Quote:
Originally Posted by Phaneuf_Rules
The biggest problems with most statistics is they can be used to argue points that aren't well understood.
For instance, isn't it just as likely that a team that has taken more penalties will try to start playing safer to avoid the box? Hence the team more likely to take the next penalty is the other team?
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Sure, I think that's possible. There's also things like momentum to take into account.
However, the correlation still exists and the slope got steeper in the playoffs, which is what I found interesting.
Any ideas why this affect gets worse in the playoffs? The stakes are higher obviously, and the game is faster, which may have some affect, but I wonder if penalties become more about game management and less about the infractions in the post season.