Nick Gildred writes:
 
>Also if you are short handed and the team on power plays scores no one gets
>a plus, or a minus.  However, if the short handed team scores then everyone
>on the ice including the goalie on the short hand gets a plus and everyone on
>the power play gets a minus.
 
Uh, goalies don't ever get plusses or minuses. The reason for this is rather
simple. A goalie won't (Ron Hextall excluded) have anything to do with
goals scored by his team, and his goals against is better used in a stat
like save percentage or the Perseverence Rating.
 
The same number of plusses and minuses don't have to be given out on a
goal. For example, if a team scores with its goalie pulled, the team
scoring would have get 6 plusses, and the team scored on would get 5
minuses. On a short-handed goal, the team that scored gets 4 (or 3) plusses,
and the team scored on would get 5 (or 4) minuses.
 
>It would seem though that the guy in box should
>get a minus if the team on power play scores, but I don't think that's the
>case.  I guess even though he put his team in the hole they don't want to
>hold him accountable for the goal scored. He also wouldn't get a point if
>his team scores a short handed goal.
 
He'll be held accountable already. :-) Besides, if you have a 4-on-3, who
gets the minus? The first guy in the box, or the second?
 
>It does seem to be a weak method of
>measuring defensive ability.  I'd prefer a method of assigning a negitive
>assist.  In other words if you let a guy blow by you and he scores then you
>get a minus 1, or a forward for example and used the oppositions defenseman
>on a screened shot, than defense would get a minus 1. You could even have
>multiple players getting a minus. The problem is it would drive the score
>keeper batty, it hard enough at times to figure out who got the an assist...
>so I guess the +/- is the next best thing.
 
Well, I think you touched on a main advantage to +/-, that it is relatively
easy to figure out, and it is consistent.
 
The problem with something like "negative assists" as well is that it is too
much a judgement call. What may be a NA to someone at Clarkson may not be a
NA at Union, for example, or what may be a NA to the road team may not be one
for the home team. You'd also be giving "credit" for things after the fact.
It does intrigue me, though. I may try to use it at my team's playoff game
tonight. (Hopefully I won't get the chance to hand out any NA's. :) )
 
I do like +/-, but I don't think it is the magical stat that will put the
universe in order. :) (I'm still looking for that.
 
The ideal defensive stat would be something that isn't linked to goals. If
a defenseman is playing like crap and his goalie bails him out all the time,
his +/- wouldn't suffer, nor would he get any NA's. OTOH, if he's playing
well, but is in front of a sieve, his +/- would be dreadful, and the NA's
would start piling up.
 
See you later,
John
 
--
John C.K. Edwards        Stats Geek, Ottawa Jr Senators (26-25-3 59pts) (CJHL)
Carleton U., Law IV                   I don't give a damn about being liked,
[log in to unmask]           but I sure as hell intend to be respected.
Canadian [Tier II] Jr. A standings: http://www.eng.carleton.ca/chat/~jedwards