They say nice guys finish last, and everyone likes a bad boy – and the stats show that is the case in the National Hockey League.
In a study by OnlineCasino.ca, every team in the NHL was broken down by penalty minutes in the 2021-22 season, tracking how well they performed in the regular season, and then once they got to the playoffs.
And the data is pretty convincing: Yes, the “bad boys” of the league did much better than their “nice guy” compatriots.
Of the top 10 teams with the most penalty minutes, you find three of the last four Stanley Cup finalists, two of the four division winners, and a bunch of deep runs in the playoffs. While the 2022 Stanley Cup winner (and also Central Division winner) Colorado sat 12th last year, and Pacific Division winner Calgary sat 14th, both were 10 minutes or less behind 10th place Carolina.
Maybe the most interesting part of the data comes when you take a look at the teams that were at the bottom of the table, or the top of a table for least amount of penalty minutes. Of the four lowest teams, all of the Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues, and Washington Capitals made the playoffs, and all but the Blues lost in the first round. St. Louis then was defeated by Colorado.
The next five teams on the list all missed the playoffs completely: Vegas, Chicago, Columbus, Vancouver, and New Jersey.
The findings are pretty clear: to win trophies in the NHL, you have to rack up the penalty minutes in the regular season.
“If you look at the data, it is pretty convincing,” a spokesperson for OnlineCasino.ca said. “It is interesting to see that the teams that made the deep runs over the last couple of years are all near the top of the table for number of penalty minutes.
“Maybe in the regular season, that might hurt a team in a specific game. But once you get to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the referees let more stuff go that would be a penalty in the regular season, the teams that play more aggressively have done much better.
“Just look at Tampa Bay as a perfect example. The Lightning are three-time finalists, have won two of the last three Stanley Cups, and sat second, only behind Nashville, in penalty minutes last year. The Panthers are right there, and the 2021 finalists Montreal are in the top six as well.
“Maybe more importantly, only one team in the bottom nine for lowest minutes got past the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and five missed out completely. If you are looking for a team to make a run in the playoffs, the message is clear: look at their penalty minutes during the regular season.”
Referee Tim Peel is shown during an NHL hockey game between the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Islanders in Philadelphia, this Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021, file photo. Tim Peel’s career as an NHL referee is over after his voice was picked up by a TV microphone saying he wanted to call a penalty against the Nashville Predators. The league on Wednesday, March 24, 2021, announced that Peel “will no longer be working NHL games now or in the future.” The 54-year-old Peel had already made plans to retire next month. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton, File)
TOTAL PENALTY MINUTES IN 2021-22 NHL SEASON BY TEAM
Nashville Predators
1015
Tampa Bay Lightning
879
Minnesota Wild
862
Arizona Coyotes
828
Florida Panthers
822
Montreal Canadiens
814
Ottawa Senators
808
Boston Bruins
793
Anaheim Ducks
745
Carolina Hurricanes
730
Philadelphia Flyers
725
Colorado Avalanche
724
Detroit Red Wings
721
Calgary Flames
720
New York Islanders
715
Winnipeg Jets
708
San Jose Sharks
703
Seattle Kraken
686
Toronto Maple Leafs
672
New York Rangers
665
Buffalo Sabres
653
Edmonton Oilers
646
New Jersey Devils
644
Vancouver Canucks
639
Columbus Blue Jackets
625
Los Angeles Kings
623
Chicago Blackhawks
622
Vegas Golden Knights
616
Washington Capitals
613
St. Louis Blues
597
Pittsburgh Penguins
556
Dallas Stars
541