Well, the conference finals are set.  In the second round, the team with a higher regular season Advanced Bracton (AB) score won three of four of the second round series played. This is now the third consecutive year that teams that scored better on our metric has won an overwhelming number of playoff series in the NHL.  Our 6/8 showing in the first round was better than all but one hockey analyst we track and the same as merely three others.  The majority so-called experts were doing well if they got half of them right.

Having said that, we cannot thank the St. Louis Blues enough for ruining what would otherwise have been a near perfect bracket through two rounds.  Of the 12 series played, we incorrectly called three of them……..two of them involved St. Louis.  The Blues finished 7th in the conference according to AB, and have now beaten the first (CHI) and second mistake minimizing teams (DAL).

STL is an odd bird statistically.  They have several players who, in the regular season scored extremely well in AB; Fabbri, Tarasenko, Upshall, Parayko, and Pietrangelo. They also have some of the worst mistake generators in the NHL.  Normally these cancel one another out for NHL clubs, but STL has benefited from the players at the top end in this post season so far (analysis forthcoming).

Enjoy the rest of the postseason!!