Hockey Trade Rumors

I want to start by saying how happy I am that the NHL finally remedied their atrocious schedule for next year. Having said that, I did an interesting study of the Penguins and how well they would be doing if they didn’t have to play in their own division. I used Montreal, a team that’s been neck-in-neck with the Penguins all season, as a foil.

There are some interesting numbers in there, I suggest you check it out!The Pens vs:
NE: 8-4-1 (17 points out of 26, 0.65%)
SE: 7-3-2 (16 of 24, 0.67%)
ATLANTIC: 6-11-1 (that’s 13 out of a possible 36 points! that’s a 0.36%.)

East: 21-18-4 (46 of 86 points, 0.53% only, thank God for the West and next year’s schedule.)

West: 7-1-0 (14 of 16, best team against the pathetic West, 0.88%)

Total: 28-19-4 (60 of 102, 0.59%)

The Habs vs:
NE: 11-7-1 (that’s 23 out of a possible 38 points! that’s a 0.61%.)
SE: 8-3-5 (that’s 21 out of 32. 0.66%.)
Atlantic: 7-3-1 (a great record, 15 of 22 points, 0.68%)

East: 26-13-7 (59 of 92, 0.64%, thank God for Boston and the Leafs!)

West: 1-2-1 (3 of 8 points only, 0.38%, though few games played.)

Total:  27-15-8 (62 of 100, 0.62% until Crosby’s injury we were ahead of you guys, but it’s been and still is damned close)

So, you can clearly see where the huge discrepancy lies. It lies with the Pens and the Atlantic!

Just to prove this point, one more telling stat:

Pens vs all non-divisional teams:
22-8-3 (47 of a possible 66 points, good for an amazing 0.71%)

Habs vs all non-divisional teams
16-8-7 (39 of a possible 62 points, good for an average, again, 0.63%)

The Atlantic, and specifically the Flyers (good on them for taking out their vengeance after last year’s 0-8 showing), is DESTROYING the Pens. If we played more games against non-divisional teams, we’d likely be 1st in the Conference, and surely first in the division. I’m not complaining, that’s the way it’s been set up, and we profited huge last year by it, but I am DAMNED happy they changed the schedule for next year. I expect big things for the Pens next year for sure!

Another note to add, the Sens are 13-2-0 vs the NE, and 8-4-2 vs the Atlantic (the same kind of record the Pens have against the NE) and an interesting 9-8-1 vs the SE.

Take away the Sens against their own division, and their record would be:
19-13-4 (42 out of a possible 72 points, good for a marginal 0.58%) 0.05 whole % less than the Habs!

People that dismiss the Pens clearly don’t realize how tough it is to play night in and night out vs the Atlantic division (and not just stopping by for a handful of games all year). Similarly, NJ has a losing record intradivisionally, but is 8-4-0 vs the NE and 9-4-0 vs the SE…

PS, you don’t even WANNA know how good the Wings are against the rest of the League! 0.500% within their own division, but an amazing 26-1-2 vs the non-Pacific West, with 5-2 vs the East! Simply incredible!