I’m almost ready to close the book on playoff tracking & moving onto some off-season projects. My plan going in was to break each series down individually, but it’s a little time-consuming with the level of detail I want to get into. I have some general points I want to discuss, but I also want to open the forum to you. It can be about series/teams I didn’t touch on or just a general NHL question.
Or, alternately....a good fit, and even though the top-line stats were disappointing, his contribution was good. (Of course, he'll need to reign in the stupid penalties). Not saying I'm right, but curious if there are other factors to consider in evaluating his performance.
Three years of major cap relief while McDavid is setting records is tempting. I'd find a trade first because GMs opinion on defensemen changes on a dime, but this isn't an easy no.
I have been interested in starting a tracking project this summer so that I can be a more intentional observer of the game and both broaden and deepen my knowledge. I have a couple of questions:
1. As a fan of, primarily, a specific and small market team(the Blue Jackets), is there value in me focusing largely on their games?
2. If not, what's an area of the game where public hand-tracking could use some more depth? So far, I'd like to examine forwards and defensemen and how they contribute to retrievals and zone exits with more granularity.
3. Any tools, tricks or resources you use to make tracking games after-the-fact on video? Ive done some manual tracking of a very different and much slower sport previously, but am just curious if you have anything that could make my journey easier! Thanks :)
This ties into Eric's question, but I got started with tracking scoring chances & zone entries when those were in their beginning stages. I just wanted to learn more about the game beyond shot data & those were what we had back then.
There's more data available now, but data tracking is about what interests you & what questions you want answered. Sometimes it's about developing new stats, other times it's just adding your own layer of nuance to watching/evaluating teams and players. I think having a personal interest is a big thing because collecting data just to have it can get laborious after awhile & takes the fun out of being an analyst.
tl;dr: Find a part of the game that interests you, make your definitions (or go off previous work if it's something like entries/passes) & simplify the tracking process as much as you can. Don't be afraid to reach out for help with this because there's a lot of ways you can track the data (by hand, Excel, Google sheets, etc.) and there are a lot of people in the hockey community who are great with data cleaning/organizing.
I would also start with doing one team for 15-20 games & seeing what your general findings are from there. I also think posting clips from games throughout the process helps get your message across. Practical examples are how I learn best & I know lots of others who are the same.
How big of an effect did Jesper Bratt's playoff run have on his potential contract? Does a long term body of work matter more, or does the first dip into playoff hockey shed light you wouldn't otherwise see?
Toronto keeps losing in the playoffs, and I'm surprised nobody has done a deep dive into why (instead of just pointing out unlucky shot metrics). Have you seen a difference in tracking data that occurs for certain teams from the regular season into the playoffs? Or rather, is there a type of player ala Toronto's core that doesn't generate as much pre-shot or experiences more neutral zone turbulence than usual?
Any notable under-the-hood adjustments/changes/improvements for NJD from Games 1-2 to 3-7 vs. NYR?
Thoughts on Timo? Production didn’t match the hype. Unlucky or not a great fit?
Or, alternately....a good fit, and even though the top-line stats were disappointing, his contribution was good. (Of course, he'll need to reign in the stupid penalties). Not saying I'm right, but curious if there are other factors to consider in evaluating his performance.
Should the Oilers buyout Darnell Nurse
Three years of major cap relief while McDavid is setting records is tempting. I'd find a trade first because GMs opinion on defensemen changes on a dime, but this isn't an easy no.
NJD and Hellebuyck? Good idea? I'm largely on-board (like 90%). Where do you stand?
I have been interested in starting a tracking project this summer so that I can be a more intentional observer of the game and both broaden and deepen my knowledge. I have a couple of questions:
1. As a fan of, primarily, a specific and small market team(the Blue Jackets), is there value in me focusing largely on their games?
2. If not, what's an area of the game where public hand-tracking could use some more depth? So far, I'd like to examine forwards and defensemen and how they contribute to retrievals and zone exits with more granularity.
3. Any tools, tricks or resources you use to make tracking games after-the-fact on video? Ive done some manual tracking of a very different and much slower sport previously, but am just curious if you have anything that could make my journey easier! Thanks :)
More of a generalized question;
How did you get started with tracking - any advice/tips on where to begin? And before you say watch hockey I already do plenty of that.
Huge fan of your work Corey, keep up the great content!
This ties into Eric's question, but I got started with tracking scoring chances & zone entries when those were in their beginning stages. I just wanted to learn more about the game beyond shot data & those were what we had back then.
There's more data available now, but data tracking is about what interests you & what questions you want answered. Sometimes it's about developing new stats, other times it's just adding your own layer of nuance to watching/evaluating teams and players. I think having a personal interest is a big thing because collecting data just to have it can get laborious after awhile & takes the fun out of being an analyst.
tl;dr: Find a part of the game that interests you, make your definitions (or go off previous work if it's something like entries/passes) & simplify the tracking process as much as you can. Don't be afraid to reach out for help with this because there's a lot of ways you can track the data (by hand, Excel, Google sheets, etc.) and there are a lot of people in the hockey community who are great with data cleaning/organizing.
I would also start with doing one team for 15-20 games & seeing what your general findings are from there. I also think posting clips from games throughout the process helps get your message across. Practical examples are how I learn best & I know lots of others who are the same.
Thank you for your reply. Appreciate you!
How big of an effect did Jesper Bratt's playoff run have on his potential contract? Does a long term body of work matter more, or does the first dip into playoff hockey shed light you wouldn't otherwise see?
Who will be gone when the Flyers take the ice in October? How does the draft class look for next year?
Konecny seems like a given.
Toronto keeps losing in the playoffs, and I'm surprised nobody has done a deep dive into why (instead of just pointing out unlucky shot metrics). Have you seen a difference in tracking data that occurs for certain teams from the regular season into the playoffs? Or rather, is there a type of player ala Toronto's core that doesn't generate as much pre-shot or experiences more neutral zone turbulence than usual?
If the Hurricanes could target one player in free agency, who would you want it to be?
Tarasenko
Redux with Pacioretty
been meaning to ask, what's your read on Bowen Byram as a player? do you think he's trending towards top-pairing or even #1 level?