2016 Cup Finals

San Jose 3, Pittsburgh 2 (OT)

The data presented below are the results of my tracking of Game 3. I track individual possessions, essentially documenting what each player does each time they obtain the puck at even strength(5v5). The idea is to use the underlying data I track to help explain the Corsi% for each player. All Corsi% data is obtained from Corsica.Hockey.

Schultz leads the way again in Corsi% at 72.4%. Posting the 3rd highest Passing Accuracy% of 90%, and the highest Shots On Goal Per Possession% of 17.4%.(Team average SOG Per Possession% was 6.9%) Pittsburgh’s team Turnover% (turnovers per possession) was 26%. Average Turnover% for all players with a Corsi% of 50% or more was 25.3%, where the average for all players below a 50% Corsi% was 27.6%.

Cole led Pittsburgh in Passing Accuracy% at 93.8%. Team average Passing Accuracy% was 74.6%. Cole was 2nd on the team in Passing Completed Per Possession%, by completing 15 Passes on 30 Possessions (15/30=50%).

Game 3 was the highest dump in success rate was 28.9%, this was the highest I have seen it since tracking in the series vs Washington in Game 5. In Game 2 vs San Jose, Pittsburgh’s dump in recovery rate was 21.2%, and 11.5% in Game 1. In Game 3 Pittsburgh was able to recover 11/38 dump ins (28.9%). Pittsburgh’s dump in rate per individual possession was 6.4%.

Maatta and Lovejoy as a defensive pairing, did not fair very well in Game 3. Posting the two lowest Corsi%’s on the team. Both had an above average Passing Accuracy%, and Maatta posted above team averages in SOG Per Possession% (7.9%) and Passes Completed Per Possession% (52.6%). Lovejoy had an above average Turnover% of 34.3%, meaning of his 35 Possessions, 12 resulted in a turnover. Lovejoy and Maatta’s major issues were in the defensive end, having the two highest defensive zone turnover rates at 20% and 15.8% respectively. Just to give you an idea, the team average Defensive Zone Turnover% was 6.5%.

Below is a breakdown of each players’ Offensive and Defensive Rebound%. It’s pretty glaring as to how Maatta and Lovejoy got hemmed in their defensive zone. Maatta had a 0% Offensive Rebound% and a 0% Defensive Rebound%. Of the 30 shots against that were available, Maatta wasn’t able to gather a single one. Lovejoy was able to grab 3 defensive zone rebounds for a 10% Defensive Rebound%. The other two defensive parings averaged a combined 13.6% Defensive Rebound%.

Sheary had the highest Offensive Rebound% at 22.2%, and tied for the 2nd highest Defensive Rebound% at 20%.

Players with a Corsi% of 50% and above Rebound%:

Offensive Rebound%: 7.5%

Defensive Rebound%: 10.6%

Players with a Corsi% below 50% Rebound%:

Offensive Rebound%: 7.7%

Defensive Rebound%: 6.7%

Crosby had his lowest Corsi% of the series thus far at 50%. This can be attributed to his team low Passing Accuracy% of 56.5%. Team average Offensive Zone Passing Accuracy% was 64.6% in Game 3. The chart below shows each players’s Passing Accuracy%. Passing Accuracy% is calculated by: Completed Passes/(Completed Passes+Failed Attempts)

Crosby’s Passing Accuracy% in the offensive zone was 45.5%. He completed 5 of the 11 attempted passes in the offensive zone (5 completed+6 Failed attempts). In the neutral zone, Crosby completed 50% of his passes (2 completed of 4 attempted). In the defensive zone Crosby completed 75% of his passes (6 completed of 8 attempted).

Below is an analysis of each defensive pairings’ individual possessions. Looking at how often each pair completes a pass to a zone per individual possession.

The Letang/Dumoulin pairing had 119 combined individual possessions, and completed 7 offensive zone passes for a 5.8% Offensive Zone Passes Completed Per Possession%. By looking at Offensive and Neutral Zone Passes Completed Per Possession%, you can see which defensive pairs are transitioning the puck up ice more. Maatta and Lovejoy struggled in this area relative to the othe two pairings.

The below shows the combined Passing Accuracy% of the defensive pairings. Cole/Schultz lead the way with a 92.3% Passing Accuracy%, as well as posting the highest combined Corsi% of 65.3%.