The 'Peaking Late' narrative: How much does a strong late-season surge correlate to a deep playoff run? .MLarkinHockey examines 10 years and 40 conference finalists:
“They peaked at the right time.” We’ve heard that expression used to describe late-blooming Stanley Cup playoff juggernauts for years. The 2018-19 St. Louis Blues are the ultimate example: last place in early January, second-half turnaround, best record in the league over their final 10 games, eventual champions.
If you’ve followed my work long enough, you’ll know I enjoy challenging hockey adages to see if they ring true when we dig into the data. Are the 2018-19 Blues the norm or the exception? How much does it matter to play your best hockey in the stretch run of a season? But I counter that notion with: the data still matter in that context, too. Whether a contending team is legitimately struggling with a full-strength roster or simply dulling its senses with games that don’t impact the standings, how either scenario translates to playoff performance is meaningful information.
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