Oilers vs Blue Jackets: 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. (Really, I’m working on them! It’s just hard to find the time! The post is half-written!) 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: 39

Opponent: Columbus Blue Jackets

Score: 3-1 Bad Guys

Zone Exits

Another not so great game in zone exits. The Oilers were down at 23% after one period, so they improved in the last 40, but this was still a poor game overall. Only Russell did a good job with no one else even displaying a passable performance. (See what I did there!) There’s not much more to say other than the Oilers D need to be much better.

Zone Defence

This was an okay game via zone defence, featuring huge variability in performance. On one side, Russell allowed a controlled entry every time he was targeted on his side. In his defence, a couple of those were close calls in regards to whether they should be credited to him as targeted or not but still, that’s a pretty poor game in this particular facet. On the other end, Benning and especially Klefbom were great at preventing controlled entries. Klefbom didn’t allow a single controlled entry against until the 3rd.

Puck Retrievals

Pretty average game overall in this area.

Defensive Zone Passing

You’ll note that the pair of Davidson and Benning seemed to rarely touch the puck. They did have some shifts where they were chasing their tails in their own end, though they did come out positive in the shot attempt ledger. Last game it was Davidson with the turnover crown. This time I didn’t count a single one against Davidson in the defensive zone, but his partner Benning struggled.

Russell had a great puck movement game! He got the puck out of the zone 50% of the time he touched the puck. Add in the passes to the forwards and he got the puck moving in a positive direction 75% of the time he touched the puck and only turned it over once. His puck movement helped make up for his poor defence at the blue line. Sekera had fewer zone exits but he moved the puck up within the zone to a forward over half the time he touched the puck. Turnovers were a bit problematic though.

My big question from this game: why is Klefbom passing it over to Larsson almost half the time he touches the puck? The zone exits look okay for Larsson in this chart, but you may recall that they were almost all uncontrolled.

Raw Total Tracking Stats

(click to enlarge)

Summary:

This was not a good game for the Oilers D. Every single one had a significant wart. Klefbom defended the blue line beautifully and rarely turned the puck over, but I expect a little more forward movement of the puck when he’s got it in the defensive zone. Larsson struggled pretty much across the board this game. Sekera moved the puck forward well, though not credited with a lot of zone exits, but could have managed the puck a bit better. Russell managed the puck well and did a fantastic job getting the puck up the ice but gave it all back by allowing controlled entries against. Davidson struggled in zone exits and zone defence but at least didn’t turn the puck over, which his partner Benning did in spades.

I imagine Gryba will rotate back in next game. Most likely they’ll flip him with Benning but I see one more possibility. Davidson hasn’t quite been himself. I wonder if there’d be a benefit to giving him a game off and running 3 L/R pairs? This defence core needs a fully functioning Davidson until Nurse gets back and maybe a game off would help Davidson with that.

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