This post will compare the defensive-zone puck-possession success-rates posted by each Montreal Canadiens player during the first game of the Boston Bruins series, with those success-rates earned during the first round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Defensive-zone puck possession success-rates are calculated by dividing the number of successful d-to-d passes, stretch passes, outlet passes, wall-dekes, open-ice dekes, and dump-outs in the defensive-zone from the total number of attempts. Only even-strength events were used in this calculation.
Conversely, by subtracting each player's puck-possession success-rate from 100, we can establish the rate at which each player turns the puck over (giveaways).
Montreal wingers had a particularly tough time moving the puck safely out of the defensive-zone during the first game of the Bruins series. In fact, no Montreal winger earned a defensive-zone puck-possession success-rate above the rating they posted in the Tampa series. Looking at turnover-rates, Habs wingers turned the puck over 42.7% of the time they had possession in the defensive-zone versus the Bruins, compared to a turnover-rate of only 24.9% against the Lightning. Dale Wiese, Thomas Vanek, and Rene Bourque turned the puck over at a higher-rate than any of Montreal's other wingers. The best defensive-zone puck-possession success-rate against Boston was earned by Brendan Gallagher.
As a group, Montreal defensemen actually posted a marginally-better d-zone possession success-rate against the Bruins than they earned against Tampa Bay. This positional rating was carried by Josh Gorges, who was successful with an impressive 92.2% of his defensive-zone puck-possession events. Expressed differently, this means that Gorges turned the puck over in the d-zone only 7.8% of the time he attempted a play with possession. Francis Bouillon, and Alexei Emelin had the lowest success-rates, which tells us that they turned the puck over in the defensive-zone at a higher rate than their defensive-teammates.
Centremen also posted a marginally-better defensive-zone puck-possession success-rate against the Bruins. The top d-zone possession success-rate was earned by David Desharnais, who posted a success-rate of 91.7%. The lowest puck-possession success-rate was earned by Lars Eller, who turned the puck over 48.7% of the time he had possession in the d-zone.
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