With expectations skyrocketing for the Red Wings, they need to find more creative ways to score like the way they did in last night’s big win over the Chicago Blackhawks. In case you didn’t know, the Wings routed the Hawks and scored four goals in the process, showing us that this, at times, flat team is much better than we may otherwise have thought, thanks to their fruitless goal-scoring efforts.
With that being the case, you may be shocked by where the Wings ended up in this rather unique measurement of the NHL Standings. No, we didn’t measure anyone by points but by shooting percentage, and it may show a correlation between some of the league’s better teams boasting a higher percentage than those with some ground to make up.
So, where did the Red Wings land? Here’s a hint: Nowhere near as low as you may think, considering that, as of Wednesday night’s win over Chicago, they ranked a measly 28th in the NHL with 33 goals scored. But sometimes, one metric may be misleading when put against another.
The 13 & Over Club
- Winnipeg Jets: 14.9
- Vegas Golden Knights: 14.6
- Tampa Bay Lightning: 13.8
- Washington Capitals: 13.5
Yep, some of the best teams in hockey reside near the top of these standings, with the league-leading Jets also pacing the NHL. We also got the Golden Knights, Lightning, and Capitals, all of whom are currently on pace for a playoff berth come April should they keep playing a high-octane game.
Rest of the Top 10
- NY Rangers: 12.8
- Florida Panthers: 12.5
- Minnesota Wild: 12.5
- New Jersey Devils: 11.9
- Carolina Hurricanes: 11.4
- Colorado Avalanche: 11.4
Once again, almost every team in the second tier here is relevant, with the Rangers, Panthers, and Hurricanes arguably the top three teams in the Eastern Conference. The Wild are one of the best in the West, while the Devils are enjoying a Renaissance in Newark. Only the Colorado Avalanche are struggling, but then again, they may have the worst goaltender in hockey.
The Red Wings Tier
- Detroit Red Wings: 11.3
- Ottawa Senators: 11.2
- LA Kings: 11.1
- Vancouver Canucks: 11.0
- Dallas Stars: 11.0
- Utah Hockey Club: 11.0
Yep, the Red Wings are one of the lowest-scoring teams in the NHL, but when they shoot the puck, magic happens. Overall, they’re 11th in this category, and it tells me one thing: If they want to make the playoffs, they need to start getting more shots on goal.
And in yet another (mostly) top-half tier, so far this season, every team except for the Utah Hockey Club is relevant, including the mighty Stars and Kings, while the Canucks are also looking good.
The 10’s
- Columbus Blue Jackets: 10.9
- Buffalo Sabres: 10.8
- Montreal Canadiens: 10.8
- Seattle Kraken: 10.6
- Philadelphia Flyers: 10.5
- Calgary Flames: 10.1
- St. Louis Blues: 10.1
Notice a correlation? Only the Calgary Flames appear to be somewhat relevant, and you could nominally make the case for the St. Louis Blues. But are either of these two squads that good? No.
Nor are the Blue Jackets, Sabres, Canadiens, Kraken, or Flyers. This is further good news for the Red Wings, as it shows if they keep up their high-octane ways and they decide to shoot the puck, they’ll stay out of this category and likely start winning a few more games.
Under 10
- Toronto Maple Leafs: 9.7
- Chicago Blackhawks: 9.5
- Pittsburgh Penguins: 9.2
- San Jose Sharks: 8.9
- Boston Bruins: 8.8
- Anaheim Ducks: 7.7
- Nashville Predators: 7.3
- Edmonton Oilers: 7.1
- NY Islanders: 7.1
Once again, we’re seeing a lot of irrelevant teams here sans the Toronto Maple Leafs, or at least that’s the case for the moment. Names like the Bruins, Predators, and Oilers are also down here, and they could return to relevance as the season continues. As for the rest of those listed down here, they’re hardly worth mentioning at the moment.