There is a noticeable divide between the analytics community and those who wholeheartedly believe that analytics play virtually no role in the success of an NHL team, be it in the regular season or in the postseason.
We can count Pierre McGuire among those in the second group, as he absolutely ripped into analytics this past week while making an appearance on the Spittin' Chiclets podcast.
During the episode, McGuire stated that he doesn't care what the analytics community has to say about his thoughts on the matter. He even doubled down by providing some specific examples of when he felt like analytics had absolutely no effect on the outcomes of some of the biggest series/games in the past decade, including both Tampa and Boston's Stanley Cup victories in 2020 and 2011, respectively.
McGuire highlighted the gutsy performances of
Yanni Gourde and
Blake Coleman for the Tampa Bay Lightning, suggesting that although their peripheral analytics may have been less than ideal, their heart and tenacity were huge factors for the Bolts. In addition, he referenced the performances of Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell and Shawn Thornton for the Bruins in 2011 as key reasons why Boston came away with hockey's greatest prize, rather than some of the more analytically sound players on the roster.
Where you agree with McGuire or not is irrelevant. The fact of the matter is that there are plenty of arguments both for and against analytics and how important they truly are in hockey, a sport which relies way less on individual talent and more on effective team play - which is to say that one or two players usually are not enough to change the outcome of a series, save the rare exception. Either way, McGuire has made it very clear on where he stands.
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