Predators' Mike Ribeiro assists in facilitating offense

TAMPA, Fla. — The NHL has undergone a statistical revolution over the past few seasons.

Puck-possession statistics are tabulated by counting the number of shot attempts (shots on goal, missed shots and blocked shots) that players and teams take vs. how many are taken on them.

Predators forward Mike Ribeiro has been on the ice for 1,252 even-strength shot attempts for the Predators and 955 against them. That plus-297 differential is tied with Detroit's Tomas Tatar for the league lead among all forwards as of Thursday.

"The players that I've been playing with, elite players that like to shoot," Ribeiro said when asked for an explanation for his success. "I like to pass the puck. I tell those guys, 'Once I give it to you, you need to find a way to shoot it.' "

Under Predators coach Peter Laviolette's shot-heavy system, the Predators are also among the best possession teams in the NHL. Nashville's 52.81 shot-attempt percentage — meaning they have taken nearly 53 percent of the total attempts in 74 games this season — was sixth in the league prior to Thursday's games.

"He's our top scorer, he's one of our leading contributors," Predators coach Peter Laviolette said of Ribeiro. "It may not necessarily be him that's bringing the puck to the net, but he's usually the guy that's setting up somebody or making a play or drawing the defense to him and distributing the puck somewhere else. I guess the fact that the puck's in their end and the puck's going at their net, not ours, that's a good positive sign."