The importance of winning the faceoff battle has been a three-year reoccurring argument here at SinBin.vegas. In my opinion, it’s all about possession. When a center wins a draw his team has immediate control and should safely get the puck out of their zone. Or create an offensive push towards the opponent’s direction. Whoever wins the possession battle, should dictate the game.
(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)
Faceoffs are probably one of the most underrated stats in this league. If you can start off with the puck, your much better off. And you’ll have better scoring chances. – Nate Schmidt
On the other side of the discussion is Europa Ken.
SinBin.Italy pic.twitter.com/ZlOkPxYOZD
— Miss Abby (@abbyladzinski) July 25, 2019
He’s not concerned with a lost draw if Vegas’ forecheck, shooting percentage, and rebound control are positively effective. For the most I agree, but remember a forechecking attack begins with the puck, and there’s a good chance it was possessed by a winning faceoff.
2018-19 Golden Knights Faceoff Percentage Breakdown
- Record when winning 51% or more Faceoffs: (20-11-2)
- Record when losing 51% or more Faceoffs: (14-16-3)
- Record when Faceoff % is 50/50: (9-5-2)
While it’s clear the Golden Knights have a better record when they win more faceoffs, the formula isn’t as simple as you’d think. At first glance the numbers support my argument, but looking deeper, the higher the FO% didn’t guarantee a Vegas victory. In five separate games, Golden Knights’ centers won 60% or more from the dot. Their record was (1-4). Even furthering the madness, Vegas was (2-2) in games they lost more than 60% of draws.
