The Benefits of BC

[mmrs617 476]

At the beginning of this season, I put a bunch of my TPE into BC. It's not something I thought I would do when I created my first player, but I've realized over the last few seasons it was something that needed to happen. Here is what I've noticed with Matteo Stefano since the TPE was applied.

 

The Obvious

The main benefit to BC is the increase to checking. The checking stat increases the likelihood of the player attempting to hit. I created a script that combed through the play-by-play of every VHL game and checked when a hit was attempted and when the hit caused the opposing player to lose the puck. Through 49 games, Stefano has attempted 168 hits, with 92 of these hits being successful. This is a 55% "Good Hit" ratio. In S97, Stefano threw 82 hits, with 44 being successful. The Good Hit ratio is about the same for both seasons, but with the increased checking stat came more desire to throw a hit. He is on track to attempt 246 hits, three times more than the previous season.

 

More Scoring Chances

Three times the successful hits means three times more opportunities created by Stefano for his team. He has allowed his team to have more puck possession which leads to the potential for more scoring chances. Stefano himself has scored 28 times (on track for 41) as opposed to 31 goals all last season. There are other factors in play (slight increase to the scoring stat, more playing time, and an entirely different team), but there is no doubt that the opportunities are more abundant due to the increase in volume of hits.

 

Supplemental Benefits

Though small, there is another benefit to applying TPE to BC. That is the increase to DF. Defense is widely known as the positioning stat. Positioning is crucial in both defensive and offensive situations. It allows for the big hit to be thrown, or the scoring chance to be created. The BC increase I applied to Stefano at the beginning of the season created an instant 3 point boost to defense on top of the 24 point increase to checking. This allows Stefano to be in the right spot to make the hit and gives him the understanding know where to go now that he has possession.

 

The Side-Effects

With increased physicality comes a higher likelihood of taking a penalty. Stefano is on track to double the number of penalty minutes from last season. This could be counteracted by the PO stat which increases discipline. I feel this isn't entirely necessary unless the penalty minutes get way out of hand. If Stefano's offensive production decreases and his penalty minutes skyrocket, this is when discipline might come into play.

 

Conclusion

My main takeaway from this analysis is: you don't have to be a Tough Guy to put some TPE into body checking. This stat has a range of benefits for every type of player. Stefano has increased his offensive contributions because of it. My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner.

 

** The script I wrote also looks at giveaways/takeaways and shots on goal vs attempted shots. If you are interested in what that looks like or how your player stacks up, let me know. I may add penalty types if it isn't too much work.