Chestham Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 I ran across an article that analyses the average number of assists awarded for each goal scored. Analysis is done for all seasons between 1917-18 and 2007-08. It looks like the number of assists per goal has been gradually creeping up since the beginning of 1980s and has not depended on the high scoring vs. low scoring eras we have experienced since then. Do you think that officiating has become more relaxed and assists are awarded more easily than before, which would result in inflated the player stats? I don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 (edited) don't have any evidence but anecdotal evidence, but man did i notice some phantom assists this year. one thing i have noticed is that every scorer except the devils' scorer seems very liberal about the definition of 'possession'. Edited May 6, 2009 by Triumph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insanity_gallops Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Like Tri, I don't have any hard evidence to base it on - but some assists are seemingly incidental. Puck glances off a d-man's skate in the defensive zone (without the d-man knowing/seeing/feeling it), and is then picked up by a forward who lugs it up the ice and scores... and the defenseman gets credit for the assist. Great thread topic, by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devlman Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Oh if you watch any games you can see they give assists out for just breathing on the ice. It seems as if the absurd rule of thumb is to just give out assists to the last two teammates to touch the puck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils731 Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 (edited) Could this also be due to goalies being harder and harder to beat on a straight shot? More goals by deflections, wide open slam dunks, and rebounds would be an increase in the type of goals that tend to have assists. It's only about a 3-6% increase over 50 years so the change doesn't have to be drastic for that small bump up. Edited May 6, 2009 by Devils731 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevestevens Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 As deflection goals have gone up, so have assists but the 'phantom' assist on the secondary is being used more liberally for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils731 Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 As deflection goals have gone up, so have assists but the 'phantom' assist on the secondary is being used more liberally for sure. If there are multiple things driving up the assists total then the individual pieces are barely having any impact at all since the change is so small to begin with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldon Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 I always wondered about assists. I even asked the Maven several years ago. He responded by e-mail & it was never televised. I asked that, before TV, did the official scorer just try to remember the last 2 people to touch the puck? And did they even award assists if they couldn't remember? And now that there's TV for every game, does it pretty much guarantee that assists are awarded when they haven't in the past? His answer to all my questions was: "basically yes." My ongoing question is this: If the puck is turned over at center ice & Gionta passes it to Elias, who does two passes to Martin. Sequence, Gionta>Elias>Martin>Elias>Martin>Elias & Elias scores. Does Gionta get an assist? Is it the last 2 people or the last 2 different teammates who touched the puck? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRASHER Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Is it the last 2 people or the last 2 different teammates who touched the puck? Last two people Trust the goalie who hoards EVERY assist he can get Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prucenterrules Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 More assists also now because it's a lot harder now for one player to take the puck all the way down the ice and score. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevestevens Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 I always wondered about assists. I even asked the Maven several years ago. He responded by e-mail & it was never televised. I asked that, before TV, did the official scorer just try to remember the last 2 people to touch the puck? And did they even award assists if they couldn't remember? And now that there's TV for every game, does it pretty much guarantee that assists are awarded when they haven't in the past?His answer to all my questions was: "basically yes." My ongoing question is this: If the puck is turned over at center ice & Gionta passes it to Elias, who does two passes to Martin. Sequence, Gionta>Elias>Martin>Elias>Martin>Elias & Elias scores. Does Gionta get an assist? Is it the last 2 people or the last 2 different teammates who touched the puck? And yes Gionta gets the assist on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devlman Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 And yes Gionta gets the assist on that. No, he doesn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdub Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Im pretty sure Gionta does get the assist... I know while watching the games on TV if someone doesn't get the assist Chico says he complains for that person to get an assist and *POOF* it happens, the person gets the assist in the box score later that nite.. I dont know.. its pretty weird, but I know that once its scored by the scorer they use the video to see if the person should get the point or not... Too many people these days getting pts... idk, its weird if you ask me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils731 Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 (edited) Too many people these days getting pts... idk, its weird if you ask me. It's barely different than 50 years ago. Out of every ~30 goals scored there is one extra assist now, does that seem like that much? Edited May 6, 2009 by Devils731 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdub Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 I don't really notice it with Devils games... Good example is Sheldon Brookbank.. now I know he only has 4 pts... 3 assists.. I definately know of 2 of them he barely touched the puck... Loose scoring. If Colin White played for another Franchise he would probably have a good 7 more assists this season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squishyx Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 No, he doesn't. Yes he does. It's the last two different teammates who touch the puck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldon Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Thanks squishy. In all honesty, I don't think Gionta deserves an assist in that example. Perhaps there's a rulebook afficionado. I do admit though, that it can't be a judgment call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halfsharkalligatorhalfman Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 My Hypothesis 1. A higher percentage of the goals scored now are PP goals, in part because of more penalties, also in part because of the invention of "the Slap Pass" and other Power Play tactics 2. There is an influx in offensive talent and skating ability, which is leading to better offense and better goals (less junky goals scored off of poor turnovers and what not.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squishyx Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Thanks squishy. In all honesty, I don't think Gionta deserves an assist in that example. Perhaps there's a rulebook afficionado. I do admit though, that it can't be a judgment call. I agree on that kind of a situation he is adding very little to the play, but the idea is more for a situation where a player C makes a key outbreak past to spring a 2 on 1, if Player A receives gets a return feed from player B then that defensman would be squeezed out of an assist when he was arguably more instrumental then player B. Better to err on the side of good in this case I think. I always felt assists should be a awarded by a small panel, might be tedious and not exactly even, but sometimes you can make a game breaking move with a strong check or help force a turn over and not get credit, maybe a great play to keep a puck in the zone etc etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestham Posted May 7, 2009 Author Share Posted May 7, 2009 My Hypothesis1. A higher percentage of the goals scored now are PP goals, in part because of more penalties, also in part because of the invention of "the Slap Pass" and other Power Play tactics 2. There is an influx in offensive talent and skating ability, which is leading to better offense and better goals (less junky goals scored off of poor turnovers and what not.) I like your second point, it may well be the most convincing argument listed in this thread. What's interesting is that the ratio has been constantly lower during the playoffs, which kinda validates your point since goals during playoffs tend to be "dirtier", less pretty and so on (apart from Oveckin highlights I guess). Does anyone know if there are less penalty calls in playoffs than during regular season? Overall, I feel that assists are often awarded to players that don't deserve them. I sure has hell hope that the assists/goal ratio doesn't continue climbing, its getting pathetic when the average Joe in the stands can't see the reason why second assists was awarded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devlman Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Yes he does. It's the last two different teammates who touch the puck. Yes, but only on the same sequence of the play Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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