Rotologic

Those Nashville coaches sure are dumbass dumbasses. Sergei Kostitsyn led the NHL last year in shot percentage. Mind you, he took only 93 shots, but 23 went in. This year, he’s 2nd in the league behind Curtis Glencross. Rotowire gives both the fantasy-hockey-playing public and Nashville brass something to ponder:

Feb 10 Kostitsyn has 15 points (9G, 6A) in his last 17 games since the start of January.

Recommendation: The Preds' coaching staff must be pulling their collective hair out these days, trying to get Kostitsyn to shoot the puck more, as he currently leads the entire NHL in shooting percentage (.246) but his paltry shot total of just 57 doesn't even land him in the top 300. Regardless, he continues to be a very effective point producer for the Preds, skating on the first line with Mike Fisher and Martin Erat.

Yes, clearly, Kostitsyn needs to start firing shots at the net willy-nilly because look at that shot percentage! Kosnipesyn!

Here are two fun lists! You like lists, right?

Goals scored by yearly shot % leader and where they ranked in total shots:

10-11 Kostitsyn 23 (349th)
09-10 Andrew Brunette 25 (229th)
08-09 Ryan Malone 26 (242nd)
07-08 Mike Ribeiro 27 (276th)
06-07 Jordan Staal 29 (219th)
05-06 Alex Tanguay 29 (236th)
03-04 Mark Parrish 24 (278th)
02-03 Milan Hejduk 50 (28th)
01-02 Danny Briere 32 (142nd)
00-01 Gary Roberts 29 (160th)
99-00 Mike Eastwood 19 (333rd)
98-99 Dmitri Khristich 29 (139th)
97-98 Mike Sillinger 21 (250th)

Now, here are the shot % of the league leader in goals along with where they placed in total shots:

10-11 Corey Perry 17.2 (9th)
09-10 Steven Stamkos 17.2 (6th)
Sidney Crosby 17.1 (5th)
08-09 Alexander Ovechkin 10.6 (1st)
07-08 Alexander Ovechkin 14.6(1st)
06-07 Vincent Lecavalier 15.3 (4th)
05-06 Jonathan Cheechoo 17.7 (7th)
03-04 Rick Nash 15.2 (7th)
Ilya Kovalchuk 12.0 (1st)
Jarome Iginla 15.5 (9th)
02-03 Milan Hejduk 20.5 (28th)
01-02 Jarome Iginla 16.7 (4th)
00-01 Pavel Bure 15.4 (1st)
99-00 Pavel Bure 16.1 (1st)
98-99 Teemu Selanne 16.7 (10th)
97-98 Teemu Selanne 19.4 (8th)
Peter Bondra 18.3 (5th)

There might, JUST MIGHT, be some correlation between high shot percentages and low shot totals. I don’t know. The evidence is shaky.

When you score a lot of goals and have a high shot percentage, it’s because you’re taking quality shots. IF YOU THROW EVERY PUCK AT THE NET YES YOU WILL SCORE MORE GOALS BUT YOUR SHOT PERCENTAGE WILL DECREASE AND YOU WILL BE SERGEI BEREZIN NOT SERGEI KOSTITSYN.

If I take one shot and it goes in that doesn't mean if I keep shooting I'll end up with a scenario where # of shots=# of goals. I'm not Mr. Perfect.

But what do I know? I never played in the NHL like Rotowire. Sergei Kostitsyn might just have a really accurate shot and he needs to unleash!

Feb 7 LW Sergei Kostitsyn scored a goal off a skate deflection in the second period. He has 15 points in his last 16 games.

SEE?