Crazy rise in scoring the last three years

[daver]

THIS. League wide scoring in general has only slightly increased. The thread should really be discussing why it has become so concentrated amongst the very best players. I mean, just look at how the OP was stated - counting 100pt players instead of team average goal rates for the time periods selected to exaggerate this "dramatic" rise in scoring.

EDIT: I would guess that PP efficiency (and ice-time for the #1 units increasing relative to previous time periods as coaches finally figure out that this leads to better PP results overall) and 3v3 OT are 2 of the main reasons the scoring is more localized to the stars.

Fair point.

Here are some more numbers:

Among forwards, the #50 PPG scorer from '14 to '16 was 0.74
Among forwards, the #50 PPG scorer from '22 to '24 was 0.91 (a 23% difference)

Among forwards, the #100 PPG scorer from '14 to '16 was 0.62
Among forwards, the #100 PPG scorer from '22 to '24 was 0.71 (a 15% difference)

Among forwards, the #150 PPG scorer from '14 to '16 was 0.51
Among forwards, the #150 PPG scorer from '22 to '24 was 0.56 (a 10% difference)

So the 15% rise in league GPG can be attributed primarily to the #1 line/1st PP unit forwards leveraging the drop in goalie sv%.

 

[authentic]

Fair point.

Here are some more numbers:

Among forwards, the #50 PPG scorer from '14 to '16 was 0.74
Among forwards, the #50 PPG scorer from '22 to '24 was 0.91 (a 23% difference)

Among forwards, the #100 PPG scorer from '14 to '16 was 0.62
Among forwards, the #100 PPG scorer from '22 to '24 was 0.71 (a 15% difference)

Among forwards, the #150 PPG scorer from '14 to '16 was 0.51
Among forwards, the #150 PPG scorer from '22 to '24 was 0.56 (a 10% difference)

So the 15% rise in league GPG can be attributed primarily to the #1 line/1st PP unit forwards leveraging the drop in goalie sv%.

Plus we have players like Kucherov with 15 empty net points in a season which I don’t think was possible 10 years ago.

 

[Fantomas]

Spent much of my youth watching NHL in the dead puck era. This is refreshing and I'm all for it.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Here are the league averages per season.
Not like before DPE yet.

NHL League Averages | Hockey-Reference.com

Check out the latest NHL League Averages including shots, saves, goal averages and more on Hockey-Reference.com

www.hockey-reference.com

 

[BraveCanadian]

You see it on the power plays now. More 4 or even 5 forward power play units. Gone are the days of running the power play through the big slapper from the point.

That isn’t a new tactic though it is an old one that has come back into vogue. It is a change from say 10 years ago though, you’re right.

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

IMO, new school goaltending is so physically demanding most human bodies can't handle it. That's IMO why games played by starters have decreased by about 20%, and more elite guys face serious injury issues.

 

[x Tame Impala]

Plus we have players like Kucherov with 15 empty net points in a season which I don’t think was possible 10 years ago.

Where do you find your EN point stats? For the life of me I can never easily pull them up.

I knew Kucherov had an obscene amount of EN points I just couldn’t back it up

 

[Offtheboard412]

That isn’t a new tactic though it is an old one that has come back into vogue. It is a change from say 10 years ago though, you’re right.

Yeah, everything is cyclical. There's nothing really new, it's just been long enough for the pendulum to swing back that way. Teams will adapt, tactics will change, and we'll be right back where we started in 10 years.

 

[sena]

welcome to 80's hockey, small fast skilled D that don't play defense and wide open mistake filled games.
err I mean modern NHL.

 

[Bank Shot]

welcome to 80's hockey, small fast skilled D that don't play defense and wide open mistake filled games.
err I mean modern NHL.

The 80s averaged 0.4 to 0.9 goals per game higher than last season depending on which 80s season you look at. Also 1-2 more pp opportunities per game.

Not the same thing IMO.

 

[Deplorable Lenny]

You are delusional!

Scoring is actually lower than 5-10 years ago, and has been so for 3-4 years now.

Of course, this is only from the perspective of Ducks fans, where what i said stands true,

Wait... the Ducks have fans?

 

[sena]

The 80s averaged 0.4 to 0.9 goals per game higher than last season depending on which 80s season you look at. Also 1-2 more pp opportunities per game.

Not the same thing IMO.

look how much better the goalies are today, It is the same
Karlsson winning the Norris is a good example of what passes for defense these days. Everyone skates as fast as they can and throws blind passes to the front of the net, the speed is up but its just pond hockey

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

Scoring hasn't been this easy since the 80s.

The first half the 90s were higher scoring than today.

 

[Monsieur Miz]

Great!

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

Empty net goals are up quite a bit. Pre-lockout ENG were around 0.1/g, now they're over 0.2/g. Before the mid 80s they were around 0.04/g.

Power Play scoring is higher than the all time lows in the Pre-War era, but it's still lower than most of the Expansion era.

 

[GrkFlyersFan]

Robotic, predictable goaltending. The key is defense, though. Things will level off when defenses adjust. It's the way it's always been. Offense evolves, defense catches up. Back to the goaltending, the difference is, the best goalies now aren't as good as the best goalies of yesteryear, BUT the average goalie is most definitely better now. Every starter and even most backups are some kind of good, rarely are you catching a break with the opposing goalie.

 

[authentic]

Where do you find your EN point stats? For the life of me I can never easily pull them up.

I knew Kucherov had an obscene amount of EN points I just couldn’t back it up

Someone posted them here a while ago and I can’t seem to find them now, I can only find team stats for empty net goals on statsmuse. I’ll find them again and let you know.

Robotic, predictable goaltending. The key is defense, though. Things will level off when defenses adjust. It's the way it's always been. Offense evolves, defense catches up. Back to the goaltending, the difference is, the best goalies now aren't as good as the best goalies of yesteryear, BUT the average goalie is most definitely better now. Every starter and even most backups are some kind of good, rarely are you catching a break with the opposing goalie.

How do we know the best goalies aren’t also better today when they’re facing way better shooters on average and more skilled offensive players all across the board?

Especially with the reductions to goalie equipment I find it hard to believe Shesterkin couldn’t hold his own against the elite goalies of the past.

 

[daver]

The first half the 90s were higher scoring than today.

League GPG was significantly higher but the top end scorers were close.

90/91 to 91/92 (League 3.47):

Mario - 1.96 PPG
Wayne - 1.87
Hull - 1.59
Oates - 1.52
Sakic - 1.36
Lafontaine - 1.35

22/23 to 23/24 (League GPG 3.14):

McDavid -1.80
MacKinnon - 1.64
Kucherov - 1.58
Draisaitl - 1.45
Pasternak - 1.36
Rantanen - 1.29

 

[PaulD]

The first half the 90s were higher scoring than today.

Ok, scoring never been this easy since 80 to 95 ..... ( I said 80s I my first post)

 

[johan f]

To claim goalies are worse today is plain wrong. Everything else develops and of course that includes tending.

 

[Pablo El Perro]

Physical defense and stickwork is penalized and goalie equipment has been seriously reduced. That explains most of it.

 

[JianYang]

The rule enforcements have made it harder to defend.

Do you guys remember the Crosby slash on methot that led to to that gruesome finger incident? I think that was a turning point in the sense that it seems like the nhl started taking a much tougher stance on the hacking and whacking around on the puck carrier's hands. It's a subtle difference to the viewer but it's a massive difference to the puck carrier who has alot more freedom to make plays.

Then you add goalie reductions into the equation, and its no wonder that goals have spiked.

 

[Bank Shot]

look how much better the goalies are today, It is the same
Karlsson winning the Norris is a good example of what passes for defense these days. Everyone skates as fast as they can and throws blind passes to the front of the net, the speed is up but its just pond hockey

Karlsson winning the Norris is just a symptom of hockey writers giving the Norris to the guy with the most points lately.

A guy like Quinn Hughes wouldn't have won it playing 30 seconds per game on the PK 15 years ago either.

 

[WTG]

I think it's great! Tickets cost so much and whether people like to admit it or not, goals inheretly make the game funner to watch. It sucks spending like 200+ for two tickets going to a game and the score is like 1-0.

 

[Praetorian Caps]

General gist I got from this is advancements in technology; experimental mental technique to make players smarter; smaller goalie equipment; and an overall increase in athleticism has contributed to the increase of skill among today's players.