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REVEALED: The proof that bad boys prosper and the good guys come last in the NHL

Sean Miller Author image

Sean Miller

・2 mins read

Analysis ahead of the new season shows how teams willing to turn to the dark arts get better results on the ice than those who play it straight

They say nice guys finish last, and everyone likes a bad boy — now we have stone-cold proof that that’s the case in the National Hockey League.

In a study by OnlineCasino.ca, every team in the NHL was broken down by penalty minutes in the 2021-22 season, tracking how well they performed in the regular season, as well as in the playoffs.

And the data is pretty convincing: Yes, the “bad boys” of the league did much better than did their “nice guy” compatriots.

Of the top 10 teams with the most penalty minutes, you find three of the last four Stanley Cup finalists, two of the four division winners, and a bunch of deep runs in the playoffs. While the 2022 Stanley Cup winner (and also Central Division winner) Colorado sat 12th last year, and Pacific Division winner Calgary sat 14th, both were 10 minutes or less behind 10th place Carolina.

Maybe the most interesting part of the data comes when you take a look at the teams that were at the bottom of the table, or the top of a table for least amount of penalty minutes. The four lowest teams, the Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues, and Washington Capitals made the playoffs, and all but the Blues lost in the first round. St. Louis then was defeated by Colorado.

The next five teams on the list all missed the playoffs completely: Vegas, Chicago, Columbus, Vancouver, and New Jersey.

The findings are pretty clear: to win trophies in the NHL, you have to rack up the penalty minutes in the regular season.

“If you look at the data, it’s pretty convincing,” a spokesperson for OnlineCasino.ca said. “It’s interesting to see that the teams that made the deep runs over the last couple years are all near the top of the table for number of penalty minutes.

“Maybe in the regular season, that might hurt a team in a specific game. But once you get to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the referees let more stuff go that would be a penalty in the regular season, the teams that play more aggressively have done much better.

“Just look at Tampa Bay as a perfect example. The Lightning are the three-time finalists, have won two of the last three Stanley Cups, and sat second, only behind Nashville, in penalty minutes last year. The Panthers are right there, and the 2021 finalists Montreal are in the top six as well.

“Maybe more importantly, only one team in the bottom nine for lowest minutes got past the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and five missed out completely. If you’re looking for a team to make a run in the playoffs, the message is clear: look at their penalty minutes during the regular season.”

TOTAL PENALTY MINUTES IN 2021-22 NHL SEASON BY TEAM

NHL Team Total Penalty Minutes
NHL Team Nashville Predators Total Penalty Minutes 1015
NHL Team Tampa Bay Lightning Total Penalty Minutes 879
NHL Team Minnesota Wild Total Penalty Minutes 862
NHL Team Arizona Coyotes Total Penalty Minutes 828
NHL Team Florida Panthers Total Penalty Minutes 822
NHL Team Montréal Canadiens Total Penalty Minutes 814
NHL Team Ottawa Senators Total Penalty Minutes 808
NHL Team Boston Bruins Total Penalty Minutes 793
NHL Team Anaheim Ducks Total Penalty Minutes 745
NHL Team Carolina Hurricanes Total Penalty Minutes 730
NHL Team Philadelphia Flyers Total Penalty Minutes 725
NHL Team Colorado Avalanche Total Penalty Minutes 724
NHL Team Detroit Red Wings Total Penalty Minutes 721
NHL Team Calgary Flames Total Penalty Minutes 720
NHL Team New York Islanders Total Penalty Minutes 715
NHL Team Winnipeg Jets Total Penalty Minutes 708
NHL Team San Jose Sharks Total Penalty Minutes 703
NHL Team Seattle Kraken Total Penalty Minutes 686
NHL Team Toronto Maple Leafs Total Penalty Minutes 672
NHL Team New York Rangers Total Penalty Minutes 665
NHL Team Buffalo Sabres Total Penalty Minutes 653
NHL Team Edmonton Oilers Total Penalty Minutes 646
NHL Team New Jersey Devils Total Penalty Minutes 644
NHL Team Vancouver Canucks Total Penalty Minutes 639
NHL Team Columbus Blue Jackets Total Penalty Minutes 625
NHL Team Los Angeles Kings Total Penalty Minutes 623
NHL Team Chicago Blackhawks Total Penalty Minutes 622
NHL Team Vegas Golden Knights Total Penalty Minutes 616
NHL Team Washington Capitals Total Penalty Minutes 613
NHL Team St. Louis Blues Total Penalty Minutes 597
NHL Team Pittsburgh Penguins Total Penalty Minutes 556
NHL Team Dallas Stars Total Penalty Minutes 541