A Stupid Hockey Question
 

Well, maybe not so stupid, but still...

Why do some teams pull their goalie in that last period? Almost every single time we see a team do it, they lose.

For example, Finland and Sweden were playing a very hot match today, with Sweden favored to win. At the end of the 2nd period, the score was tied 2-1 Finland. With 2:45 left in the 3rd, the Swedes pulled their goalie. Finland went on to score 2 more goals on the empty net. It makes you wonder if Finland would have scored those two extra goals without the help of the neighbors. Maybe Sweden knew it as not going to score anymore and just decided to give the game away. (We have seen this in NHL play too... )

I thought Finland and Sweden were almost the same country?

|couch|

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH Uh, no. Lots of intermingling, but two very different languages and cultures. Don't even get into the sports. It is some of the most intense rivalry I have ever seen - anywhere. Let's just say tonight's victory was especially sweet.

It's almost like the US and Canada on steroids.

My wife says exactly the same things, Pagan. I wonder if in a world where there is a statistic for everything, if there is data to support one side or the other?

[When travelling in Europe, Canadians would always get lumped in with Americans.]

Sometimes it works, sometimes! I've seen it work and seen teams score the game tying goal to take the game to overtime. The thought process is if they don't pull their goalie they're going to lose anyway, may as well "give it a try".

Google tells me this:
During the 2019 – 2020 season, teams scored 14.5% when removing the goalie from the net during a one-goal deficit. The previous year was also 14.5% and the year before that was 15%. A success rate from Hockey-Graphs represents either tying the game or moving the match to overtime with a goal.

Man, I don't like those odds. I would have thought that the Swedes would have brought the goalie back in after Finland score the first time (making a 2 goal deficit)... but we do like the outcome anyway. Thanks for the stats, Ramster. The Husband will definitely enjoy them.

Lose by 2, lose by 3, all the same = Loss

My team, the Ottawa Senators, pulled the goalie last night down a goal and sure enough, empty netter and they lost by 2 goals instead of one :D |facepalm|

That's good Bingo! |thumb