Advanced Stats For VGK Dummies: Zone Starts

Next up in our series of Advanced Stats for Dummies (last was Corsi For Percentage) we are taking on a stat that helps to understand what a player does best. It’s called “Zone Starts” and it measures the number of faceoffs a player is on the ice for in the offensive or defensive zone.

Zone Starts are calculated using a very simple procedure. Any time a player is on the ice for a faceoff in the offensive or defensive zone he is scored with a Zone Start. (Neutral zone faceoffs are ignored). If the player is on the ice for a faceoff in the offensive zone, it goes for an offensive Zone Start, if his team is in the defensive zone, he gets a defensive zone start. Zone Starts are then measured by percentage.

Offensive Zone Start Percentage (oZS%) = Offensive Zone Starts / Total Zone Starts
Defensive Zone Start Percentage (dZS%) = Defensive Zone Starts / Total Zone Starts

Example time! Let’s use David Perron because he tweeted at us one time and it made us blush. Perron starts the game on the ice, the opening faceoff is taken (no Zone Start scored). The puck is iced and the Golden Knights get a faceoff in the offensive zone (+1 oZS). Shot goes into the netting, another offensive zone faceoff (+1 oZS). Play continues, the puck goes out of play in the Golden Knights zone, Perron stays on the ice for the faceoff in the defensive zone (+1 dZS).

Offensive Zone Starts (oZS) – 2
Defensive Zone Starts (dZS) – 1
Offensive Zone Start Percentage (oZS%) – 2/(2+1) = 2/3 = 66.6%
Defensive Zone Start Percentage (dZS%) – 1/(2+1) = 1/3 = 33.3%

Perron had an oZS% of 43.9% last season and a dZS% of 56.1. The two years he played in Pittsburgh though, his oZS% was 60% and his dZS% was 40%.

As you can see, you really only need to focus on one side or the other as oZS% and dZS% offset. (43.9+56.1=100 / 60+40=100)

Here’s a look at the Golden Knights top oZS% players. First forwards.

Player	Offensive Zone Start Percentage (oZS%)
James Neal	59.6%
Jonathan Marchessault	53.1%
David Perron	53.1%
Oscar Lindberg	52.3%
William Carrier	51.5%

Now defensemen.

Player	Offensive Zone Start Percentage (oZS%)
Colin Miller	65.0%
Brayden McNabb	57.3%
Nate Schmidt	57.1%
Shea Theodore	53.1%
Griffin Reinhart	51.2%

And the Golden Knights top dZS% players. Forwards…

Player	Defensive Zone Start Percentage (dZS%)
Erik Haula	55.5%
William Karlsson	53.4%
Pierre-Eduoard Bellemare	52.0%
Cody Eakin	51.5%

Defensemen

Player	Defensive Zone Start Percentage (dZS%)
Clayton Stoner	54.7%
Deryk Engelland	52.3%
Jason Garrison	51.6%
Jon Merrill	50.5%
Luca Sbisa	49.7%

But why does it matter?

Well, There’s one simple answer why zone starts are important, player deployment. ZS% reflects how the player is being used on the ice. A player with a high oZS% will likely be on the ice for offensive situations. Players with a higher dZS% would be more likely to jump over the boards for defensive-zone faceoffs. Pretty simple, but it can mean a lot more than that.

Zone Starts also should allow fans to learn about Gerard Gallant’s coaching style. Based off oZS% numbers alone, fans can expect James Neal and Colin Miller on the ice generating offense. On the contrary, Gallant will have checking/shutdown lines he’ll deploy in high-risk situations. Cody Eakin‘s 51.5 dZS% and William Karlsson‘s 53.4 dZS% are good examples of their ability to handle defensive-zone faceoffs.

Erik Haula, Eakin, Karlsson and Deryk Engelland were four players with noticeably higher dZS% stats. Haula’s 55.5 dZS% is a major indication of strong back-checking and take-away/giveaway ratio. Add Karlsson’s 53.4 dZS% or Eakin’s 51.5 dZS% and Bellemare’s 52.0 dZS% and you might have Vegas’s first checking line. This stat also may solve the “is Deryk Engelland actually valuable” conundrum. 52.3 dZS% isn’t overwhelming, but it does indicate he’s a hell of a shot blocker, something Gallant may value.

Then there’s Vadim Shipachyov, who has yet to play a game in the NHL, but is expected to have a major impact on the Golden Knights. His oZS% is going to be a great indicator of what they are expecting of Shippy out of the gate. Is he a two-way player? Is he an offensive powerhouse? Is he out there when the team is up a goal? What about down a goal? Zone Starts is the key.

One last reason Zone Starts can be such an interesting stat is context. When a player like Miller, McNabb, or Neal have oZS% above 59% it’s no wonder they have high Corsi For Percentage, +/- ratings, and even points. Zone Starts go a long way in giving the “why” behind certain surprising numbers. If a guy has a oZS% in the 40’s, and a CF% above many others on the team, he’s clearly doing something really right. On the flip side, there’s no reason to freak out about a low CF% if a guy starts 60% of his shifts in the defensive zone. Think of Zone Starts like the “more you know” rainbow.

Cause, you know, knowledge is power.

Alright, enough with the stupid saying, Zone Starts is over. We’ll see ya next time on Advanced Stats for VGK Dummies when we take on PDO.

***

As we were going through the numbers, a few of the younger guys numbers really jumped off the page at us. You understand Zone Start Percentage now, so I’m just going to post the numbers and let you jump to conclusions.

Player	Offensive Zone Start Percentage (oZS%)	Defensive Zone Start Percentage (dZS%)
Alex Tuch	54.3%	45.7%
Teemu Pulkkinen	65.5%	34.5%
Tomas Nosek	42.7%	57.3%