Should the Boston Bruins be on the lookout for a shootout specialist?
↵Phunwin over at SBNation's Stanley Cup of Chowder analyzes the Bruins performance in the shooutout, which is as a dismal 1-3 so far this season. Is acquiring a player who can deliver in the shooutout the key to moving the Bruins further into this NHL season's elite? Should the Bruins dump Michael Ryder, who isn't exactly a shootout machine, for a player more successful in the shootout?
↵Phunwin consults others, and after an in-depth statistical analysis, says no:
↵↵↵"If you're talking about the oft-vilified Ryder, replacing him in the lineup with a 50% shooter would lead to about 1.1 points over the course of a season. That's not a huge boost. And the upgrade from Horton or Bergeron to said shooter would be worth less still. In fact, just taking Ryder out of the lineup and replacing him with Horton gives the Bruins an extra 0.37 points over the course of a season."
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After all, Ryder's shootout problem seems to have been recognized by Bruins head coach Claude Julien - he kept Ryder out of Monday evening's shootout against Florida.
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