Manning at Falher Preview [Fri., Jan. 11]
Chris Clegg
NPHL.com Writer
We can’t get a much more wilder night that Saturday last in the NPHL. Coupled with all the suspensions and penalties, not to mention other weird happenings, I was a perfect 0-3 against the line! Skunked! David Temple, former NPHL linesman and avid NPHL fan, sets the lines and is inching closer to .500 each week.
Manning at Falher [Fri., Jan. 11]
LINE: Falher by 7 1/2
It’s the fifth of six meetings this season. FAL has won three of four, sweeping at home 11-4 and 4-3. MAN won at home 6-5 in OT and lost 7-2. Red-hot FAL has won nine straight and is home and cooled for first in the East with an 11-point lead over MAN [pending the game the night before]. FAL has the potential to clinch first in the East. FAL keeps rising in the 28 statistics categories across the board, thanks to their winning streak. FAL ranks in the top three in every category except shots on goal for [fourth], team record when scoring first [fourth], leading after the first period [fourth], leading after two periods [sixth – but this is misleading because rankings are based on winning percentage – FAL has won 11 games overall which is second in the league], and trailing after two periods [fourth]. Despite being in second place, MAN’s rankings are not good. In key categories they rank poorly: sixth in PP and PK, last in shots on goal for and shots on goal against, MAN is also the most penalized team in the league. MAN’s goals for and against are a league worst in the first and third periods, and fifth worst in the second. MAN has also blown leads in 31.25% of its games; FAL is not much better at 18.75%. MAN has now lost five straight at FAL but none covered the current line. MAN also has trouble scoring at FAL; they have not scored more than four goals in their last six visits. However, when looking at the current line. FAL has only scored more than seven goals once in the last 11 home games vs MAN. That is the stat I will rely on with my pick. FAL to win, MAN with the goals.
The season series
1. Fri., Nov. 9 – Manning 4 at Falher 11
2. Fri., Nov. 23 – Falher 5 at Manning 6 (SO)
3. Fri., Dec. 14 – Falher 7 at Manning 2
4. Thu., Jan. 3 – Manning 3 at Falher 4
5. Fri., Jan. 11 – Manning at Falher
6. Fri., Jan. 18 – Falher at Manning
The Stats Pack
[Ranking in Parenthesis]
Category Manning FalherRecord 7-9-0-0 [2-East] 12-3-0-1 [1-East]
Power Play 16-73, 21.92% [6] 24-90, 26.67% [3]
Penalty Kill 23-74, 68.92% [6] 23-85, 72.94% [4]
Shots For 30.81 per game [7] 42.50 per game [3]
Shots Vs 45.31 per game [7] 37.50 per game [3]
Shots Diff -232 [7] +80 [3]
PIM For 35.94 per game [7] 24.50 per game [3]
PIM Vs 35.00 per game [7] 26.25 per game [3]
PIM Diff -15 [5] +28 [3]
Scoring 1st 50.00% [T3] 50.00% [T3]
Record Scoring 1st Goal 4-4 [5] 5-3 [4]
Record Allow 1st Goal 3-5 [3] 7-1 [1]
Lead After 1 Period 2-1 [6] 7-3 [4]
Trail After 1 Period 4-5 [2] 2-1 [1]
Lead After 2 Periods 5-0 [3] 11-2 [6]
Trail After 2 Periods 2-8 [2] 0-2 [4]
Goals Scored in 1st 0.94 per game [7] 2.56 per game [1]
Goals Scored in 2nd 1.38 per game [6] 2.75 per game [1]
Goals Scored in 3rd 1.13 per game [7] 2.00 per game [T2]
Goals Allowed in 1st 1.88 per game [5] 1.38 per game [3]
Goals Allowed in 2nd 1.69 per game [5] 1.19 per game [3]
Goals Allowed in 3rd 2.25 per game [6] 1.81 per game [3]
Goal Diff in 1 -15 [7] +19 [1]
Goal Diff in 2 -5 [5] +25 [1]
Goal Diff in 3 -18 [7] +3 [3]
Come From Behind Wins 31.25% [2] 50.00% [1]
Blown Leads 31.25% [T5] 18.75% [3]
Team Stick Fouls 4.31 PIM/Game [6] 4.25 PIM/Game [5]LAST WEEK’S RECORD STRAIGHT-UP: 6-0
LAST WEEK’S RECORD AGAINST THE LINE: 2-4
SEASON RECORD STRAIGHT-UP: 36-17
SEASON RECORD AGAINST THE LINE: 30-23