A few weeks back, I looked into the scoring chance tracking done at War on Ice, comparing scoring chance rates to shot attempt rates for individual players. Now, for more of a macro look at team-level results, comparing goals for and against, scoring chances for and against, and shot attempts for and against to see if its possible to get a better grasp on the ever-elusive shot quality. Ive compiled some ratios, looking at goals, scoring chances and shot attempts, using colour scales to help identify outliers. (All measures during 5-on-5 play) (G - Goals, SA - Shot Attempts, SC - Scoring Chances) When it comes to goals per shot attempts, its not a surprise to see non-playoff teams languishing near the bottom, but San Jose, Los Angeles and Boston are also at the bottom of the range. Given that L.A. and Boston are in the Top 10 of shot attempt differential, the low-percentage finishing has an impact on their offensive production. On goals per scoring chance, the Rangers, Predators, Blues, Avalanche and Panthers are getting goals at the highest rate per scoring chance, but that could reveal a little something about their respective attacks. Nashville, for example, has 22 even-strength goals from their defencemen, while Carolina has seven. Given the qualifications for scoring chances, teams that get more goals from the point could have a higher percentage of non-scoring chances that ultimately result in goals. Otherwise, San Jose, Los Angeles and Boston remain in the lower tier, not taking advantage of opportunities. As for scoring chances per shot attempt, the Tampa Bay Lightning are far and away the leaders in percentage of shot attempts that count as scoring chances. That offers some support for converting the highest percentage of 5-on-5 shot attempts into goals and backs them up as the leagues highest-scoring team. Theyre high-percentage finishers, but not outrageously so and the quality of opportunities suggest that they should score on a relatively high percentage of shot attempts. Notably, both Dallas and Toronto ranked highly in terms of goals per shot attempt and scoring chances per shot attempt. The Stars are one of the highest-scoring teams in the league and the Maple Leafs were before their pre-All-Star drought. At the bottom of scoring chances per shot attempt chart sits the Florida Panthers, which is interesting because of the juxtaposition. The Panthers are one of the leagues lowest-scoring teams but, as noted above, they actually finish on a relatively high percentage of their scoring chances, rare as they may be. Thats the offensive side. How does it look in terms of goals, scoring chances and shot attempts allowed? Defensively, Nashville, Montreal, Calgary, Winnipeg and the Rangers allow the lowest percentage of goals per shot attempt. Certainly something to be said for quality goaltending. But if good goaltending can save teams, the opposite is true at the bottom end of the chart. Minnesota, Edmonton, Arizona, Columbus and Dallas are allowing the most goals per shot attempt during 5-on-5 play. For the most part, those teams have had poor goaltending this year. Minnesota and Edmonton stand out, in the wrong way because they are middle of the road in terms of scoring chances allowed, but goals per scoring chance and goals per shot attempts are right at the bottom. Lets not attribute all of this to goaltending, though, because part of this exercise is to look at shot quality, at least in terms of recorded scoring chances. The teams allowing the lowest goals-per-scoring chance arent especially surprising. Nashville, led by Pekka Rinne, and Montreal, led by Carey Price, are 1-2 again, with Colorado, Winnipeg and St. Louis rounding out the Top Five. The contributions of rookies Calvin Pickard, in Colorado, and Michael Hutchinson, in Winnipeg, have been positive in relatively limited playing time. Most of the teams allowing more goals per scoring chance are teams that have allowed a lot of goals overall but, again, the Florida Panthers stand out. The Panthers have a middle-of-the-road defensive record this season, allowing 2.64 goals per game (tied for 16th) and 30.3 shots per game (20th), but they are among the worst in terms of goals-per -scoring-chance-allowed ratio. What makes this fascinating is that the Panthers also happen to surrender the lowest percentage of scoring chances per shot attempt. If we combine this with the offensive findings, it appears that the Panthers are somewhat fortunate despite few scoring opportunities, while they are a legitimately strong defensive team that is, unfortunately, surrendering goals on a high percentage of the relatively few scoring chances that they do allow. Which brings us to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team that is far-and-away allowing the highest percentage of scoring chances per shot attempt. While Florida, Nashville, the New York Rangers, Anaheim and Ottawa are allowing the lowest percentage of scoring chances, relative to shot attempts, the Leafs are in a class of their own at the bottom behind Tampa Bay, Carolina and the New York Islanders. This is where trouble comes home to roost for the Leafs, though. Not only do they allow a high-percentage of scoring chances -- thats bad enough -- but they also allow more shot attempts than any non-Buffalo-Sabres entry. A poor shot attempt differential is one thing, and important in its own right, but getting further burned on shot quality is utterly crushing. Much of the data included comes from
www.war-on-ice.com. Scott Cullen can be reached at
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Jason Williams Jersey . Murakami gracefully executed a double triple toe jump and a triple flip jump that put her at the top of a tightly contested race with 64.73 points, just ahead of Li Zijun of China on 62. GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Cincinnati Reds closer Aroldis Chapman is undergoing surgery to repair a broken bone above his left eye but has no other serious injuries after being hit in the face by a line drive in a spring training game. Team doctor Timothy Kremchek said Chapman could be playing again in six to eight weeks. The left-hander with a fastball that has reached 105 mph hopefully will start exercising and throwing in a couple of weeks, Kremchek said. The doctor called Chapman "a very lucky guy." Kremchek said a metal plate will be inserted in the bone above his left eyebrow, with perhaps a bone graft as well, and will remain there permanently. Chapman has a very mild concussion but no other brain injury and no injury to his eye, Kremchek said. "Hes feeling better and he has some pain management. Were optimistic that he is going to be on the mend," Reds manager Bryan Price said after meeting with players Thursday morning at the teams spring training facility. "Obviously, well stay in touch. We will make sure we follow the process as we continue to get familiar with the injury itself. We will let him know how much support he has and that we care about him. Hopefully, we will see him here very soon." Catcher Brayan Pena, a fellow Cuban and Chapmans close friend, was one of several Reds players who visited the injured pitcher Wednesday night and spoke to him on the phone Thursday morning. "He was talking to me and we joked a lot," Pena said. "He just wanted to make sure for me to tell everybody that he appreciate so much the fans prayers, especially our teammates, our coaching staff, everybody around, how much support and how much love he received and got from all of us." Pena said Chapman was very happy when they spoke Thursday, "talking and joking. He was talking a lot about some Cuban jokes and thats good because that means his memory is still working pretty good." The frightening incident, widely available on video via the Internet, occurred in the sixth inning of Wednesday night game at Kansas Citys spring training facility in Surprise, Ariz., when the Royals Salvador Perez lined Chapmans 99 mph fastball into the pitchers face. Chapman was knocked backward to the ground, then rolled on his face, kicking in pain. Pena rushed to the mound. "Honestly when I saw it I wanted to cry," Pena said. "That was my first feeling because it was very scary. It was very scary because I saw the line drive going straight for his face, and then I saw him bleeding and kicking and moving around the way he was." Pena said Chapman "wasnt even talking. He was just like mmoaning and making sounds and then when I got there I panicked because I didnt know what else to do.dddddddddddd Then the medical staff guys got there, and those guys were great." Chapman was taken off the field in a stretcher as the crowd fell into an eerie silence and the game was called off. The pitcher was taken to a nearby hospital, then transferred to Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix. Kremchek said he expected Chapman to remain hospitalized for a couple of days, perhaps being released on Saturday. The ball hit Chapman in one of the most protected areas of the skull, the doctor said. "If you get hit in the side of the head, that could be disastrous," Kremchek said. "Where Aroldis got hit, you dont want to say he got hit in a good spot because hes undergoing surgery, but it could have been a lot worse, a lot more injuries, a lot more permanent. Hes very lucky." The 26-year-old Chapman has a fastball that regularly tops 100 mph. The two-time All-Star defected from Cuba in 2009 and made the Reds club in his first season of 2010. He had 38 saves each of the past two seasons, with 122 strikeouts in 71 2-3 innings in 2012 and 112 strikeouts in 63 2-3- innings in 2013. Price, a former pitcher, said pitchers are in a dangerous situation, "regardless of how hard you throw." "Its hard to defend yourself from 53, 54 feet," the manager said. "And everyone finishes their pitches differently. Everyone is not in a perfect fielding position and even if you are there is no guarantee that you can protect yourself when a balls hit that hard." Major League Baseball approved a protective cap for pitchers this winter following several terrifying scenes similar to this one in the last few years. The hats were available for testing during spring training on a voluntary basis but most have rejected them. Besides, the hats would offer no protection to the face, where Chapman was hit. Chapman particularly wanted to thank the Royals organization for its support and offer assurance to Perez that it is just something that happens in baseball and was not his fault. Pena said he also felt some responsibility. "I kind of blame myself a little bit because I could have called slider or I should have called changeup," Pena said. "Thats your thought process. Everything goes through your mind and youre looking for answers. ... You kind of put yourself in that guilt feeling." But Chapman, Pena said, told him "You know, its not your fault. I should have thrown slower. Im the one feeling very bad about it and hes the one thats cheering me up. Hes the one in the hospital." ' ' '