Sutter's Genius Can Be Found in the Plus/Minus.
The Flames are good. We know they are good, but what separates them from the other elite teams in the NHL? Florida, and Tampa are dangerous in the East. Colorado is an offensive juggernaut. Even our Kings, a team decimated by injuries, demonstrated some serious grit and resilience with a band of young guys coming up from the Reign to put Florida down. Despite the negative opinions that surround the plus/minus stat, it, when taken in the correct context can enlighten us as to why the Flames are so good. So why is the plus/minus flawed? Like any stat, it can't tell the whole story. A great player could have a terrible minus if for instance he is on a team that doesn't play a defensive style, isn't very good, has poor goal tending, or all of the above. Meanwhile a poor player could have a great plus minus if all of those things are reversed. It isn't a great tool to evaluate an individual, but it speaks volumes for a team. Take a gander...