Three commonly used basic statistics in ice hockey analytics are "Corsi" and "Fenwick", both of which use shot attempts to approximate puck possession, and "PDO", which is often considered a measure of luck.
[1] In modern usage, analytics have traditionally been the domain of hockey bloggers and amateur statisticians.
They have been increasingly adopted by National Hockey League (NHL) organizations themselves,[2] and reached mainstream usage when the NHL partnered with SAP SE to create an "enhanced" statistical package that coincided with the launch of a new website featuring analytical statistics during the 2014–15 season.
[7] Corsi is used to approximate puck possession – the length of time a player's team controls the puck – and is typically measured as either a ratio (like plus-minus) of shot attempts for less shot attempts against, or as a percentage.
It is named after blogger Matt Fenwick and is viewed as having a stronger correlation to scoring chances.
[5] Fenwick is used to help judge team and player performances that strategically use shot blocking as part of their game play.
[5] Strategically, coaches may give their best offensive players more offensive zone starts to try and create extra scoring chances, while a team's best defensive players will typically have more defensive zone starts.
The goal of RAPM is to isolate a player's play driving ability and quantify it with a value.
xG models essentially track which players are taking high quality shots.
[15] While hockey's analytical statistics can be used to measure in any manpower situation, they are most often expressed relative to play at even strength.