re: Official 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs Thread (LA KINGS WIN THE CUP 3-2 F/2OT)

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Am I reading this correctly? Why is this so close?

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Because Pitt isn't a very good possession team. Here's the team profile from extra skater:

LINK

The charts won't copy, so here's the long and short of it: the Penguins insist on giving huge minutes to some of their worst possession players. Orpik, Scuderi, Bortuzzo, Sutter, and Engelland are all getting over 15 min/game (except Engelland at 12.9) and all are well under 50% Corsi. Crosby and Malkin giveth, the third line taketh away. The Pens are an incredibly top heavy team. Their top lines are among the very best in hockey, and their bottom lines are among the worst.

Some of that is necessity. The only way to afford some of those contracts is to save elsewhere. So when Crosby or Malkin isn't on the ice, this is a bad team. Also, Niskanen and Despres have been by far their best blueliners in possession, and they don't get corresponding minutes.

Columbus is sort of the polar opposite. Their top line is pretty pedestrian, and might be one of the worst top lines in hockey, but they are extremely deep. There's no drop off even down to the fourth line. Everyone contributes and almost every player is close to a 50% Corsi (with some exceptions, but no one is more than 5% in any direction with more than 500 min played). The Jackets might be the deepest team in the NHL. There is almost no statistical difference between their bottom and top lines.