Yellowstone Quake Overview: By the Numbers

We are two months into the NA3HL Hockey season and the Yellowstone Quake have five wins through their first 14 games. With expectation so high for Quake Hockey coming into the year, they’re off to a less than desirable start to the season but their two wins vs. Butte last week shows promise. One big stat to look at when it comes the the Quake this year is point differential. They have scored 50 goals on the season (6^th in the conference) but have given up 90 goals, (7^th in the conference) which puts them at a point differential of -40. That’s the second worst in the Frontier Division.

Now, you might look at those numbers and think that’s all on the goalie but it’s not. Hudgel Selk and Connor Carroll do have a lower save percentage (.856) than Michael Allman did last year (.925) but they’ve also seen more shots at the net. The combination of Selk-Carroll have a Goals against average of 6.10. That’s almost double from a year ago. Allman’s Goals Against Average (GAA) was 3.66.

One other area that has hurt the Quake this year is penalty minutes. The Quake are second in the Frontier division with 431 penalty minutes. That doesn’t bode well for a team who’s susceptible to giving up shots on the goal.

If the Quake are going to turn things around this season it all starts with team defense. If players can stay on the ice, get in front of pucks and not allow shots on the goals that GAA will decrease, save percentage will increase and more wins will start rolling in.

The Yellowstone Quake Hockey team has some key games upcoming as they are on the road the next two weekends taking on a second place Sheridan squad (10-1) December 4^th and 5^th. The following weekend (11^th and 12^th) the Quake are on the road to face Gillette (7-5-1), who sits 5^th in the standings.

Quake Hockey’s face-off vs. Sheridan will be Friday and Saturday with puck dropping at 7:30pm both nights.