It might surprise the casual fan that the Carolina Hurricane are one of the top five teams this season in a number of statistical categories.
They rank second in the league in faceoffs, winning 53.7% of all the puck drops they’ve seen this season. They are number three in shots against per game, allowing only 27.5 attempts get through to either Eddie Lack or Cam Ward.
They are tied for the lowest number of penalties with 232, and ranked second in total penalty minutes assessed, with 512 lost in the sin bin. And finally, when they do get penalties, they are ranked fifth in the league when short-handed, killing off 84.5%.
There is one #1 ranking, though, that at first blush seems like a negative one. The Carolina Hurricanes have the most overtime losses of any team in the NHL with fifteen. They extended their lead in that category over the Vancouver Canucks (13) with the game Friday against the Islanders.
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If you look deeper into the league-wide statistics and past season records you can quickly see that this is actually a positive number for the Hurricanes. It shows that this organization is trending in the right direction for next season.
First, the overtime stats.
Comparing this season with the previous two, at this point in the campaign, a few positive things jump out. Here are the numbers after 75 games:
2015-2016 season – 32 wins (9 OT), 28 losses, 15 overtime losses = 79 points
2014-2015 season – 28 wins (5 OT), 36 losses, 11 overtime losses = 67 points
2013-2014 season – 32 wins (6 OT), 32 losses, 11 overtime losses = 75 points
"An ironic note about the 75th game of the last three seasons…they all ended in an overtime loss. Perhaps the result of the Islanders game was just fate, which would explain the winning goal by Clutterbuck."
Almost a quarter of all NHL games have gone to extra time this season, which is in line with an average in the low 20’s for recent years. The Hurricanes are quite a bit above average, with 32% of their games going to overtime. They have also reached the extra period seven more times than they did two seasons ago, and eight more than last season.
While having to play in overtime can indicate many things, like a team giving up a lead late or a team battling hard and taking the game to extra time, the Canes numbers show one clear thing. They are a much better overtime team than they used to be, improving the points they’ve gotten from overtime by about 40% over the last two seasons.
Why are they going to overtime more?
They are a young rebuilding team that has experienced both the epic collapse and the epic comeback. They’ve had weak games where they’ve let teams back into it and needed the extra time to settle it. They’ve also had some great battling games where they were the team to force overtime. However you map the various ways they’ve made it to extra time, one thing is crystal clear – this is a team that is going to battle to the end if there is a point available.
Why are they better at overtime than before?
Almost the same answer. Coach Peters and General Manager Ron Francis have put together a young, hungry and proud team that doesn’t give up, no matter what the score is. They may make rookie mistakes, or pull boneheaded moves (stay in your crease Cam), but you can’t say these kids aren’t trying.
On top of that team commitment, and the urge to prove themselves to the coach and GM, the players have bought into the coach’s system of fast play and quick puck movement. The no fear, balls to the wall type of game that Bill Peters preaches is perfectly suited for the new 3-on-3 format with its open ice and very fast-pace. If he can finally find those overtime combinations that click, and get them clicking all the time, the Caniacs won’t have to fear overtime and the shootout any longer.
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The Hurricanes have obviously been more successful in overtime this season with a bunch of young, inexperienced players still trying to get the hang of NHL hockey. The Canes five minute overtimes of next year could be a thing to watch if they keep getting better and better.