Picture this Kids Canes reader! It is a cold, blustery January night. The Carolina Hurricanes are leading the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 at PNC arena. It’s the start of the third period. The Hurricanes have two men in the penalty box. Sebastian “Fishy” Aho gets kicked out of the face off circle. In steps none other than Brent “Kit-Kat” Burns. Normally if “Kit-Kat” Burns is on the ice, I feel good about everything, so does the Most Junior Hurricanes Reporter. But tonight he is facing none other than Sidney Crosby in the face off circle.
I was watching the game on TV, and I felt the Earth shift on its axis ever so slightly towards Brent Burns.
You see, Brent Burns boasts a face off percentage of 45.5%. We will get to the math in a second, but that is not the greatest.
There have been WHOLE SEASONS where “Kit-Kat” Burns has not won a single face off he played. NONE! Not a single one!
Since breaking into the NHL in 2005, Sidney Crosby has a lifetime percentage of 52.2%. That is VERY GOOD! Crosby took seven face offs in the first period of that game alone. He won three of them.
To put Brent Burns in the face off circle against Sidney Crosby is a little bit like me entering a cookie eating contest against Cookie Monster AND a hungry bear on the same team. I do not have much of a chance.
There is a high percentage of Sidney Crosby winning, and me running for the hills while trying to chew a single oatmeal raisin, double chocolate chip. Like 100%
But how do we know, or at least think, Sidney Crosby will beat Brent “Kit-Kat” Burns in a face off?
We look at their percentages, which….was last week’s Kids Canes Challenge.
To get a percentage, you divide the number you want, by the total number.
You then have to move the decimal, or period two places and put a % on the end.
For example:
If you want to know “Kit-Kat” Burns‘ face off percentage for last year you would take the total number of face offs he won, then divide the number he was in.
That is VERY easy since he won one and was only in one!.
Written out with numbers that would look like this.
1 / 1 = .100
In this case you have to move the decimal three places, and add the % to get 100%
Now, we will try Sidney Crosby’s face off percentage for the first period of the game..
Sidney Crosby won three of the seven face offs he was in during the first period.
Written out with numbers that would look like.
3 / 7 = .428
Move the decimal (or period) over two and add the % to get 42.8%
Right now is a good time for me to tell you Kids Canes Reader, math can be tricky!
I always struggle with math. You can ask my 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Calloway.
You can ask any of my teachers!
If you struggle with math IT’S OK! You might be, and probably are, very smart in another subject.
While I struggled with math, and it was my least favorite, I loved history and to this day love learning about the past.
If math is not your thing, it really is OK! Learn what you have to and enjoy the subjects you love.
Always keep working at what you struggle with, but take time to enjoy the things you love too.
Now…back to the math and why “Kit-Kat” Burns beating Sidney Crosby in a face off is CRAZY!
“Kit-Kat” Burns has a career face off percentage of 45.5%. That means that he wins less than half (or 50%) of the face offs he is in. Plus he doesn’t even join very many face offs.
Sidney Crosby on the other has a face off percentage of 52.2% which is above half (or 50%), and VERY good. And, he plays in way more face offs.
Shew…that is a lot to take in, but when Brent “Kit-Kat” Burns wins a face off, its a big deal. When he beats Sidney Crosby in a face off, you tell all the Kids Canes readers you can about it!
Kids Canes Challenge Answer.
We told you Brent “Kit-Kat” Burns had a 100% face off percentage last season and asked if you know how to calculate percentages?
You calculate a percentage by dividing the number you want, by the total number.
Then you move the period, or decimal over two places, and add the % to get the percentage.
Kids Canes Challenge
Alyssa Gagliardi has joined the Carolina Hurricanes to help coach. Next week we are going to talk all about why this is so awesome, BUT….can you think of some famous firsts?