It’s time for another season of hockey, so let’s have a refresher on the game-day charts.

If you understand what you’re seeing then you can appreciate what the data is telling you and why the game may be going the way it is.

Team Level Charts | 5v5 Shot Share and Shot Quality

 

Explanation: This one shows two pie charts that I’ll update after each period. Therefore, it’ll be a rolling total throughout the game. The data you’re looking at will score and venue adjust 5 on 5 shot share (Corsi) and shot quality (xG).

The line charts charts underneath are a view of the numbers on a period-by-period basis. We can get an idea of how the team played in each period. For example, we can see if one team dominated a period that played into the numbers or if they were solid throughout.

Why is this important?: This can be an indication of how the game is going at a few levels regardless of the score. It tells us which team is getting the majority of the shots and who is getting the better scoring chances. The shot quality chart is probably the most important one here and truly gives the best indication of who is “controlling” the game.

5v5 Individual Charts

Time on Ice Chart

Explanation: This one is pretty simple. This is a look at 5 on 5 time on ice for each player. It’ll be updated every period and the different color bars break up the periods.

Why is this important?: Well, first off, it tells you who is playing the most. Second, it gives us an indication as the game is going on who is seeing an increase or reduction in ice time.

Period by Period Chart: 5v5 Shot Share and Shot Quality

Explanation: This is another one that will be updated and posted after every period. Also, don’t be scared off by the +/- part. This isn’t your grandfather’s +/- chart. What this is is a +/- of shot share and shot quality in each period.

You want to have your bars to be on the right side of the chart. Again, the different colors break it up by period.

Why is this important?: I like this because it looks at each player’s performance by period. At the end of the game, Krebs could have a 53% shot share. Well, he could look like a positive share from a strong first period. What about the other 2/3 of the game? It gives us a look if one period is masking the final stats when all is said and done.

5v5 On-Ice and Individual Charts

Explanation: The last four charts are the final individual numbers for the players. The first two look at individual shot quality and shot attempts. We can which players got pucks on net with the shot attempts and if they were good scoring chances or not with the individual shot quality.

The last two charts show us the on-ice shot share and quality in the game. We can see which players controlled play when they were on the ice.

Why is this important?: It’s a way to track how things are going at the player level. Who created chances during this specific game when they were on the ice and who didn’t?

I hope this helps and makes it easier for you to read the charts starting tonight.