Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Who are the most disciplined and undisciplined teams in the NHL?

Dallas Stars v San Jose Sharks

SAN JOSE, CA - DECEMBER 21: Joe Thornton #19 of the San Jose Sharks is congratulated by teammages after he scored the winning goal in an overtime shoot-out against the Dallas Stars at SAP Center on December 21, 2013 in San Jose, California. The Sharks won the game 3-2. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Thearon W. Henderson

Let’s continue our best-and-worst series (see: special teams, shot differential, 5-on-5 scoring) with a look at discipline. Or in the case of teams like the Senators, Bruins and Jets, a lack thereof:

PPsPKsDiff
1SJS26219567
2CAR25722235
3DAL25523223
4NYR23721423
5PIT24622620
6NYI24722918
7FLA24322815
8MIN2282199
9CGY2242177
10PHX2592536
11NSH2202155
12ANA2442404
13CHI2342304
14EDM2482453
15WSH2622593
16MTL256257-1
17STL249250-1
18COL218220-2
19CBJ248251-3
20TBL235240-5
21DET251264-13
22LAK258271-13
23BUF226242-16
24NJD214231-17
25VAN232249-17
26TOR229247-18
27PHI262284-22
28WPG235264-29
29BOS202239-37
30OTT239287-48

Unlike the three other things we’ve looked at in this series, there doesn’t seem to be a strict relationship between winning/losing and taking fewer/more penalties. Yes, the Sharks are one of the NHL’s elite, but the Hurricanes, Islanders, and Panthers sure aren’t. Conversely, while the Senators have had a tough season, the Bruins sure haven’t.

San Jose’s differential certainly stands out though, just because it’s such a big number. The Sharks have been shorthanded the fewest times per game (2.64) while averaging the sixth-most power plays (3.54).

“I think it’s a big reason why we have the success we’ve had so far winning games,” forward Tommy Wingels said in January. "[On] a lot of teams, the power play guys get paid a lot to produce on the power play. You have to keep them without the man advantage. When you stay disciplined, you often times limit the other team’s scoring opportunities. That’s what we try to do defensively.”

Related: Hitch says killing penalties is more important than scoring on the power play