Defining bad defence

In general, I'm pretty happy with the Rod Langway look at the best defensive defenders. It's a quick and dirty method for finding which players have played big minutes on defence in a shutdown role and kept pucks out of their own net.

What it's not useful for is finding which defenders have been on the wrong end of the equation.

If finding "good" defence is complicated, then the question of who's played badly is even more so. We all already know Nick Lidstrom and Chris Pronger make it difficult for the opposition to score, but if I asked you who made it the easiest, my guess is there'd be any number of different answers.

What follows are a few different looks at "bad defence" in the NHL. (With some serious help, as per usual, from Behind The Net.)

On the ice for the most 5-on-5 goals against

	NAME	POS	TM	GP	QUAL COMP	GFON	GAON
1	PAUL RANGER	D	T.B	58	0.12	61	70
2	ILYA KOVALCHUK	RW	ATL	58	0.05	44	60
3	LUBOMIR VISNOVSKY	D	L.A	62	-0.05	43	60
4	MARTIN ST. LOUIS	RW	T.B	59	0.11	63	60
5	BRAD RICHARDS	C	T.B	59	0.06	35	58
6	VINCENT LECAVALIER	C	T.B	59	0.14	62	58
7	FILIP KUBA	D	T.B	58	0.13	51	58
8	VACLAV PROSPAL	LW	T.B	59	0.13	52	54
9	BRIAN CAMPBELL	D	BUF	59	0.00	53	54
10	STEVE STAIOS	D	EDM	61	0.07	36	54
11	WADE REDDEN	D	OTT	60	0.01	64	53
12	TODD WHITE	C	ATL	61	0.06	38	51
13	ANZE KOPITAR	C	L.A	62	0.03	35	51
14	ERIC STAAL	C	CAR	62	0.05	49	51
15	MIKE GREEN	D	WSH	60	0.04	49	51
16	JACK JOHNSON	D	L.A	62	0.05	39	51
17	TOMAS KABERLE	D	TOR	61	0.05	44	51
18	NICLAS HAVELID	D	ATL	60	0.10	50	50
19	BRAD STUART	D	L.A	61	-0.08	34	49
20	ALEXANDER OVECHKIN	LW	WSH	60	0.06	59	49

That there is as basic as it gets. Bad defence, in essence, as being out there for a lot of goals against.

This, of course, doesn't take into account ice time, so we see some big-time minute munchers on bad teams way up the list. Tampa's Big Three are taking up prime real estate, and young Mr. Ranger is running away with the lead.

No trophy for that one.

Let's bring ice time in here:

5-on-5 goals against per 60 minutes

	NAME	POS	TM	GP	TOI/60	QUAL COMP	GF/60	GA/60
1	MICHAEL NYLANDER	C	WSH	40	13.38	0.02	2.47	4.37
2	ILYA KOVALCHUK	RW	ATL	58	14.67	0.05	3.10	4.23
3	RYAN SMYTH	LW	COL	39	15.16	0.03	2.94	3.86
4	TODD WHITE	C	ATL	61	13.16	0.06	2.84	3.81
5	ALEXANDER SEMIN	LW	WSH	41	11.93	-0.02	2.94	3.80
6	JOE SAKIC	C	COL	24	13.63	0.06	2.57	3.67
7	LUBOMIR VISNOVSKY	D	L.A	62	15.95	-0.05	2.61	3.64
8	BRAD RICHARDS	C	T.B	59	16.24	0.06	2.19	3.63
9	PAUL RANGER	D	T.B	58	19.99	0.12	3.16	3.62
10	SIMON GAGNE	LW	PHI	25	11.92	-0.03	2.42	3.62
11	PATRICK O'SULLIVAN	RW	L.A	62	13.01	0.03	2.60	3.57
12	VINCENT LECAVALIER	C	T.B	59	16.61	0.14	3.80	3.55
13	MICHAL HANDZUS	C	L.A	62	11.88	0.08	1.87	3.50
14	DANIEL BRIERE	C	PHI	60	13.37	-0.02	2.02	3.44
15	ANZE KOPITAR	C	L.A	62	14.40	0.03	2.35	3.43
16	ROBERT BLAKE	D	L.A	53	14.53	0.03	2.34	3.43
17	MARTIN ST. LOUIS	RW	T.B	59	17.86	0.11	3.59	3.42
18	FILIP KUBA	D	T.B	58	17.70	0.13	2.98	3.39
19	VACLAV PROSPAL	LW	T.B	59	16.38	0.13	3.23	3.35
20	JIRI TLUSTY	LW	TOR	37	10.19	0.01	1.59	3.34

More big, ugly numbers, and more Lightning in the parade.

There are some surprising members here, including Burnaby Joe, Todd White, Vinny Lecavalier and Michal Handzus, but mostly what we're still seeing here is players from teams that have had either poor goaltending or poor team defence.

There's also the matter of strength of competition, which is why the Tampa fellows are all getting hammered.

But I'll add that in next. First up, let's compare players to their own teammates' performance:

Difference between 5-on-5 goals against on and off ice

	NAME	POS	TM	GP	QUAL COMP	GA/60	GAOFF/60	GAA dif
1	MICHAEL NYLANDER	C	WSH	40	0.02	4.37	2.05	2.32
2	SIMON GAGNE	LW	PHI	25	-0.03	3.62	1.48	2.14
3	ILYA KOVALCHUK	RW	ATL	58	0.05	4.23	2.27	1.96
4	RYAN SMYTH	LW	COL	39	0.03	3.86	2.22	1.64
5	DANIEL BRIERE	C	PHI	60	-0.02	3.44	1.98	1.46
6	TODD WHITE	C	ATL	61	0.06	3.81	2.38	1.43
7	SEAN AVERY	C	NYR	36	0.06	2.66	1.26	1.40
8	KEITH YANDLE	D	PHX	26	-0.10	3.22	1.86	1.36
9	JAROSLAV SPACEK	D	BUF	47	0.01	3.20	1.85	1.35
10	SCOTT NIEDERMAYER	D	ANA	29	0.11	2.42	1.12	1.30
11	ALEXANDER SEMIN	LW	WSH	41	-0.02	3.80	2.53	1.27
12	JOE SAKIC	C	COL	24	0.06	3.67	2.41	1.26
13	SANDIS OZOLINSH	D	S.J	38	-0.10	2.97	1.73	1.24
14	BRIAN CAMPBELL	D	BUF	59	0.00	3.19	1.95	1.24
15	MIKE COMRIE	C	NYI	59	0.04	3.28	2.06	1.22
16	LUKAS KRAJICEK	D	VAN	39	-0.12	2.86	1.69	1.17
17	WADE REDDEN	D	OTT	60	0.01	3.27	2.12	1.15
18	NICLAS WALLIN	D	CAR	46	-0.03	3.22	2.08	1.14
19	PHIL KESSEL	LW	BOS	59	-0.00	2.89	1.75	1.14
20	PAUL RANGER	D	T.B	58	0.12	3.62	2.55	1.07

Some more new names at the party, and a few guys — like Yandle, Ozolinsh and Krajicek — who are getting beat badly during easy minutes.

Then again, we see someone like Scott Niedermayer show up, mainly due to the fact he's carrying the mail when it comes to tough minutes (he may also be a tad rusty from, you know, sitting on his tuchis for a while).

Sakic? A 38-year-old offensive, smallish centre who was playing hurt and filling tough minutes on a team with some goaltending woes? And his linemates were Andrew Brunette and Ryan Smyth/Wojtek Wolski?

Okay, let's factor the quality of competition numbers in here, weight it against the GAA dif numbers, and see what's left:

	NAME	POS	TM	QUAL COMP	GAA dif	GAA dif rank	QUAL COMP rank
1	LUKAS KRAJICEK	D	VAN	-0.12	1.17	16	12
2	KEITH YANDLE	D	PHX	-0.10	1.36	8	23
3	SANDIS OZOLINSH	D	S.J	-0.10	1.24	13	23
4	JOHN-MICHAEL LILES	D	COL	-0.12	0.75	51	12
5	RHETT WARRENER	D	CGY	-0.08	0.82	42	35
6	SEAN HILL	D	MIN	-0.08	0.81	44	35
7	AARON MILLER	D	VAN	-0.08	0.70	66	35
8	LUBOMIR VISNOVSKY	D	L.A	-0.05	0.94	30	79
9	BRENDAN MORRISON	C	VAN	-0.05	0.92	32	79
10	ANDREI ZYUZIN	D	CHI	-0.08	0.62	80	35
11	DUVIE WESTCOTT	D	CBJ	-0.16	0.48	118	3
12	SIMON GAGNE	LW	PHI	-0.03	2.14	2	122
13	MILAN LUCIC	LW	BOS	-0.07	0.64	75	50
14	NICLAS WALLIN	D	CAR	-0.03	1.14	18	122
15	MARKUS NASLUND	LW	VAN	-0.05	0.72	61	79
16	FRED MEYER IV	D	NYI	-0.07	0.58	90	50
17	BRYAN BERARD	D	NYI	-0.07	0.57	94	50
18	ANDERS ERIKSSON	D	CGY	-0.03	1.04	23	122
19	CAM BARKER	D	CHI	-0.04	0.81	44	102
20	ANDREJ SEKERA	D	BUF	-0.06	0.58	90	66
21	DANIEL BRIERE	C	PHI	-0.02	1.46	5	152
22	VITALY VISHNEVSKI	D	N.J	-0.04	0.72	58	102
23	CHRIS KUNITZ	LW	ANA	-0.03	0.85	39	122
24	MATT JONES	D	PHX	-0.05	0.60	83	79
25	ALEXANDER SEMIN	LW	WSH	-0.02	1.27	11	152
26	SCOTT WALKER	RW	CAR	-0.04	0.70	62	102
27	MAXIM AFINOGENOV	RW	BUF	-0.04	0.70	62	102
28	STEVE WAGNER	D	STL	-0.04	0.68	70	102
29	MIKE CAMMALLERI	C	L.A	-0.06	0.47	121	66
30	JEREMY ROENICK	C	S.J	-0.03	0.67	71	122
31	PETER SCHAEFER	LW	BOS	-0.07	0.38	143	50
32	BRAD STUART	D	L.A	-0.08	0.31	159	35
33	MARC-ANDRE BERGERON	D	NYI	-0.06	0.42	129	66
34	PATRICK MARLEAU	C	S.J	-0.01	1.06	22	178
35	STEVE DOWNIE	RW	PHI	-0.06	0.39	139	66
36	SHEA WEBER	D	NSH	-0.02	0.73	57	152
37	TODD BERTUZZI	LW	ANA	-0.03	0.59	87	122
38	MARTIN SKOULA	D	MIN	-0.02	0.72	58	152
39	TOM PREISSING	D	L.A	-0.05	0.41	132	79
40	BRIAN CAMPBELL	D	BUF	0.00	1.24	14	200

Essentially, this is a list of players whose coaches keep them away from tough minutes, but who still manage to somehow have more goals scored against than when they're on the bench.

It relies heavily (probably too heavily) on the quality of competition numbers, giving a free pass to anyone who plays remotely difficult minutes, but maybe that's the point. One would assume that a coach knows his team's weaknesses as well as anyone, and anyone linematching would therefore hide those players.

I'm surprised to see a few players on here (Weber, for one), but there are a lot of offence-first type defenders who one would expect to see on there. And quality of teammates could still be an issue.

Still, I'd take this over plus-minus.

And I'd be curious to see what others can come up with.
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