I keep following the ESPN rankings and they just seem off, consistently ranking detroit low.
[https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/\_/id/39576814/nhl-power-rankings-2023-2024-best-teams-standings-playoffs](https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/39576814/nhl-power-rankings-2023-2024-best-teams-standings-playoffs)
We’re near the end of Feb, four games left and about 26 left on the season (2/3rds through). Looking at our performance in 2024 (“second season”, post holidays), we have done the following:
* 13-4-2 record
* Beat 8 playoff-bound teams, one of which we beat twice (LAK) and lost to one in OT (EDM)
* Point % in 2024 of 0.737
* We have the highest number of players with 10+ goals
* Goalie within earshot of top performing across the league (between Lyon and Quick is a mere 0.003 SAV)
* 8th best PP *and* PK
If we keep this up, we’re on track to actually finish with a 100+ point season. I was a little botherds by that article so I thought I’d share some positive and reassuring stats.
If anyone else has interesting stats, please share!
EDIT: Another interesting fact: of the remaining 26 games, only 9 are against teams currently playoff-bound.
by jswitzer
14 Comments
They’ve got us exactly where we are in league standings. Uninspired sure but not particularly low.
I’d have a hard time putting Detroit ahead of anybody other than maybe LA and Philly on that list. Do people really get bothered by this stuff? Who cares about anything other than what the actual standings say?
I mean ESPN’s hockey “analysis” isn’t much more than looking at the league standing and adjusting a team up or down by 1 or 2 so it doesn’t look like they copied someone’s homework. Detroit sits at #14 in overall points right now, so being ranked #14 is as in depth as you can expect ESPN to get here. Let everyone keep underestimating the Wings!
32% chance at the playoffs seems low, especially with Tampa at 80% and the Isles at 28% or Devils at 42%. I haven’t looked into what model they’re running, but seems off.
The Leafs and Canes are around a 65 points % and you need to go all the way to the Sabres to find a team under 50%. We’ve got 26 games left, so a 65% rate is 34 more points, and 50% is 26.
So if we just play Sabres hockey from here out – we’d land at 92 points. So 2 of the lightning, devils, isles, and caps would need to be north of 60% and nearly to 65% to pass us. And the flyers would need to avoid implosion.
I could see us dropping our pace a bit – but at 55% we get 29 more points and would be clear of all of those teams playing 65% (so leafs/canes level) hockey for the remainder of the year.
They have Detroit ahead of TB. I don’t really care what someone says about playoff chances. Some ‘experts’ in the pre-season thought Boston would miss the playoffs. Just an opinion, and just one persons opinion at that. The gal who wrote the article.
That post yesterday about the Wings having the most players with 10 or more goals was a monster
ALL of the top teams on that list are league heavyweights
There were a few teams with 10
…but the Wings lead with 12
They’re saying the Islanders have a better percent chance of making the playoffs — they’ll need to beat the Wings outright with more points. Wings hold the tiebreaker (regulation wins) and the Islanders will not be surpassing them on that.
The PK is surprisingly and impressive considering how average/poor the 5o5 D can be
ESPN knows dick about hockey.
ESPN is on their knees for Vegas, betting is all the rage right now. It’s not about reality it’s about making people take dumb bets to lose so they rake in $$$$. So do the opposite and laugh all the way to the bank by betting on the wings now. They are making the playoffs.
I mean there’s no disguising that we aren’t a very good defensive team. It drags us down in a lot of peoples eyes. They have us at 14 which is fair and I know NJ and Tampa having better playoffs % is annoying but they aren’t exactly bad teams.
It says in like the second paragraph that the percentage they are using is from Stathletes
Don’t forget, you guys also have one of the most clutch beauties of all time AKA the Playoff GOAT of Patty Fuckin’ Kane
ESPN isn’t known for hockey.