2012 Champions: Stat-Nerding the Third-ish Quarter of the Season

That's Charlie Effinger.  He just won the Goaltender of the Week Award for the third time this season, ya heard. 

Although there have only been fourteen games since the last time we checked in with the Mavericks, there are only twenty games left in something like forty days.  So this is as good of a time as any to see what the Mavs are doing right, doing wrong, and need to do during the home stretch of the season.  (Note: this review follows a similar format as the second quarter stats post, so in lieu of me repeating stats, please refer any comparisons to that previous post.)

2012 Champions: Stat-Nerding the Second Quarter of the Season

Mavs President and GM Brent Thiessen won the Commitment Cup! Whatever that is...

Welcome to the CHL All-Star break!  Your Missouri Mavericks are currently fifth in the seven-team Turner Conference with 35 points.  They are 16-13-3 overall, and are 8-8-1 with 17 points over the course of the second quarter of the season.  The Mavs are technically still a playoff team with this record.  They have 96 GF and 103 GA. 

2010-11 season, after 32 games:

18-11-3

39 pts

103 GF

90 GA

-7 GF and -13(!) GA from one season ago.  Where has everything gone so terribly wrong?

Featuring the 2011-12 Mavericks Commercial

There is a new Missouri Mavericks commercial making its way around the local TV channels.  And here it is:

It seems like a pretty simple, straightforward marketing campaign.  The National Anthem in the background is a nice touch.  Though, I can't help but wonder WHAT REASON ARE THEY HERE?!?!?  I keed, I keed.

Denied reasons include:

• I'm here because I was born to be a hockey player. (many players are Canadian, so the reference doesn't work).
• I don't play hockey for the post-game riots.
• I'm not here to cuss out the media.
• I didn't come to KC for the, um, err, beautiful...beaches... 
• I am here so I don't have to see Pierre Maguire between the benches.
• I am not a candy ass!
• I'm here as a means to get to the Chicago Wolves.  That would be pretty cool.
• I'm not a crook!
• I'm not here for the mascot. (ed. note: that's the #1 reason why anyone joins the Mavs)
• I'm listening to the f---in' song!

The players featured are, from left to right:

G: Charlie Effinger

I'm certain that is F: Ed McGrane

F: Sebastian Thinel (SEABASS!)

F: Carlyle Lewis

D: Mike Wakita

I think it's D: David Pszenyczny.  He has kind of a blank stare thing goin' on.

A little new guys mixed in with the Mavs vets.  Another nice touch.  Bravo, Mavs marketing team/ interns.  

Also, here is a good read from LA Kings blog Mayors Manor challenging the idea that KC is not a hockey town.  This was written before the exhibition game this fall, but it's still relevant nonetheless.  (I will do my best to post more articles when they are still in mint condition, which is about two minutes in Internet-time.)

2012 Champions: Stat-Nerding the First Quarter of the Season

Pic borrowed from the CHL

After fifteen games, your Missouri Mavericks are a mere point out of first place in the Turner Division of the CHL.  That almost guarantees them a spot in the wacky CHL playoffs, and I think a first and second round bye, and a free Blizzard at Dairy Queen.  But, that's not important right now.  Of course, the season is a marathon instead of a sprint and all of that hot garbage, but it doesn't hurt that 80% of the league makes it to the playoffs...

Either way, the first half of the season has been very good to the Mavericks.  At 8-5-2 and with 18 points they have gotten off to the fastest start in franchise history (2009-10: 6-8-1, and 2010-2011: 7-6-2).  There are many factors contributing to the Mavericks success, and it all starts with the offseason acquisitions.

Here are a few bullets to think about: