With Boston's stirring Game 7 victory last night, the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals is set between the Bruins and Canucks.Time to revist how the Tim F Unofficial Stanley Cup OT Theory is faring. In short, the theory is taking it in the shorts. The scientific method in action, in this instance disproving a hypothesis.
After the first round (eight total series) of this year's playoffs, there were 14 overtime winners, eight of which were in the first or last five minutes of the period (57% met criteria). Of the six that didn't meet the strict criteria, another four were within 43 seconds of meeting the threshold. Since the first round ended, there have been seven more games go into OT in rounds two and three combined (six total series). None of the seven met the strict criteria, two meet "loose criteria," within one minute on either side -- in the first or last six minutes.
Unless the Finals goes five games or longer and all go into overtime, my theory will be disproved this year. When free time permits, I still want to look at past years to see if I've been imagining this all along.
After the first round (eight total series) of this year's playoffs, there were 14 overtime winners, eight of which were in the first or last five minutes of the period (57% met criteria). Of the six that didn't meet the strict criteria, another four were within 43 seconds of meeting the threshold. Since the first round ended, there have been seven more games go into OT in rounds two and three combined (six total series). None of the seven met the strict criteria, two meet "loose criteria," within one minute on either side -- in the first or last six minutes.
Unless the Finals goes five games or longer and all go into overtime, my theory will be disproved this year. When free time permits, I still want to look at past years to see if I've been imagining this all along.
