scoring comparison 03-04 to 05-06

I'm participating in some hockey bloggers roundtable for cbc.ca. We were just asked to analyze what's "wrong" with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and specifically what's caused their goal scoring to be stagnant.

I got a little curious, so I looked at the league-wide numbers from last season and compared them to this season. Then I decided to get all fancy and lay them out in a handy spreadsheet comparison. Here's that sheet for your recreational enjoyment. Worth noting is that the Islanders are the only team in the league to score fewer goals this season than last. Yes, they have two games to play, but they will need to score 19 goals to surpass last season's total. It isn't going to happen.

Also worth noting is that Carolina had the sharpest increase in total goals for. I attribute much of Carolina's improvement and most of Tampa's stagnancy to the fact that Cory Stillman changed teams.

Anyway, have fun with the numbers. Click on the image for an easier-to-read enlargement.

Please note that the "05-06" numbers are for games up to and including Saturday night. Most teams will still play one game, so it isn't perfect, but it's close. Please note also, that I didn't bother to break down situations like 4-on-4, 4-on-3, 3-on-4, 5-on-3, or 3-on-5.