The Stat Room

Thankfully for me I am a hockey fan.  I don't have enough time to follow all the leagues throughout the world.  I could if I wanted to and probably follow too many as it is.  There won't be any purchasing of Center Ice.  I could if I wanted to.  Sure I'd like to catch the Oilers games but between doing other things and their late night eastern time schedule, I'd miss the majority of games anyway.  Even at this point in the season I've only seen two Flyers games.  The others I didn't even miss on purpose.  But that's the nice thing about being a hockey fan.  There are so many games, teams and leagues that you always have something.  And something is what we might need this season.

I went on in my last post about things that need to change for the Flyers.  In that lengthy discussion was a call for change in management and team philosophy.  Move away from the once loved idea of being the team of bullies.  I don't see the players as the issue.  The skill is there.  The determination and attitude is always high.  The ability to be a successful and undisciplined team is shrouded in mystery.

The Flyers have the reputation of being tough.  I'm fine with that idea.  It certainly comes in handy when Pittsburgh comes to town especially in the playoffs.  Being able to get under the skin of your opponent has always been a way to gain an upper hand in a series.  In most cases however it is the Flyers doing the reacting or start running around without purpose.  Playing with that edge and grit should naturally do more good than harm.  However the Flyers have an amazing ability to sit in a box.  Call it that old-school reputation, team toughness or whatever.  It's something that if not bizarre is complexing and reverts itself back to the reason the philosophy needs changing.

As you can tell by most of my posts and statistical numbers, I tend to favor the physical side of the game that generally results in penalties.  I think more of my interest came from a lack of statistical organization back when I first became interested in compiling my own records 12 years ago.  Needless to say I favor these numbers (as well as talented teams who can play the game and do it with an aggressive style).  So it's not surprising with my past knowledge I went to the big board to look at some totals.  This is where the bizarre and complexing start to come in.

2008-2009
It's six seasons ago and the Flyers are competing consistently and playing that Flyers brand of hockey.  Not only do they lead the league in minor penalties with 446 but also in penalty minutes.  Its Flyers hockey at its best and is always fun to watch.

2009-2010
The Flyers squeak into the playoffs on the last game of the regular season.  Then the run starts.  A season that went down as a huge success even though they would lose in the Stanley Cup Finals.  It saw the team overcome diversity including the historic series with Boston when they came back from three games to none in the series and in the 7th game.  It could be easily overlooked that the team for the second straight season led the league in minors with 400.

2010-2011
The team finishes with the 3rd most points in the league.  However they run into Boston in the playoffs who eventually win it all.  The team stays a bit more disciplined with 347 minors.  That's good for 8th most in the league. 

2011-2012
Philly being Philly.  Almost two hundred penalty minutes ahead of second place and for the third time in four seasons the Flyers lead the league in minors taken finishing 31 ahead of second.  Okay not the stat we are going for here at least I don't think it should.  For perspective teams two thru ten were separated by 32 minors.   

2012-2013
Last season was a struggle.  Blame the shortened season.  But don't think we changed.  For the 4th time in 5 seasons the Flyers again finished at the top of the list in minor penalties.


Are you frucking serious?  There are 30 teams in the league and the same one consistently finishes first in one category that you don't want to be at the top.  That's not even easy to do.  I'm almost dumbfounded at this point.  What the hell kind of style uses the take-as-many-penalties-as-you-can approach?  There are far more answers than questions.  I wouldn't ever have this conversation if the team would have won the cup a few years ago or maybe not even if they made it to another one more recently.  The issue now is they haven't won one for awhile yet have had a lot of talent skate through here.  This is a number that needs fixing and my thought is it relates back to the idea of Flyers hockey which comes from the people upstairs. 

Anybody want to guess which team leads the league in minors this year?  Hint:  It's the Flyers.