Jim Love asks about the power play stats for the UIC-WMU game in which
UIC played over a third of the game without a goaltender, and why
UIC's extra man goals weren't counted in the PP stats (likewise WMU's
empty netters in their shorthanded stats).
 
The answer is that in determining if a goal is scored on the power
play or shorthanded, you look ONLY at the total number of players on
the ice for each team.  It does not matter if one of them is a
goaltender or not.
 
So, the "extra skater" goals UIC scored were still even strength,
except for the two goals scored when they were actually up an extra
man due to a penalty.  And WMU's goals during the same situation are
still even strength since they occurred when both teams had the same
number of players on the ice.  None of the empty net time frame counts
as a power play, except for the situations where a penalty caused an
imbalance in the total number of players on the ice for the teams.  A
power play cannot exist as the result of anything other than a penalty.
It is best just to forget that the goalie was even pulled.
 
It is an unfortunate thing that we tend to say a team is playing 5x3
or the like during a PP situation.  We should really say 6x4 (or 6x5
during a typical one man short PP).
 
Jim also says,
 
>I'm just curious how
>the CCHA league office will treat these stats...
 
I don't know if Jeff will jump in here, but I am sure he will treat
them as if the sixth UIC skater were the goaltender - just as I
described them above.
 
>...just as I was a number of
>years ago when UNH scored 4 goals on a single 5-minute major against BU
>(I was hoping BU wouldn't take any other penalties, so the 'Cats' pp stat
>line would read something like "PPs - BU 1 for 6; UNH 4 for 1" :-)
 
Actually, UNH was 4 for 5 during that major alone.  On a major, the
number of power play opportunities is equal to 1 + the number of goals
scored on that major.
 
Oh yes, since I have had people ask before, the time that a goalie is
pulled on a delayed penalty is NOT considered empty net time.
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                                            [log in to unmask]
Cabletron Systems, Inc.                                    *HMM* 11/13/93