NHL.com article on the drop in save percentage

[Romang67]

I thought this article was interesting, given all the talk about how bad goaltending is right now.

Unmasked: Examining drop in NHL save percentage | NHL.com

Vasilevskiy says lack of wasted shots big reason overall number has gone down

www.nhl.com

“I feel like guys don't waste shots anymore,” Vasilevskiy told NHL.com. “You know, back when I came into the League (in 2014-15), it used to be 30 or 35-plus shots each game. It was almost every night, you felt good about your game, you were into it all the time. Nowadays, guys don't waste shots. It's all about the quality. They're all looking for that perfect play, perfect pass, perfect shot.”

Former NHL goalie Steve Valiquette, who founded Clear Sight Analytics and works as a television analyst for New York Rangers broadcasts on MSG, said the number of unscreened shots -- he calls them clear-sighted shots because the goalie can see the release -- from long range is down 27.9 percent the past six seasons, and the amount of those shots from outside the slot has dropped 20.8 percent.

Click to read more...

 

[Vipers31]

That definitely matches my impression and overarching trends. We went from „you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take“ to „you’re just turning the puck over if you take the wrong shot“. Instead of hoping to win the lottery on the scratch-off ticket you get on top, teams prefer to just keep the puck and go for a higher-percentage shot - the 3-on3 overtime evolution is kind of the embodiment of that attitude.

 

[895]

The rise in shots was a natural reaction to the analytics revolution. Players would start taking shots they didn't really believe in because it makes their corsi better.

Now it's trending the other way because analytics is just de jour now and everyone is back to focusing on trying to score goals.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

No mention of equipment change and stick tech?

Bad time in the league to be a goalie that's for sure

 

[TheBeerNerd]

Not applicable to my team this year, therefore not my problem

 

[JPT]

No mention of equipment change and stick tech?

Bad time in the league to be a goalie that's for sure

At least their pay has finally started to increase

 

[BraveCanadian]

So funny. When save percentages were rising due to size selection and improved equipment allowing the butterfly to become a default stance it was because goalies of the past "sucked". When save percentages are going down it is because players are just so good they are being more selective. Even though a lot of them are the same goalies.

No, I think this is just the equipment rule changes along with the natural ebb and flow of the officiating in the league. The NHL is a copycat league big time.

There was a time not too long ago when everything was getting called and teams went full puck possession to dipsy doodle around with no fear at all to get good shots. Now we're back in a time when there is tons of traffic in front, occasional real hits catching guys with their heads down, and a lot of garbage goals going in off people's asses and skates and tip ins that goalies don't even see.

It will likely go the other way once the pendulum swings back again.

 

[Toby91ca]

Players would start taking shots they didn't really believe in because it makes their corsi better.

I think you'll have a hard time finding a player that spends any time at all thinking about their corsi stats.

 

[Gm0ney]

I thought this article was interesting, given all the talk about how bad goaltending is right now.

Unmasked: Examining drop in NHL save percentage | NHL.com

Vasilevskiy says lack of wasted shots big reason overall number has gone down

www.nhl.com

Vasilevskiy is wrong about shot quantities. They're generally up from 2014-15. This year so far is trending a bit lower, but we're only 1/3 of the way through the regular season. Expected goals are way up though, so teams are taking better shots.

 

[braunm]

When Gretzky recorded 215 points in 1985-86, the average save percentage was only 0.872 compared with the current 0.901. This is a 2.9% difference in save percentage.
Based on this, Gretzky would only have had 209 points in 2024.
I know there are other mathematic variables, but regardless, this points towards Gretzky’s inconceivable dominance.

 

[ijuka]

The rise in shots was a natural reaction to the analytics revolution. Players would start taking shots they didn't really believe in because it makes their corsi better.

Now it's trending the other way because analytics is just de jour now and everyone is back to focusing on trying to score goals.

Or the advanced stat they're focusing on is expected goals instead of corsi.

 

[bossram]

The rise in shots was a natural reaction to the analytics revolution. Players would start taking shots they didn't really believe in because it makes their corsi better.

Now it's trending the other way because analytics is just de jour now and everyone is back to focusing on trying to score goals.

This is a hilarious comment considering Corsi has largely fallen out of favour to scoring chance and shot-quality based metrics (i.e. expected goals).