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Displaying pretext
By now, we know that faceoffs have a significant effect on each and every hockey game. Coaches look for every possible edge and likewise do not want to surrender an edge to the opposition in any statistical category. Over the past few weeks, we have examined the best faceoff men in the NHL and also looked at the home vs. road advantage when it comes to taking a draw.
But what about the NHL's worst faceoff men?
Do some teams just not have enough quality faceoff men on the roster, so their coaches are forced to roll out poor faceoff men night after night?
Alternatively, maybe some players are just so good in other aspects of the game that their lack of faceoff acumen does not inhibit their head coach's willingness to roll them out at center night after night?
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Illegal Curve (02/04)
1 comment has been left for this article. 
When I intervied Erik Cole in January about the Hurricanes' faceoff woes this season, he spoke about faceoff success being more than just about the centerman. I'm not really sure that I considered that before. Probably pretty hard to quantify, but for a stat where 55% is excellent and 45% is bad, picking up a few percentage points from other players supporting well on the ice could swing that success/failure in a hurry, it would seem.