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How often does this occur, you’re sitting on the couch, watching a 2-1 game, and your favourite team is in the lead. You’re beginning to worry about “your team” blowing the lead and losing the game. But, are you getting worried for no reason? Does “your team” happen to be one that wins more 1-goal games than they lose? Possibly, it depends what team you’re cheering for. If you’re a Hab fan, you can breathe a little easier. Why? The chart will explain…

































































































































Team

Record

Win percentage


1) St. Louis

17-6-0-1

.708


2) New Jersey

12-5-0-1

.667


3) Nashville

13-5-0-2

.650


4) Toronto

10-3-0-3

.625


5) Calgary

13-5-0-3

.619


6) Tampa Bay

12-5-0-3

.600


7) Dallas

9-6-0-0

.600


8) Detroit

11-6-0-2

.579


9) Colorado

12-7-0-2

.571


10) San Jose

12-5-0-4

.571


11) Montreal

9-5-0-2

.563


12) Vancouver

12-8-0-2

.545


13) Philadelphia

8-2-0-5

.533


14) Phoenix

9-6-0-2

.529


15) Boston

10-5-0-4

.526


16) Carolina

10-7-0-2

.526


17) Florida

11-7-0-3

.524


18) Pittsburgh

9-7-0-3

.474


19) Atlanta

9-8-0-2

.474


20) Minnesota

8-9-0-1

.471


21) Buffalo

7-8-0-1

.438


22) Edmonton

9-12-0-1

.409


23) Washington

6-7-0-2

.400


24) Anaheim

7-6-0-5

.389


25) New York I.

6-9-0-1

.375


26) Los Angeles

6-6-0-5

.353


27) Columbus

7-10-0-3

.350


28) Chicago

6-11-0-5

.273


29) New York R.

4-7-0-4

.267


30) Ottawa

4-9-0-3

.250


Records as of games played through January 23, 2004.


So, it appears that St. Louis is the most reliable team in 1-goal games. They lead the league in both wins (17), and win percentage (.708). This is a tribute to their goaltending tandem of Chris Osgood and Reinhard Divis, as they’re able to hold on to the one goal lead, as well as to the team’s defensive play. It’s surprising to see Ottawa at the bottom, however they have struggled in terms of holding the lead, at least earlier in the season. However, their current position in the standings shows that their offence more than compensates for their lacklustre record. (Case in point: Ottawa is the only team to have a 1.000 winning percentage in games decided by a pair of goals.)


As for the Canadiens, their standing (11th) doesn’t come as too big of a surprise, for one reason, at least so far: Jose Theodore. The netminder has faced fewer shots than normal this season, which equals less fatigue for him (although his recent performance over the past few games could make one think otherwise…). Theodore has rebounded from a sub-par 2002-03 campaign, and he, along with Head Coach Claude Julien’s new system has made the Canadiens a better team defensively, allowing them to hold on to leads late in the game on a more consistent, and successful basis.


How a team fares in one-goal games is not vital to a team’s success, or lack thereof in some cases. However, it doesn’t hurt to have some success in this department, as 12 out of the top 13 teams in this particular stat are currently in a playoff spot. As long as a team can win in a tough situation however, there should be some success, whether it be the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, or even the Pittsburgh Penguins.


Questions/comments? E-mail me at [email protected].


Statistics courtesy of the National Hockey League.