NHL Teams: GF/GP 22-23 vs average GF/GP of Prev. 6 Seasons

These 3 charts are the same but different.

They show last season's Goals For per Games Played (GF/GP) for each team compared to their average GF/GP over the previous 6 seasons (from 16-17 to 21-22).

The historical average is plotted in grey.

The 22-23 difference is in blue.

• If the team performed worse than their average, the blue is on the bottom of the chart and should be thought of as subtracting from the grey bar

The teams are sorted L –> R in 3 different ways:

1. Chart on the left: ordered on historical average GF/GP (16-17 to 21-22)
   1. Makes it easy to see how the recent landscape for goal scoring in the NHL
2. Chart in the middle: ordered on 22-23 GF/GP
   1. Makes it easier to see last year's highest and lowest goal scoring teams
3. Chart on the right: ordered on size of the difference
   1. Makes it easiest to see teams who had a season furthest from their previous average
   2. Perhaps a sign of some regression to the mean next year – or teams who performed to their history and may be ready to break out

Reference Points

money line

1. Stagnant Greats
   1. While scoring was up around the league, some perennially strong teams stuck to their GF/GP rate
   2. Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs
2. But can They Sustain it?
   1. Buffalo Sabres scored 0.984 more goals per game in 22-23 – the biggest growth over a team's historical of any team in the league from their previous 6 season average. They also rose from their historical average: fourth from the bottom
   2. Nearly ditto: LA Kings; New Jersey Devils
   3. Honorable Mentions: Detroit Red Wings; Ottawa Senators
3. The Dreaded Middle
   1. It can be tough to break from the middle of the pack. It can take a team doing something drastic
      1. Chicago Blackhawks: Tank for Bedard - scoring a horrifyingly low 2.48 GF/GP. Looking better and better by the day though
      2. Nashville Predators: The Barry Trotz blow it up
4. Gripping the Stick Tighter
   1. Some years the puck doesn't go in the net. But sometimes it's an indication that a team is losing a step
   2. Pittsburgh Penguins; Washington Capitals; Winnipeg Jets