Well....technically it's really the 5th tie-breaker because you only need to go to tie-breaker at the end of the season and by then, point percentage isn't a tie-breaker anymore.
Is there a way I cam get data for when teams pull? And if they pull down 2 or 3 or don't sometimesLast season, I created a thread discussing the increased prominence of empty-net scoring and its underappreciated effect on the scoring rates of the league’s top players (along with 3-on-3 OT);
This season, I’ve noticed that many games have featured multiple empty-net goals, and it seems as though their overall frequency continues to rise. So, I checked the numbers and sure enough the stats corroborate this observation. Empty-net goals are up a whopping 34% this year compared to last season, which was already at near record-setting levels. We’ve now reached a point where over 10% of all NHL goals (127 of 1173=10.8%) are being scored in these situations, either playing against(83) and with(44) an empty net;Empty Net & Overtime Scoring: Their Effects on Scoring Distribution and the Resulting Inflation of Point Totals for the League's Top Players
Empty net scoring has seen a huge uptick in recent seasons, largely thanks to analytics revealing that playing with an empty net is actually of a net benefit for a team aiming to make a comeback. Goals conceded during these situations are now considered to be largely inconsequential; after all...forums.hfboards.com
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For comparison purposes, powerplay scoring represents just over 20% of all NHL goals while OT and shorthanded scoring each account for 2.6%(30 each) Yes, that's right, the number of goals scored in empty net situations is now more than half of the total number of powerplay goals scored so far this season(238).
* denotes estimates - 6v5 numbers are not available prior to the 1999-00 season the estimate is based off a rate of 0.5 6v5 goals per ENG. The numbers since 1999-00 are accurate and taken from naturalstattrick
Yearly change in goals per game, all higher scoring situations.
Higher scoring 3v3 OT was introduced in 15-16;
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Empty net scoring is becoming the new and improved 'power play,' - scoring rates and playing with an empty net are higher than powerplay scoring rates and scoring rates playing against an empty net are 3 times as high! If I did the math right, teams have only played a total of about 2.7% of all regulation game time with a goalie pulled and yet teams have scored 11.1% of their regulation goals in during this time(127 of 1173 -28 OT goals). This shift is leading to a scoring bonanza and part of the reason why scoring rates are currently at their highest level in over 30 years. The question is: should the NHL be concerned about this trend, or is it a positive development for the league?
For the record, I’m not arguing for or against it, the alarming thread title was just to get you 'in the door.' I simply want to highlight this trend and its potential implications when comparing players across different eras.
I think it’s unlikely that teams start pulling the goalie 3+ minutes from the end of the game on a regular basis. The problem is that 2 minutes is already approaching the upper limit for shift length. That means the 6v5 team would have to execute a line change without turning the puck over, and then send out their 2nd best unit. I think if this became a commonly used strategy you would see the rate of successful goalie pulls diminish significantly. That said, there are certainly situations where pulling the goalie makes sense even with 10+ minutes left (ex PP while trailing), and I’m often surprised that coaches aren’t more aggressive when the occur.
The issue I have is with how contradicting the team-centric and individual-centric views are regarding empty net scoring. Teams treat empty net goals against them as being completely inconsequential, but these goals can and do have significant implications at the individual level - last season’s Art Ross race was in fact influenced by empty-net scoring. This creates an inherent contradiction: empty-net goals are considered meaningless for team strategy, yet paradoxically they can play a crucial role in determining individual awards. What may feel like a minor change in a games outcome has tangible effects on personal achievements, impacting contracts, legacy, and fan perceptions. So yes, I'm leaning towards the idea that there is a integrity issue at play here.
It's provided a boost to be sure but not nearly as much as ENG's. I posted the net results of 3 on 3 OT in the thread I made last year. But here's a condensed chart showing just EN and OT goals since 83-84 when overtime was reinstated by the NHL;
| Season | ENG | OTG |
| 1983-84 | 125 | 54 |
| 1984-85 | 102 | 48 |
| 1985-86 | 116 | 56 |
| 1986-87 | 121 | 55 |
| 1987-88 | 91 | 49 |
| 1988-89 | 132 | 52 |
| 1989-90 | 145 | 55 |
| 1990-91 | 109 | 54 |
| 1991-92 | 133 | 52 |
| 1992-93 | 138 | 65 |
| 1993-94 | 148 | 74 |
| 1994-95 | 96 | 26 |
| 1995-96 | 165 | 64 |
| 1996-97 | 179 | 70 |
| 1997-98 | 175 | 54 |
| 1998-99 | 155 | 60 |
| 1999-00 | 190 | 115** |
| 2000-01 | 208 | 122 |
| 2001-02 | 201 | 121 |
| 2002-03 | 185 | 156 |
| 2003-04 | 189 | 145 |
| 2005-06 | 187 | 136 |
| 2006-07 | 205 | 117 |
| 2007-08 | 213 | 116 |
| 2008-09 | 226 | 123 |
| 2009-10 | 203 | 117 |
| 2010-11 | 227 | 148 |
| 2011-12 | 236 | 119 |
| 2012-13 | 138 | 65 |
| 2013-14 | 221 | 129 |
| 2014-15 | 284 | 136 |
| 2015-16 | 351 | 168*** |
| 2016-17 | 289 | 190 |
| 2017-18 | 349 | 193 |
| 2018-19 | 392 | 184 |
| 2019-20 | 327 | 164 |
| 2020-21 | 267 | 130 |
| 2021-22 | 474 | 186 |
| 2022-23 | 434 | 207 |
| 2023-24 | 431 | 190 |
| 2024-25* | 589* | 212* |
It was when Covid hit, that’s why it’s there, in case some year there is odd games played, but ya rarely used, but needs to be there.
Habs pulled their goalie against the hawks I recall in early seventies about halfway through the third.
No, it's been there long before the COVID year as I have looked at it at the bottom of the website several years ago....but always found it pretty meaningless as it's only to determine how the standings are shown during the year without everyone having played the same number of games. You make a good point on the COVID year.....bit of a one-off though. Anyway, I think what is clear, empty net goals really have no impact at all regarding breaking a tie-breaker. While it's technically possible, it hasn't yet come into play to break a tie-breaker in the history of the league, so I'm not worried about. It's pretty rare to even have to go to any tie-breakers for that matter.
I know it’s been there long before Covid, I was saying it was used that year, as the first tie breaker.
No, Its Ovi's getting closer to passing Gretzky's all time goals record & thats 100% the main reason this was brought up!
Did you miss the first post?
I don't gamble, stupidest way to waste your money, I invest.
Right.
Exactly, that's one of the main things I wanted to bring attention to with this thread. It should be part of making era related adjustments especially since the top scorers are in fact benefiting more from the scoring boost than the average player.
