Oilers vs Lightning: Tracking Stats

The following stats were tracked during manually during the game. The raw totals for the tracking stats and the glossary are at the end.

At some point I’ll write up a detailed description of each category and my specific rules for each. You can find more information on Zone Exits here. I’m working on writing up the other stats and will a link to them once they’re up. Feel free to leave any questions in the comments or on Twitter (@wheatnoil).

I’ve highlighted some of the better (blue) and worse (red) performances in each category. All time on ice stats are from www.naturalstattrick.com . I’ve provided some commentary after each section and at the end. Feel free to fire me a question or comment if you have one about the numbers.

Game: 33

Opponent: Tampa Bay Lightning

Score: 3-2 (SO) Good Guys!

Zone Exits

Benning, Sekera and Klefbom led the way clearly, which gave every pair an effective puck mover. Russell got the puck out of the zone often but had 7 missed exit passes. A couple of those turned into controlled zone entries anyways, but 4 of them resulted in the puck going right back into the Oiler zone (in addition to one dump-out doing the same). Larsson, meanwhile, dumped the puck out a lot. Even a couple of his controlled zone exit passes were off the glass and out, but they got to an Oiler forward in the neutral zone, so he got credit.

Zone Defence

Gah! The Lightning were attacking the zone in this one, pushing for a controlled entry at every opportunity. Most of the Oiler D were in a similar range except for Russell, whose gap control at the blue line continues to be an issue.

Puck Retrievals

I wouldn’t read too much into this graph as the numbers are pretty small here… a direct result of the Lightning getting so many controlled entries. They didn’t have to dump it in often. Overall, the Oilers did just slightly below average recovering the puck when under pressure.

Defensive Zone Passing

Nothing too exciting here. Credit to Russell and Benning for managing the puck well in the defensive zone… they rarely turned it over, though in Russell’s case the puck got turned over in the neutral zone instead (better than the defensive zone at any rate). Davidson and Sekera, interestingly, tended to defer to their partners. That’s a bit unusual for Sekera.

Raw Total Tracking Stats

(click to enlarge)

Summary:

Overall it was a pretty typical game for Klefbom and Larsson, though Larsson’s puck movement difficulties were a little more pronounced than typical. Likewise, Russell is usually a bit better than that at hitting his passes. Sekera played a solid game overall despite a few too many defensive turnovers. Davidson appears to be shaking off some rust still. I suspect that in a few games he should be running on all cylinders and he and Benning will make a killer third pair. In the meantime, I’m not sure how Gryba gets into a game. I wouldn’t scratch Benning right now. In fact, as soon as Davidson is able, I’d be giving him more ice time. I’m slowly becoming a Matt Benning convert!

Definitions:

Zone Exit

Controlled Zone Exit: Getting the puck out of the zone maintaining possession

Carry: Skating the puck out of the zone, the defenceman keeps possession himself

Pass: Passing the puck out of the zone, the team maintains possession

Uncontrolled Zone Exit: Getting the puck out of the zone but losing possession to the other team

Dump: No clear target when getting the puck out

Missed Pass: Appears to have a clear target but pass is not complete

Zone Defence

Times Targeted: Number of times a defenceman was specifically targeted by the opposing player on a zone entry against

Denied Entry: Defenceman prevents the opposing team from entering the zone, forcing them to regroup or causing them to lose possession in the neutral zone

Controlled Entry Against: Opposing team is able to enter the zone with possession of the puck (maintained for at least one second)

Dump In Against: Opposing team is gets the puck into the zone but without possession of the puck

Untargeted: Controlled and Uncontrolled Entries against where either a defenceman was not the primary player targeted on entry OR an odd man rush not directly caused by one of the defencemen

Defensive Zone Passing

Total Touches: Number of the times the defenceman clearly has the puck on his stick in the defensive zone

To D-Partner: Successful defensive zone pass to another defenceman within the defensive zone

To Forward: Successful defensive zone pass to a forward within the defensive zone

Turnover: Other team gains possession of the puck after the defenceman clearly had possession of it

Puck Retrieval

Total: Number of times the defenceman is the closest to the puck off of an uncontrolled entry to the zone

Successful: Defenceman retrieves the puck and successfully either gets it out of the zone or passes it a teammate, retaining possession

Failed: Defenceman either turns the puck over after retrieving it or the other team gets possession off the uncontrolled entry