Devils Season 4 in Review, Part 1: The Stats

It’s that time again, the annual Year in Review.  As I have done the past three seasons, I will break down the year in 3 parts: the stats, some fun with numbers, and a few memories of the season gone by.

Welcome to Part 1, Final Regular Season Stats for the 2013-14 season.  A playoff version (part 1A, if you will) will follow upon conclusion of the playoff run, whenever that is (hopefully not anytime soon).

Record: 40-23-5-8, 93 points.  Home: 24-9-3-2.  Road: 16-14-2-6.

Leading Point Scorers (Top 5): Joe Whitney (53), Kelly Zajac (44), Mike Sislo (41), Scott Timmins (39), Reid Boucher (38)

Goals: Mike Sislo (23)

Assists: Kelly Zajac (32)

Plus/Minus: Corbin McPherson (+16)

Penalty Minutes: Seth Helgeson (100)

Power Play Goals: Mike Sislo/Reid Boucher (7)

Short-Handed Goals: Rod Pelley/Mike Sislo (2)

Game Winning Goals: Stefan Matteau (4)

Wins: Keith Kinkaid (24)

Shutouts: Keith Kinkaid/Scott Wedgewood (4)

Minutes: Keith Kinkaid (2518:58)

Save Percentage: Keith Kinkaid (.912)

Goals Against Average: Keith Kinkaid (2.29)

Full listing of individual stats: Skaters. Goalies.

LEAGUE RANKINGS:

Record: 40-23-5-8, 2nd in Northeast Division, 5th in Eastern Conference, 10th overall.

Attendance: 3,360 average, 27th.

Penalty Minutes: 1,045 minutes for an average of 13.75 per game.  25th.

Power Play: 16.2%, 21st.

Penalty Kill: 82.7%, 14th.

Shorthanded Goals: 7, tied for 8th.

Goals For/Game: 2.89, 16th.

Goals Against/Game: 2.54, 6th.

Shots For/Game: 28.13, 25th.

Shots Against/Game: 25.42, 2nd.

As always, I used the same categories as the last three seasons.  Looking back over those three seasons to now, I’ve noticed that every year the points total has improved, from the low-mid 70s the last three years to a new high of 93 this season.  They added 9 wins over last season’s record and reduced losses by 9 (not including 4 shootout losses).  Goaltending and defense have steadily improved, dropping a full goal per game since 2010-11 (from 3.54 to 2.54 this season), while the offense has gone from 2.5 goals per game to almost 3 goals this season.

Special teams also have seen more success as well.  The penalty kill has gone from dead last in 2010-11, at 77.1%, to 82.7% percent this season.  After a horrid power play last season at an 11.3 percent success rate, they improved by 5 percent this year to 16.2.

Another category of improvement would be in the penalty department.  The first season saw an average of 24 minutes per game (well, when you have Louis Robitaille and PL3 on the same team, what do you expect?), now nearly 11 minutes less per game at 13.75.  It seems every year the team is becoming more disciplined on the ice, and although there are some stupid penalties that still come up here and there, it’s not hurting the team in the long run.

Parts 2 and 3 are coming soon, I may hold off on those until after the playoff run ends.