Team effects GAA before the forward pass (and Frank Nighbor's effect on Benedict)
BBS said:
14-15
Benedict 65 GA in 20 GP for 3.3 GAA - Senators 1st
Vezina 81 GA in 20 GP for 4.1 GAA - Canadiens 2nd
McCarthy 82 GA in 19 GP for 4.3 GAA - Wanderers 3rd
Holmes 84 GA in 20 GP for 4.2 GAA - Toronto HC 4th
Moran 85 GA in 20 GP for 4.3 GAA - Quebec 5th
LeSueur 96 GA in 19 GP for 5.1 GAA - Ontarios-Shamrocks 6th
15-16 (TDMM: Frank Nighbor's first season in Ottawa)
Benedict 72 GA in 24 GP for 3.0 GAA with 1 SO- Senators 1st
Vezina 76 GA in 24 GP for 3.2 GAA - Canadiens 2nd
Moran 82 GA in 22 GP for 3.7 GAA - Bulldogs T3rd
LeSueur 92 GA in 23 GP for 4.0 GAA with 1 SO - Toronto T3rd
Lindsay 110 GA in 23 GP for 4.8 GAA with 1 SO - Wanders 5th
16-17
Benedict 50 GA in 18 GP for 2.8 GAA with 1 SO - Senators 1st
Vezina 80 GA in 20 GP for 4.0 GAA - Canadiens 2nd
Herbert 84 GA in 15 GP for 5.6 GAA Bulldogs 3rd (also played for Ottawa?)
Lindsay 96 GA in 15 GP for 6.4 GAA Wanderers 4th
I'm just going to use hockey reference's GAA numbers for the NHL because it's easier
1917-18 (Frank Nighbor missed more than half the season)
1. Georges Vezina*-MTL 3.93
2. Hap Holmes*-TRA 4.73
3. Clint Benedict*-OTS 5.12
1918-1919
1. Clint Benedict*-OTS 2.76
2. Georges Vezina*-MTL 4.19
3. Bert Lindsay-TRA 4.99
1919-20
1. Clint Benedict*-OTS 2.66
2. Mike Mitchell-TRS 4.34
3. Georges Vezina*-MTL 4.66
4. Howard Lockhart-TOT 5.84
5. Frank Brophy-QBC 7.11
1920-21
1. Clint Benedict*-OTS 3.08
2. Jake Forbes-TRS 3.83
3. Georges Vezina*-MTL 4.12
4. Howard Lockhart-HAM 5.45
1921-22
1. Clint Benedict*-OTS 3.34
2. Georges Vezina*-MTL 3.84
3. John Ross Roach-TRS 4.07
4. Howard Lockhart-HAM 4.39
1922-23
1. Clint Benedict*-OTS 2.18
2. Georges Vezina*-MTL 2.46
3. John Ross Roach-TRS 3.59
4. Jake Forbes-HAM 4.4
1923-24
1. Georges Vezina*-MTL 1.97
2. Clint Benedict*-OTS 1.99
3. Jake Forbes-HAM 2.75
4. John Ross Roach-TRS 3.48
1924-25
1. Georges Vezina*-MTL 1.81
2. Jake Forbes-HAM 1.96
3. Clint Benedict*-MTM 2.12
4. Alec Connell*-OTS 2.14
5. John Ross Roach-TRS 2.80
1925-26
1. Alec Connell*-OTS 1.12
2. Roy Worters*-PTP 1.90
3. Clint Benedict*-MTM 1.91
4. Charles Stewart-BOS 2.21
5. Jake Forbes-NYA 2.30
1926-27
1. Clint Benedict*-MTM 1.42
2. Lorne Chabot-NYR 1.46
3. George Hainsworth*-MTL 1.47
4. Alec Connell*-OTS 1.49
5. Hal Winkler-TOT 1.72
1927-28
1. George Hainsworth*-MTL 1.05
2. Alec Connell*-OTS 1.24
3. Hal Winkler-BOS 1.51
4. Roy Worters*-PTP 1.66
5. Clint Benedict*-MTM 1.70
1928-29
1. George Hainsworth*-MTL 0.92
2. Tiny Thompson*-BOS 1.15
3. Roy Worters*-NYA 1.15
4. Dolly Dolson-DTC 1.37
5. John Ross Roach-NYR 1.4
General Team effects
- Notice how the Toronto St Pats (TRS) had very strong GAA three seasons in a row from 1919-20 to 1921-22, all with different goalies. This suggests that GAA was largely dependent on the team back then.
- There does appear to be a big difference between star goalies and lesser goalies. Montreal had the best GAA in the league in Vezina's last two seasons (1923-24 and 1924-24), tanked after he was forced to recover, then picked up right where they left off with George Hainsworth
Frank Nighbor's effect in Ottawa when Benedict was the starter
1915-16 was Nighbor's first season in Ottawa. Clint Benedict led the NHA in GAA for the first time in 1914-15, so he showed he could do it without Nighbor.
However, Benedict's GAA tanked in 1917-18, when Nighbor missed half the season serving in the war:
Nighbor's extended absence in '18 gives us an idea of his importance to his team.
Discounting the Montreal Wanderers, who folded early in the season (only played 6 games), The '18 Ottawa Senators had the worst GA and the worst GF in the NHL, and missed the playoffs.
Ottawa without Nighbor in '18
3-9 record
59 GF, 73 GA
Ottawa with Nighbor in '18
5-5 record
43 GF, 40 GA
Lalonde's goals vs Ottawa with Nighbor: 1 game, 1g
Lalonde's goals vs Ottawa without Nighbor: 5 games, 8g
Malone's goals vs Ottawa with Nighbor: 3 games, 1g
Malone's goals vs Ottawa without Nighbor: 7 games, 23g
Malone's '18 season has become legendary. He scored 44g in 22 games, the highest goals per game pace in NHL history. But even more amazing is that he scored over half of those goals in 7 games against Ottawa when Nighbor was out of the lineup.
Nighbor missed a single game in 1919-20 and Joe Malone again ran wild:
Ottawa Citizen: 3-11-1920 said:
Winning Streak of Champion Senators Stopped at Nine Straight as Lowly "Bulldogs" Defeated Them 10-4 over Slushy Sheet of Ice. Ottawas Were Without Frank Nighbor and Joe Malone Ran Wild. Scoring Six Goals.
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=23959895&postcount=22
By the time the NHA had become the NHL, Frank Nighbor appeared to be more responsible for Ottawa's GAA than Clint Benedict. Remember, this is before the forward pass, so a forward could dominate defensively in ways that would be impossible today.
After Benedict left Ottawa
- The Senators traded Benedict to the newly created Montreal Maroons for cash for the 1924-25 season. The Senators were having trouble financially, and also had issues with Benedict's developing alcoholism.
- Ottawa went with the young Alex Connell and both Ottawa and Benedict's numbers declined.
- Benedict's effect on the Maroons was recognized as he finished 3rd in Hart voting in his first season there.
- Ottawa was back up to top GAA in the league the following year, though, behind Connell.
- Notice that Ottawa's GAA tanks in 1928-29 when an aging Nighbor misses a significant portion of the season.
- In 1926-27, Benedict led the league in GAA, this time playing for the Maroons. He did not finish in the top 11 of Hart voting (all that we have records for), however a defensive defenseman named Dunc Munro finished 7th in Hart voting for the Maroons. Roy Worters got the most Hart recognition among goalies, tied for 10th. This is the season that Hainsworth was awarded the inaugural Vezina because Benedict missed 2 games and his backup allowed too many goals.
Conclusion: GAA of the era was largely team based. But goalies had a definite effect too, best illustrated by Montreal's GAA tanking after Vezina was forced to retire and recovering after getting Hainsworth. Frank Nighbor appears to have been more important to Ottawa's GAA in the NHL years than either Clint Benedict or Alec Connell. However, Benedict was important too, as their GAA dropped significantly the first season after he left (but did recover at least for one season). Benedict also led the NHA in GAA in 1914-15, one season before Nighbor arrived.
Benedict was 3rd in Hart voting his first season outside of Ottawa (1924-25) for the newly created Montreal Maroons, helping them to a league averager GAA. However, when he led the league in GAA for the Maroons in 1926-27, he didn't receive Hart consideration, instead it went to his defenseman Dunc Munro. Roy Worters, who was not top 5 in GAA was the goalie who got the most Hart votes (but even he didn't get many).