To create a public resource for both creators and fans, I am back in pro women’s hockey box scores doing counting stats. For those who don’t know, I have been creating public stats for pro women’s hockey since the 2015-16 season. With the inaugural PWHL season now in full swing, I figured it was time to sink our teeth into some early data and share some insights after 10 games of hockey.
CLUB STATS
All told, 10 games have been played, 49 goals have been scored, two shutouts have been recorded, and one goalie assist has been earned. It’s been a wildly entertaining start with two hat tricks (Grace Zumwinkle and Marie-Philip Poulin) and three games going to overtime.
PWHL Minnesota is 0-for-8 on the power play but couldn’t care less with their +8 EV goal differential. PWHL Toronto, on the other hand, needs its power play to get rolling to lift the team’s abysmal 4.2 shooting percentage through four games. It’s too early to hit the panic button, but the early returns for Toronto have been discouraging. Kristen Campbell has allowed 10 goals at even strength and Toronto only has three EV goals of their own (Alexa Vlasko, Sarah Nurse, and Natalie Spooner).
GOALIES
I’ll leave the hard-hitting data-driven analysis of goalies to Geremy, but I do love some surface-level goalie stats. It’s important to stress here that one, two, or three start(s) are hardly a fair sample size for any goalie, especially a goalie playing in the top league in the world.
At this stage of the season, the most impressive goalie has been PWHL New York’s Corinne Schroeder. Through three starts, Schroeder has a .942 Sv% facing an average of 33.91 SA60 (shots against, per 60 minutes). The former PHF Goalie of the Year is 2-1-0 in her three starts and looks very much at home stopping shots fired by the best in the world. Nicole Hensley also deserves a nod for her two fantastic starts for PWHL Minnesota, highlighted by a .955 Sv% against an average off 33.5 SA60.
It’s been a rocky start for PWHL Toronto’s Kristen Campbell but her stats are certainly not telling the whole story. Going by the eye test, Toronto looks slow and has had far too many defensive breakdowns at even strength. Toronto fans who are worried about Campbell’s start should take comfort in her resume before this season. She’s going to be fine – or, at the very least, she is going to be good as the defense in front of her allows her to be.
With all of that said, Campbell has an .879 Sv% through 198 minutes of hockey and is the first goalie to be pulled from a game this season. When the team in front of her plays better, her numbers will rebound.
PRIMARY SCORING
Anyone familiar with my work knows how excited I am about primary points, particularly primary assists. So, let’s start there.
Leading the pack for forwards in primary assists is PWHL Minnesota’s Susanna Tapani. The Finn has three primary helpers – all at evens – playing wing in her first pro season in North America. Two of those assists have been setting up Grace Zumwinkle goals, the other set up Kelly Pannek’s lone goal of the season.
Even more impressive than Tapani is PWHL New York’s Ella Shelton. Shelton has three primary assists, one secondary assist, and two goals – including the first in PWHL history – through four games of action. Three of those six points have come on the power play, where Shelton has been a monster and is establishing herself as the league’s top quarterback.
Alex Carpenter has been the other monster on PWHL New York. Through four games, she has five primary points to share the league lead with Shelton. Carpenter has been a terror with the puck so far. Four of her primary points have come at even strength and she has put 15 SOG – an average of 3.75 SOG/GP. She has also had a hand in Jessie Eldridge averaging 5.0 SOG/GP to lead the league in shot volume.