Sharks 4 - Wings 3: Game Three Scoring Chances

Now I know what it must have been like to see Bobby Orr in his prime completely dominating a game.  Now a younger generation knows what it was like to see Wayne Gretzky shred an opponent.  If you didn't watch this game - either shame on you for not tuning in, or shame on Versus and NHL Network for not figuring out a way to get this game out to the whole country.  Yes, the story here should be the Sharks and their spectacular come-from-behind-overcoming-their-choker-label win, but the mainstream media has the narrative covered.  The true story of this game for anyone that cares to dig deeper than the narrative was the Thunder From Njurunda, half man, half God, half possible centaur - Henrik Zetterberg.  Even though it was a losing effort, what Zetterberg did last night was one of the most magnificent playoff performances that I can recall. 

Zetterberg was everywhere early and on every line late.  Zetterberg led all forwards with over twenty-two minutes of even strength time, two-and-half minutes more than any other forward.   He was the only forward for either team to who was on the ice with and against every other player in the game.  If last night's game was The Matrix, Zetterberg had the unfair advantage of seeing the code when no one else could.  For the first time this series the Wings had the home change and Mike Babcock took advantage of it to match Zetterberg against Joe Thornton and his linemates.  Zetterberg came out ahead.  Way ahead.

Scoring Chances

For those of you who are new to the concept of tracking scoring chances, a scoring chance is defined as a clear play directed toward the opposing net from a dangerous scoring area - loosely defined as the top of the circle in and inside the faceoff dots, though sometimes slightly more generous than that depending on the amount of immediately-preceding puck movement or screens in front of the net.  Blocked shots are generally not included but missed shots are.  A player is awarded a scoring chance anytime he is on the ice and someone from either team has a chance to score.  He is awarded a "chance for" if someone on his team has a chance to score and a "chance against" if the opposing team has a chance to score.  Vic Ferrari makes this all possible with his tools to evaluate Corsi, head-to-head ice time and scoring chances.

Scoring Chances for NHL Game Number 30233

The Wings really beat on the Sharks early in this game but the Sharks had a couple of power plays in the second and play balanced out after that.  Wings fans are again complaining about the penalties, and it's easy to see why.  The Sharks have been on the power play for 30:30 in this series, and the Wings only 15:26.  At even strength, the Wings have a slight edge in scoring chances for the series at 49/43 and a total Corsi advantage of 32 (though they have trailed late and we know that the shots edge swings to the losing team in that situation).  Yet on the power play, the Wings have been outchanced 24/6.  The officiating hasn't been great, but the fix isn't in against the Wings this year as Red Wings' fans claim, certainly no more than the league was fixing the playoffs for the Wings in prior years as all twenty-nine other fanbases claimed.

The Wings owned the first period and six minutes of the third, and San Jose stayed alive by countering in short bursts.  They also owned overtime - the Wings had a 20/12 even strength chances advantage through three.

Joe Pavelski, Devin Setoguchi and Ryane Clowe owned Pavel Datsyuk in this game and Zetterberg did the same to Joe Thornton and crew.  Logan Couture was again quietly effective in smaller minutes.

Sweet Moses.  Zetterberg was 15/2 on even strength chances (if a penalty shot is considered an ES chance, which the NHL thinks it is by the game sheet).  Fifteen chances for and two against!  At even strength!  The Wings posted a team Corsi of 20 in this game, Zetterberg himself posted a 25.  This may be the best underlying stats game I've ever seen from a single player.