30 For 30, Well Sort Of?

ESPN’s 30 for 30 is incredible content. It takes you behind the scenes of some truly remarkable sports stories. A 30 for 30 feature on the Moncton Wildcats would be quite something, but given their recent struggles 30 is definitely a key number to focus in on.

In 44 games this season, the Moncton Wildcats have given up 30 or more shots 32 times.

You don’t have to be good at Math to figure out that’s a lot. You don’t have to be a standout analytical hockey expert to discover the Wildcats give up a lot of quality scoring chances on a regular basis. Here’s another interesting stat for all those stat lovers out there. The Cats have only held their opponents to less than 25 shots per game, 3 times all season and one of those games were the first of the season.

Out of 14 of those games, opponents had 29 shots on net, 5 times.

Now I understand what you’re thinking, shot totals don’t indicate a whole bunch and that shots on net aren’t always the most accurate, but it definitely points to a number of deficiencies within the systematic play of the Wildcats.

Again, I don’t have all the analytical readouts or schemes associated with the team, but it’s clear there’s a substantial disconnect between the Wildcats offensive and defensive numbers. In that being said the Moncton Wildcats are a gifted offensive group.

They score at an alarming clip which is great, but what will happen come playoff time? At another glance, everyone will question or blame the Cats defensive corps, which is unfair.

Defence is a team concept, hence the term, “team defence.”

Don’t get me wrong, you can be a team that gives up a lot of shots, and still be able to lock things down, especially when it comes to surrendering shots from the perimeter, but you don’t have to watch the Cats too long to realize they don’t necessarily “protect the house” with the same rigor or conviction than they do when the puck is on their sticks.

When you give up a shit ton of shots and offensive opportunities game in game out, that puts a shit ton of pressure on your netminders which will also in turn create a misrepresentation of their numbers.

Jacob Steinman has been very good. Keegan Warren has been very good. The Moncton Wildcats “team defence,” not so much.

You can use all the hockey clichés you want to describe it, but the Moncton Wildcats DZC (defensive zone coverage) has a lot of holes to fill between now and playoff time.

Goals for 182, Goals against 139.

By the numbers that appears to be fine, and let’s face it they have won 26 games out of 44 which is solid but, surrendering 30 plus shots a game and quality ones at that is a receipt for disaster coming down the stretch.

Is 30 shots against a game a lot?

Well, that’s 10 shots a period, which doesn’t seem like a bunch, but when you’re a puck possession offensive team, that’s a lot. The Wildcats collectively have relied on their netminding to propel them to success. Wouldn’t it be great to go behind the scenes and do a 30 for 30 feature on the Moncton Wildcats and their defensive structure and how they turned things systematically around?

Now that would make for good television!