Bruins, Penguins, Blues top statistical teams in past decade, numbers say

NHL.com goes Behind the Numbers to highlight significant themes and statistical trends. This week, the top three statistical teams since the start of the 2010-11 NHL season are examined using factors such as shot attempts differential, special teams percentages, and goals for and goals against.

Boston Bruins

The Bruins are fifth in goals per game (2.99) and first in goals-against per game (2.45) since the start of the 2010-11 season, when they won the Stanley Cup. The power play (20.8 percent) is ranked third and their penalty kill (83.3 percent) is tied for first with the St. Louis Blues, New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins. These factors have translated to points, where Boston ranks second with 987 (447-234-93) behind the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have 994 (459-238-76). The Bruins also produced elite advanced statistics with the second-best SAT (3,545) behind the Los Angeles Kings (4,816). SAT differential is significant because it's only collected during 5-on-5 situations, showing how the Bruins have excelled at all strengths. Finally, the Bruins rank first in 5-on-5 save percentage (.929), showcasing their ability to consistently get quality goaltending and defend among the best teams in the NHL.

Pittsburgh Penguins

It comes as no surprise that the Penguins, who won two Stanley Cup championships over the 10 seasons, are among the top three statistical teams. The Penguins are first in points (994) and wins (459) and have the second-ranked power play (21.3 percent) behind the Washington Capitals (21.6), and Pittsburgh's penalty kill is tied for first (83.3 percent) with the Blues, Bruins and Devils. What separates the Penguins from the rest of the NHL is their elite goal scoring, where at 3.11 they rank third behind the Vegas Golden Knights (3.14) and Tampa Bay Lightning (3.12) in goals per game. This stat is noteworthy because Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh each maintained its scoring pace of the past 10 seasons, where the sample size is much smaller for Vegas, which has played 235 games since joining the NHL in 2017-18. The Penguins rank seventh in SAT (plus-1,912) and their 5-on-5 save percentage (.922; 17th) suggests they could have been even better with consistent goaltending.

St. Louis Blues

The Blues are fourth in points with 969 (445-251-79) behind the Penguins (994), Bruins (987) and Capitals (984), and fourth in wins behind the Penguins (459), Capitals (449) and Bruins (447). St. Louis has been consistent on special teams with the sixth-ranked power play (19.9 percent), and its penalty kill is tied for first (83.3 percent). What sets the Blues apart from selecting the Capitals here is St. Louis ranks sixth in SAT (plus-2,413) compared to Washington, which has a minus-87 SAT. The Blues are tied for eighth with the Anaheim Ducks in 5-on-5 save percentage (.924) and have the most wins when scoring first (324).

The winner is ...

The Bruins stand out from the rest of the NHL with top-tier special teams and their ability to control puck possession at 5-on-5 through shot attempts. The consistency shown by the Bruins goalies and defense over the past 10 seasons is highlighted by their top ranking in 5-on-5 save percentage, giving them best statistical team over the decade honors.