How does one read hockey statistics and scores?

Answer 1

The columns stand for: wins, losses, ties and overtime losses, which account for one point in the standings. L10 means their record during the past 10 games they've played.

Teams have stats for wins, loses, and ties. The NHL plays an 82 game regular season schedule that runs for 9 months. Then there is the playoffs, with the quarter, semi, and final series of games to get the 30 teams down to their final 2 teams who play a 7 game series to decide the winners of the Stanley Cup which is the league championship cup. The Stanley Cup is the HARDEST cup in sport to win, (Basketball has the same format) as the winning team has to have won it's way thru the season, to get into the playoffs, then they have to win a 7 game quarter finals series, then win a 7 game semi final series, then win the final 7 game series to win the cup.

So figure it out............Win at least 75 percent of the 82 regular season games, (you could only win half and probably still make it) then win another 4 out of 7 in the quarter semis, then 4 out of 7 in the semis , then 4 out of 7 in the finals, for a total of at least 99 games played, and you have to have won at least 80 odd them to get to the cup finals.(not neccesarily)

Un-like football ( soccer ) the championship is not decided by one game, it is a 7 game final series played over a 10 day period of time, with the team that wins four games being the cup winner.

Many times it comes down to game 7 with both teams having won 3 of the past games. In some cases, after 60 minutes they are still tied in scoring and the game goes into " sudden death " overtime, where the next goal scored wins the cup. The record for the most overtime periods played ( a period is 20 minutes of stop time play ) is SIX . That means that the game was 60 minutes of regular playing time, PLUS 180 minutes of overtime play, until a tie breaking goal was finally scored. That record game was a total of FOUR HOURS of playing time. That took place in Montreal in the 1930's.

To read the game stats for a team, look at their wins, loses, and overtime losses (in the regular season the overtime layout is different). To advance into the post season, a team needs to have a winning season, and then win thru the quarter, semi, and final series of games.

To read the individual players stats look at their plus/minus stats, and their goals, assists and penalty minutes.