Clik here to view.
THE ETERNAL SEARCH FOR THE PERFECT HOCKEY STAT, PART 8,348
* ITEM: The search for useful hockey stats is as old as Russian hockey (and as misleading as Soviet propaganda). In the 1969 book, Road to Olympus, which was later published in Canada under the title...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A RUSSIAN RECIPE TO IMPROVE THE GAME OF ALES HEMSKY
* ITEM: Instead of being just a brilliant soloist, would Hemsky benefit from doing more dirty work and letting Horcoff and Penner help carry the mail? As oustanding a player as Ales Hemsky is, as...
View ArticleClik here to view.
No breakthroughs in hockey analytics? Brian Burke has that wrong
Analytics approach helped build the Big Red Russian Machine and also pushed Roger Neilson to come up with best metric for fairly rating individual players Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Soviet breakthrough in hockey stats. Why Brian Burke has it wrong, Part 2.
The Russians under Tarasov studied possession, zone entries … and they also won big No team has ever won a championship because of “Moneyball” style tactics, said Leafs GM Brian Burke during a panel...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Moneypuck for Dummies (and Smarties): The Roger Neilson Effect
How to better understand the new stats that will help NHL big wigs make wise decisions, Part 4 The search for hockey’s Holy Grail didn’t end with Dick Irvin and Allan Roths’ breakthrough on plus-minus...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Vancouver Canucks live and die with Alexander Edler’s puck possession
Edler carries the mail for Vancouver. On Wednesday against Los Angeles, he dropped it too often. Alexander Edler There is no denying the import of Alex Edler to the Vancouver Canucks, something that...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What did the Tarasov project tell us about the Stanley Cup Finals?
Among other findings, Tarasov Numbers strengthened the case for Drew Doughty as series MVP * * * During the Stanley Cup playoffs we at the Cult of Hockey undertook an ambitious new project to attempt...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Nail Yakupov is a throwback to the old school Soviet attackers
There are two types of outstanding Russian forwards, soloists and team players. The good news for fans of the Edmonton Oilers is that Nail Yakupov appears to be the right type. That’s certainly the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How Soviet Union coach Vsevolod Bobrov blew it in 1972 by not playing Anatoli...
The difference between victory and defeat in the 1972 Summit Series for the Soviet Union was likely the absence or injury of three of the country’s most thrilling attackers in the deciding Game 8. One...
View Article