Strength in Numbers: Which NHL Team is the Best in Power-Plays Since the 2000-01 Season?

When the crowds go wild, and a player dashes his way to the opposing goal with the intent to score in quick succession, you know that you are in the heat of the moment in the game as it is going to bring the crowd to a massive roar and change the pace of the game. This is a power play in action, and NHL teams have always tried to find success with this aspect of the sport over the years.

What is a Power Play in NHL?

A power play is considered a unique scenario in a given game as it opens up massive chances for a team that will gain an advantage in the game, especially when they have strength in numbers. Sports such as volleyball, basketball, and football don’t present any rules that will give a certain side a numbers advantage in the game. In hockey, this occurs more often than one would expect, which makes it even more fun to watch, especially when it comes to the clutch moments of the game.

Usually, this scenario takes place when one or even two players from a certain side gets called for a penalty and will have to be penalized – spending time out of the ice rink with no substitutions. If you are not familiar with the penalty box, then this is where it comes into play as players are often put there for a set period of time in accordance for their penalties. This gives the opposing team a number advantage as teams cannot sub in a different player for the ones in the sin bin, which leads to a power play.

Which Team is the Most Successful in Power Plays From the 2000-01 Season to Present?

Over the years, we have seen some promising power play goals in the NHL, and the 2000-01 season proved to be a promising benchmark considering the fact that it is the era when the league had an influx of power play goals over the years. Still, it is hard not to break down the year-by-year comparison considering that the 2023-24 season has seen an influx in power play goals, which has certainly shaken the balance of scoring in the game.

This is a stunning find considering that the Seattle Kraken, which made its debut in the 2021-22 season, is not far behind with five power play goals on 35 opportunities in 14 total games. This says a lot about the efficiency of the Sharks when it comes to knocking down power play goals.

Power Play Data From 2000-01 Season to Present

It is also worth noting that the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Pittsburgh Penguins are tied for the most power play goals at 160 each. However, Tampa Bay has a higher percentage at 21.74% compared to the Penguins’ 20.41% rate, mainly because the team has 48 more attempts than the Lightning. The next team with the most power play goals? The Boston Bruins come close with a total of 147 goals, including an impressive 21.65% success rate. There is also a total of 11 teams with at least 100+ power play goals from the 2000-01 to 2023-24 season.

Which Team is the Most Successful in Power Plays in the 2023-24 Season?

For this season, the power play goal has reached bigger heights. There are a total of 469 power play opportunities generated by teams in the NHL for the 2023-24 season alone. What makes it even more impressive is the fact that there is an impressive trend of the scoring average for power play goals, which stands at a staggering 21.75% success rate, showing how teams have found ways to come up with impressive scores in the games where they had a power play.

Power Play Data for the 2023-24 NHL Season

According to the presented data, much like their efficient overall success in the power play, the Edmonton Oilers are still the most successful and efficient when it comes to scoring power play goals, tallying a total of 19 goals in 51 opportunities over 18 games in the 2023-24 season, that is good for a 37.3% success rate in scoring power plays, which shows how the combo of Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid is good at handling handicap situations in the game.

It is also worth noting that 14 of the 16 teams that have had power play opportunities have made it to the playoffs, with the Nashville Predators and Toronto Maple Leafs being the exception despite having 22 and 21 power play opportunities, respectively. The data also shows that two of the top teams with 10+ power play goals have made it to the Stanley Cup (Edmonton Oilers with 19 goals, Florida Panthers with 14 goals), and three of the four teams with more than 10 goals have made it to the Conference Final (Dallas only has 9 power play goals).

Do Power Plays Translate to Overall Team Success?

There’s no guarantee that overall team success depends on scoring the power play, but it does indeed play a huge role in winning. If you are not entirely convinced, then you should know that this season’s finalists for the Stanley Cup (Edmonton & Florida) are the top two in power play opportunities and power play goals scored, which says a lot about how scoring with an advantage has helped them steer their paths to the grand stage of the Stanley Cup Final.

Make sure to stay on top of the hottest news in the NHL and the rest of the sports world! Here at GambleSpot, we come up with the best news, blogs, game analyses, tournament previews, game predictions, betting guides, and many other sports-related content that you can use to come up with informed betting decisions and a shot at handsome rewards!