorter season.
One big reason for the drop in scoring was a sharp decline in the number of power plays awarded. The average game in 1993-94 had 9.7 power plays, a figure that dropped to 8.7 in '94-95.
That number rebounded to 10.1 in 1995-96, the next full season, and goal-scoring bounced back to 6.29 per game -- a number that hasn't been exceeded since and was at 5.32 last season. Perhaps because of shortened training camps and a reduction in practice time, power-play efficiency dropped from 18.6 percent in '93-94 to 17.7 percent in '94-95.
The number of power plays awarded hit a 33-year low last season, so another drop would place increased emphasis on 5-on-5 play -- 13 of the 14 teams with a 5-on-5 goals for/against ratio of better than 1.00 made the playoffs last season.
Like to hear some thoughts
