Wiggles, Wobbles, and Jiggles: EP1

[JigglyGumballs 1,056]

 

Houston, we have a problem.

 

Hello I'm Jiggly Gumballs and welcome to the first edition of Wiggles, Wobbles, and Jiggles. A topic based show that tries to entertain you with interesting topics. In this first episode of the show, I will be discussing the Houston Bulls of the VHLM and their current 8 game losing streak. Using data from the past 10 games (game 298 being the most recent), I will try to make an assumption as to why the Bulls have been losing lately.

 

Note: Yes I could've used more games to collect data. The more data, the more accuracy. With 50 games played this season, recording data from the past 10 should get an accurate enough answer to what might be causing the recent losing and the possible continued losing in the future. The data I've also decided to use are simply things that may cause teams to lose or win. In this case, it would be shots, penalty kills, power plays, penalty minutes, and goalie stats. This doesn't really involve individual efforts as this is more of an assumption based on the team as a whole. You're welcome to use other sorts of data and can correct me on anything if you find something wrong or something you disagree with. I am open to constructive criticism and hopefully if I do something like this again, I will be better suited. Also, all data was taken using the VHML’s game links. Thank god for VHL bot.

 

The Bulls have lost 9 out of the past 10 games, while only winning once. That being a 5-4 win against the Las Vegas Aces. And their current record is 3-45-2 this season. So that made me wonder what has been causing these losses? The obvious answers would be either the Bulls suck, or they simply aren't scoring enough goals. Though the thing I'm trying to find out is what is causing the lack of scoring. The first thing I did once I compiled my data is compare the amount of shots made by Houston compared to their opponents. I found out that on an average in the last 10 games. Houston would shoot 25.3 shots per game whilst their opponents would shoot 27.2 shots on average. So Houston was shooting less. I also calculated the shot differential between the two teams in each game. If Houston shot less, it would be a negative number, vise versa if they shot more. I found that the shot differential was -18 in the past 10 games. Meaning that they took a total of 18 less shots in that span. 

 

I then thought it wasn't enough so I moved on to special teams. I thought that maybe it was the penalty killing that needs work or there was a lack of power play goals. Or maybe they were just taking too many penalties. The thing is, Houston has an amazing penalty kill during that span with an average of 90.12%. They were perfect in the PK in six out of the ten games. It was substantially better than the 74.72% average Houston's opponents put up. It wasn't just their PK either. Their power play was decent as well with an average of 25.28% compared to the opponent's 9.88% average. Houston's opponents seem to be giving up more penalty minutes as well, having an average of 9 whilst Houston has an average of 8.6 minutes. Though in more recent games, Houston has been giving up more penalties. I know all I’m doing is talking averages but I’ll post the exact data I’ve collected for my case so you can see where I’m getting these averages from.

 

With special teams out of the question, only one thing was left. How good was the goalie? Houston's goaltender who's started and played all these games, Drew Minott, has been consistent despite all the losses. The most goals given up by their goaltender was 8 and the fewest 1. You simply can't blame everything on the goalie though. You also can't count on your goalie for every opportunity. Minott has put up arguably solid numbers despite taking more shots. Houston's had its share of blocking shots, but when it comes down to it, it takes a team's effort to win.  So giving away so many shot opportunities like that and letting the goalie take so many shots is going to cause the opponent to have more opportunities to score more. So in conclusion, the ultimate reason why Houston has been losing is mostly due to the lack of shots being thrown at the opponent and the lack of support for the goaltender, thus allowing the opposing team to take more shots and have better opportunities to score goals. If this keeps up, expect more losing in the near future.

 

I reached out to the Bull's current GM Sonnet and asked for their insight on the issue. Specifically asking them these two questions:

 

1) JG: Houston has won 1 out of the last 10. With the data I've collected, it seems like the reason as to why the losing keeps coming is a lack of shots. With an average of 25.3 shots in the last 10 compared to the 27.2 shots by the opponents. What might be causing the lack of shooting? Team depth? Structure?

 

Sonnet: A lack of depth within our top 6, for sure. We've signed enough forwards to fill out the spots, but most of them seemed to disappear right after signing. If Laine had a little more support out there, we'd definitely start to shoot above that average. Alas, given the point of the season, that's easier said than done.

 

2) JG: With the current 8 game losing streak, is there a need for change? Are there thoughts about signing or trading for new players to help with the team?
 
Sonnet: With the trade deadline coming up, there's certainly an interest in signing players. We usually see a spike in quality players as older ones retire, so right now is a great opportunity to pick up a few guys who are looking for playing time. As far as trades go, I'm not interested at all in trying to sacrifice long-term solutions in order to stop the short-term bleeding. Houston is built for a killer run in season 73, and the unfortunate truth of the matter is that no trade could salvage our spot in the standings. We'll just have to hope that we're able to sign on a few key players, and continue building upon what we already have, hopefully we can win a few statement games to end the season on a good note.

 

And with that, this will be the end of today's episode of Wiggles, Wobbles, and Jiggles. As a recently signed Houston Bull myself, it is a bit frustrating to see my team lose lately but hopefully we can turn things around. This is Jiggly Gumballs and stay tuned for the next episode!

 

 

 

People Mentioned: @Sonnet @DreMin15 @PatrikLaine

 

 

[JigglyGumballs 1,056]

Just now, JigglyGumballs said:

 

Houston, we have a problem.

 

Hello I'm Jiggly Gumballs and welcome to the first edition of Wiggles, Wobbles, and Jiggles. A topic based show that tries to entertain you with interesting topics. In this first episode of the show, I will be discussing the Houston Bulls of the VHLM and their current 8 game losing streak. Using data from the past 10 games (game 298 being the most recent), I will try to make an assumption as to why the Bulls have been losing lately.

 

Note: Yes I could've used more games to collect data. The more data, the more accuracy. With 50 games played this season, recording data from the past 10 should get an accurate enough answer to what might be causing the recent losing and the possible continued losing in the future. The data I've also decided to use are simply things that may cause teams to lose or win. In this case, it would be shots, penalty kills, power plays, penalty minutes, and goalie stats. This doesn't really involve individual efforts as this is more of an assumption based on the team as a whole. You're welcome to use other sorts of data and can correct me on anything if you find something wrong or something you disagree with. I am open to constructive criticism and hopefully if I do something like this again, I will be better suited. Also, all data was taken using the VHML’s game links. Thank god for VHL bot.

 

The Bulls have lost 9 out of the past 10 games, while only winning once. That being a 5-4 win against the Las Vegas Aces. And their current record is 3-45-2 this season. So that made me wonder what has been causing these losses? The obvious answers would be either the Bulls suck, or they simply aren't scoring enough goals. Though the thing I'm trying to find out is what is causing the lack of scoring. The first thing I did once I compiled my data is compare the amount of shots made by Houston compared to their opponents. I found out that on an average in the last 10 games. Houston would shoot 25.3 shots per game whilst their opponents would shoot 27.2 shots on average. So Houston was shooting less. I also calculated the shot differential between the two teams in each game. If Houston shot less, it would be a negative number, vise versa if they shot more. I found that the shot differential was -18 in the past 10 games. Meaning that they took a total of 18 less shots in that span. 

 

I then thought it wasn't enough so I moved on to special teams. I thought that maybe it was the penalty killing that needs work or there was a lack of power play goals. Or maybe they were just taking too many penalties. The thing is, Houston has an amazing penalty kill during that span with an average of 90.12%. They were perfect in the PK in six out of the ten games. It was substantially better than the 74.72% average Houston's opponents put up. It wasn't just their PK either. Their power play was decent as well with an average of 25.28% compared to the opponent's 9.88% average. Houston's opponents seem to be giving up more penalty minutes as well, having an average of 9 whilst Houston has an average of 8.6 minutes. Though in more recent games, Houston has been giving up more penalties. I know all I’m doing is talking averages but I’ll post the exact data I’ve collected for my case so you can see where I’m getting these averages from.

 

With special teams out of the question, only one thing was left. How good was the goalie? Houston's goaltender who's started and played all these games, Drew Minott, has been consistent despite all the losses. The most goals given up by their goaltender was 8 and the fewest 1. You simply can't blame everything on the goalie though. You also can't count on your goalie for every opportunity. Minott has put up arguably solid numbers despite taking more shots. Houston's had its share of blocking shots, but when it comes down to it, it takes a team's effort to win.  So giving away so many shot opportunities like that and letting the goalie take so many shots is going to cause the opponent to have more opportunities to score more. So in conclusion, the ultimate reason why Houston has been losing is mostly due to the lack of shots being thrown at the opponent and the lack of support for the goaltender, thus allowing the opposing team to take more shots and have better opportunities to score goals. If this keeps up, expect more losing in the near future.

 

I reached out to the Bull's current GM Sonnet and asked for their insight on the issue. Specifically asking them these two questions:

 

1) JG: Houston has won 1 out of the last 10. With the data I've collected, it seems like the reason as to why the losing keeps coming is a lack of shots. With an average of 25.3 shots in the last 10 compared to the 27.2 shots by the opponents. What might be causing the lack of shooting? Team depth? Structure?

 

Sonnet: A lack of depth within our top 6, for sure. We've signed enough forwards to fill out the spots, but most of them seemed to disappear right after signing. If Laine had a little more support out there, we'd definitely start to shoot above that average. Alas, given the point of the season, that's easier said than done.

 

2) JG: With the current 8 game losing streak, is there a need for change? Are there thoughts about signing or trading for new players to help with the team?
 
Sonnet: With the trade deadline coming up, there's certainly an interest in signing players. We usually see a spike in quality players as older ones retire, so right now is a great opportunity to pick up a few guys who are looking for playing time. As far as trades go, I'm not interested at all in trying to sacrifice long-term solutions in order to stop the short-term bleeding. Houston is built for a killer run in season 73, and the unfortunate truth of the matter is that no trade could salvage our spot in the standings. We'll just have to hope that we're able to sign on a few key players, and continue building upon what we already have, hopefully we can win a few statement games to end the season on a good note.

 

And with that, this will be the end of today's episode of Wiggles, Wobbles, and Jiggles. As a recently signed Houston Bull myself, it is a bit frustrating to see my team lose lately but hopefully we can turn things around. This is Jiggly Gumballs and stay tuned for the next episode!

 

 

 

People Mentioned: @Sonnet @DreMin15 @PatrikLaine

 

 

DATA:

(PS: I didn't know the abbreviations for the teams so I assumed them... LVA is Las Vegas Aces, MEX is Mexico City Kings, SDM is San Diego Marlins, OTT is Ottawa Lynx,  and finally HAL is the Halifax 21st. HOU is obviously Houston as well.)

 

Game 298: HOU vs LVA 2-4 L

Shots: LVA 33, HOU 17. -16

HOU pp: 66.67%, LVA pp: 16.67%

HOU pk: 83.33%, LVA pp: 33.33%

HOU pm: 12 LVA pm: 6

Goalie stats:

HOU: 29/33  (.879)

LVA: 15/17  (.882)

 

Game 291: HOU vs MEX 2-4 L

Shots: MEX 35, HOU 17. -18

HOU pp: 33.33% MEX pp: 14.29%

HOU pk: 85.71% MEX pk: 66.67%

HOU pm: 16 MEX pm: 8

Goalie stats:

HOU: 31/35 (.886)

MEX: 15/17 (.882)

 

Game 287: HOU vs MEX 1-3 L

Shots: MEX 29, HOU 19. -10

HOU pp: 0% MEX pp: 0%

HOU pk: 100% MEX pk: 100%

HOU pm: 8 MEX pm: 6

Goalie stats:

HOU: 26/29 (.897)

MEX: 18/19 (.947)

 

Game 278: HOU vs HAL 1-2 L

Shots: HAL 16, HOU 33. +17

HOU pp: 0% HAL pp: 0%

HOU pk: 100% HAL pk: 100%

HOU pm: 10 HAL pm: 12

Goalie stats:

HOU: 14/16 (.875)

HAL: 32/33 (.970)

 

Game 272: HOU vs OTT 5-8 L

Shots: OTT 50, HOU 30. -20

HOU pp: 50% OTT pp: 42.86%

HOU pk: 57.14% OTT pk: 50%

HOU pm: 14 OTT pm: 4

Goalie stats:

HOU: 42/50 (.840)

OTT: 25/30 (.833)

 

Game 267: HOU vs SDM 0-1 Shutout L

Shots: SDM 10, HOU 33. +23

HOU pp: 0% SDM pp: 0%

HOU pk: 100% SDM pk: 100%

HOU pm: 6 SDM pm: 8

Goalie stats:

HOU: 9/10 (.900)

SDM: 33/33 (1.00)

 

Game 259: HOU vs OTT 4-5 L

Shots: OTT 23, HOU 19. -4

HOU pp: 66.67% OTT pp: 25%

HOU pk: 75% OTT pk: 33.33%

HOU pm: 8 OTT pm:6

Goalie stats:

HOU: 18/23 (.783)

OTT: 15/19 (.789)

 

Game 253: HOU vs LVA 1-2 L

Shots: LVA 17, HOU 29. +12

HOU pp: 11.11% LVA pp: 0%

HOU pk: 100% LVA pk: 88.89%

HOU pm: 4 LVA pm: 18

Goalie stats:

HOU: 15/17 (.889)

LVA: 28/29 (.966)

 

Game 249: HOU vs LVA 5-4 W (for once...)

Shots: LVA 26, HOU 29. +3

HOU pp: 25% LVA pp: 0%

HOU pk: 100% LVA pk: 75%

HOU pm: 2 LVA pm: 16

Goalie stats:

HOU: 22/26 (.846)

LVA: 24/29 (.828)

 

Game 241: HOU vs OTT 2-5 L

Shots: OTT 33, HOU 27. -5

HOU pp: 0% OTT pp: 0%

HOU pk: 100% OTT pk: 100%

HOU pm: 6 OTT pm: 6

Goalie stats:

HOU: 28/33 (.848)

OTT: 25/27 (.926)

 

HOU averages (in last 10):

Shots: 25.3

Shot differential: -1.8 (-18 in shots last 10)

Power Play: 25.28%

Penalty Kill: 90.12%

Penalty Minutes: 8.6

 

Opponent averages (in last 10):

Shots: 27.2

Shot differential: +1.8 (+18 in shots last 10)

Power Play: 9.88%

Penalty Kill: 74.72%

Penalty Minutes: 9

 

[Laine 1,361]

Very well written!

[mediocrepony 1,216]

1 minute ago, PatrikLaine said:

Very well written!