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Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How the Canucks' analytics department stacks up against Stanley Cup contenders
You know the old adage: There are lies, damned lies and statistics. It's a line that gets deployed often during discussions on the use of data in sports — and especially in hockey. Data in sports is now everywhere. Where once it was used in the simplest terms — timing runners on a track, keeping tabs on who has the most goals or home runs — now numbers are used to quantify everything: how many shots has this player been on the ice for and against, aka 'Corsi', being the most notable. But to use data effectively, to avoid being defeated by the base analysis of its utility at the top of this column, you must understand the nuances of its application. And in hockey, there is a lot of nuance. An analyst I know once said to me that the hardest thing about using data in hockey is that 75 per cent of the game is simply luck. The whole job, then, is to try to control the 25 per cent of the game you can. Data analysis has fine-tuned the game over the past 15 years, more than anything. Analytics have helped highlight wasteful trends in the game, and helped explain why mid-tier players are effective in their play and redefined how defencemen should play — less brawn, more positioning. And so let us turn to the four remaining teams in the hunt for the Stanley Cup this spring and take a look at how they use data and how they may present lessons for the Vancouver Canucks, who would like to be Stanley Cup aspirants again one day soon: To quote one league source, who affirmed that of the four remaining teams in the playoffs, the Hurricanes are quite clearly the most data-forward: 'Tulsky is Tulsky.' That would be Eric Tulsky, the Hurricanes' GM who has long been closely aligned with team owner Tom Dundon, who is a true iconoclast when it comes to running his businesses. Tulsky, who was director of analytics before a promotion to assistant general manager in 2020 and then to full GM last summer, has a PhD in chemistry and holds 27 U.S. patents related to his work with nanoparticles. He rose to prominence by writing about hockey data in his spare time. He was among the first to highlight the effectiveness of entering the zone with control of the puck, eschewing the dump-and-chase game. He has also long been aligned with head coach Rod Brind'Amour, whose Hurricanes squads dominate possession and also shots. Tulsky has clearly come to understand how to apply statistical ideas to the game and explain them in effective terms to hockey lifers such as Brind'Amour. If there's a team in the NHL that people think of when one says 'analytics', it's Carolina. The Hurricanes win a lot. But they have yet to make the Stanley Cup final in their current era. Indeed, the last time they made the final was 2006, when they won the championship and when Jim Rutherford was their GM. Florida is, by consensus of the handful of NHL people I spoke with, the second-most analytically inclined. Assistant general manager Sunny Mehta is a former derivatives trader who became a professional poker player and then a well-regarded hockey blogger. He has been working in the NHL in various capacities since 2014 and has also consulted for Major League Baseball teams. He was hired by the Panthers in 2020 as vice-president of hockey strategy, then was given an assistant general manager's title in 2023. General manager Bill Zito clearly values his input. 'They don't get offended if they come up with a statistics-based concept and somebody's like 'Come on?' They don't get defensive. They explain it,' Zito told the Miami Herald recently. The Stars have only had a true in-house analytics group since 2022, when they hired a former assistant of Kyle Dubas in Matt Rodell to lead their new department. The Stars were already a smartly run organization under GM Jim Nill, consistently delivering strong teams that seemed to qualify for the playoffs year after year. They made the Stanley Cup final in the bubble in 2020. They kept churning out young players to buttress up a roster long led by top-end veteran players like Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. They had done well finding star defencemen like Miro Heiskanen. But surely the addition of a data-driven group has helped them solidify their standing as one of the NHL's model organizations. 'Everyone spends the same money, and what can separate us from other teams?' Nill told the Dallas Morning News in 2022. 'That's what we're trying to find. We're trying to be the best. Can we find something that separates us?' For a long time, the Oilers seemed openly defiant of the wisdom data provided. And then they got the game's best player in the fold and maybe it didn't matter. But it always seemed odd they would turn away from a tool that could add to their lineup. And in recent years, they have clearly become more interested in the data and have built a much more complete lineup around Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers hired a literal oilman in Michael Parkatti in 2023 to lead up their analytics team:. He had previously worked for Suncor energy. The Canucks have had an analytics department of one kind or another for nearly 15 years now. They have been interested in numbers no matter who has been in charge. Aiden Fox, who is the head of the analytics team now, has been praised by management and coaches time and again. They've made effective use of data at times — but is the department as well-supported as it could be? Whereas other teams, such as the Hurricanes, hire software engineers in-house, the Canucks have not. They don't appear as nimble as they could be. pjohnston@
Vancouver Sun
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
How the Canucks' analytics department stacks up against Stanley Cup contenders
You know the old adage: There are lies, damned lies and statistics. It's a line that gets deployed often during discussions on the use of data in sports — and especially in hockey. Data in sports is now everywhere. Where once it was used in the simplest terms — timing runners on a track, keeping tabs on who has the most goals or home runs — now numbers are used to quantify everything: how many shots has this player been on the ice for and against, aka 'Corsi', being the most notable. But to use data effectively, to avoid being defeated by the base analysis of its utility at the top of this column, you must understand the nuances of its application. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. And in hockey, there is a lot of nuance. An analyst I know once said to me that the hardest thing about using data in hockey is that 75 per cent of the game is simply luck. The whole job, then, is to try to control the 25 per cent of the game you can. Data analysis has fine-tuned the game over the past 15 years, more than anything. Analytics have helped highlight wasteful trends in the game, and helped explain why mid-tier players are effective in their play and redefined how defencemen should play — less brawn, more positioning. And so let us turn to the four remaining teams in the hunt for the Stanley Cup this spring and take a look at how they use data and how they may present lessons for the Vancouver Canucks , who would like to be Stanley Cup aspirants again one day soon: To quote one league source, who affirmed that of the four remaining teams in the playoffs, the Hurricanes are quite clearly the most data-forward: 'Tulsky is Tulsky.' That would be Eric Tulsky, the Hurricanes' GM who has long been closely aligned with team owner Tom Dundon, who is a true iconoclast when it comes to running his businesses. Tulsky, who was director of analytics before a promotion to assistant general manager in 2020 and then to full GM last summer, has a PhD in chemistry and holds 27 U.S. patents related to his work with nanoparticles. He rose to prominence by writing about hockey data in his spare time. He was among the first to highlight the effectiveness of entering the zone with control of the puck, eschewing the dump-and-chase game. He has also long been aligned with head coach Rod Brind'Amour, whose Hurricanes squads dominate possession and also shots. Tulsky has clearly come to understand how to apply statistical ideas to the game and explain them in effective terms to hockey lifers such as Brind'Amour. If there's a team in the NHL that people think of when one says 'analytics', it's Carolina. The Hurricanes win a lot. But they have yet to make the Stanley Cup final in their current era. Indeed, the last time they made the final was 2006, when they won the championship and when Jim Rutherford was their GM. Florida is, by consensus of the handful of NHL people I spoke with, the second-most analytically inclined. Assistant general manager Sunny Mehta is a former derivatives trader who became a professional poker player and then a well-regarded hockey blogger. He has been working in the NHL in various capacities since 2014 and has also consulted for Major League Baseball teams. He was hired by the Panthers in 2020 as vice-president of hockey strategy, then was given an assistant general manager's title in 2023. General manager Bill Zito clearly values his input. 'They don't get offended if they come up with a statistics-based concept and somebody's like 'Come on?' They don't get defensive. They explain it,' Zito told the Miami Herald recently . The Stars have only had a true in-house analytics group since 2022, when they hired a former assistant of Kyle Dubas in Matt Rodell to lead their new department. The Stars were already a smartly run organization under GM Jim Nill, consistently delivering strong teams that seemed to qualify for the playoffs year after year. They made the Stanley Cup final in the bubble in 2020. They kept churning out young players to buttress up a roster long led by top-end veteran players like Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. They had done well finding star defencemen like Miro Heiskanen. But surely the addition of a data-driven group has helped them solidify their standing as one of the NHL's model organizations. 'Everyone spends the same money, and what can separate us from other teams?' Nill told the Dallas Morning News in 2022 . 'That's what we're trying to find. We're trying to be the best. Can we find something that separates us?' For a long time, the Oilers seemed openly defiant of the wisdom data provided. And then they got the game's best player in the fold and maybe it didn't matter. But it always seemed odd they would turn away from a tool that could add to their lineup. And in recent years, they have clearly become more interested in the data and have built a much more complete lineup around Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers hired a literal oilman in Michael Parkatti in 2023 to lead up their analytics team:. He had previously worked for Suncor energy. The Canucks have had an analytics department of one kind or another for nearly 15 years now. They have been interested in numbers no matter who has been in charge. Aiden Fox, who is the head of the analytics team now, has been praised by management and coaches time and again. They've made effective use of data at times — but is the department as well-supported as it could be? Whereas other teams, such as the Hurricanes, hire software engineers in-house, the Canucks have not. They don't appear as nimble as they could be. pjohnston@
Newsweek
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Cane Corso Refuses to Enter the Water but Then He Sees His Mom
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Fear isn't the first trait that comes to mind when you think of a Cane Corso—but a viral video proves that, regardless of size, some dogs still need a little extra reassurance from their favorite person. The TikTok video shared by Maritza Barona, 47, (@maritza_barona) shows five-year-old Blue, who weighs 180 lbs, wearing a life jacket with his paws in the pool. Barona's son and husband try to coax him into the pool, but he refuses. "He wanted mom," states the text layered over the moment she swims over and he puts his paws on her shoulders to enjoy a paddle. Newsweek spoke to Barona from Houston, Texas, about the heartwarming clip that has racked up 6.5 million views. (L-R) Two screenshots from the viral video showing Blue and his mom sitting and swimming in the pool. (L-R) Two screenshots from the viral video showing Blue and his mom sitting and swimming in the pool. TikTok/@maritza_barona She said: "I was tanning and Blue kept whining because he wanted to get in the water. I didn't realize the whining was because he wanted me to get in to hold him." The American Kennel Club (AKC) describes the Cane Corso as intelligent and affectionate. The website states: "Corsi are at a glance intimidating creatures. Their imposing appearance is their first line of defense against intruders." However, the reality of owning one is a little different. Barona said: "Cane Corso is a tough breed. But, he is a big goofball and a gentle giant with his family." She explained that he is a protective dog but the "biggest baby" when he is with the people he loves. "When cared for properly, they are loving, loyal, and deeply affectionate towards their family. "I have raised Blue since a newborn and I am his primary caregiver and I do everything for him. "I believe moms, in general, are just more nurturing and provide a sense of safety. Blue proved that by showing he did not trust the boys to get in and immediately got in with mom." So far, the May 11 clip has received over 934,000 likes and more than 6,000 comments. "He said I know who's keeping everyone alive in this house & it ain't yall. Where's mom?" said one user, and another wrote: "Well we know who's the only one being protected at all costs." "The way he's still scared and twice her size but makes her hold him," said a third commenter, and Barona shared: "When he was a puppy he always slept on my chest. I guess it's his comfort. He's not aware of his size." A fourth user wrote: "If we go down we go down together mom," and Barona replied: "That's how I felt! Clearly he was confident that I'm not letting him go down." Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
American Military News
11-05-2025
- Politics
- American Military News
Myanmar quake death toll rises above 2,000, military junta says
This article was originally published by Radio Free Asia and is reprinted with permission. The death toll from Myanmar's magnitude 7.7 earthquake rose to 2,056 people, the country's military junta announced Monday on state-run TV, as rescue workers searched for victims believed trapped under collapsed buildings. The junta, which took control of the country in a 2021 coup, said on state TV that 170 people were still missing and 3,900 people were injured. The shadow National Unity Government, made up of former civilian leaders, gave a higher death toll of 2,418. Near the epicenter of Friday's quake, in Mandalay, the country's second-biggest city, a 75-year-old grandmother and her two teenage granddaughters were pulled out alive from under their partially collapsed 11-story apartment building, residents told Radio Free Asia. While holding onto each other in the darkness, the girls, 16 and 13, used their cell phones to signal their location under the Sky Villa condominium. On Sunday, they were happily reunited with their families. The United Nations Office in Myanmar, meanwhile, issued a statement on Monday asking for unhindered access to earthquake-hit areas to deliver humanitarian aid. Myanmar, which is mired in a four-year civil war after the military overthrew the democratically-elected government in the coup, is poorly equipped to respond to the disaster. Even before this earthquake, nearly 20 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance, Marcoluigi Corsi, the U.N. resident and acting humanitarian coordinator for Myanmar, said in a statement. 'This latest tragedy compounds an already dire crisis and risks further eroding the resilience of communities already battered by conflict, displacement, and past disasters,' Corsi said. U.N. agencies and humanitarian partners have allocated an initial US$15 million to support the response and are deploying emergency medical teams, shelter materials and food aid. 'We have a significant presence in Mandalay and surrounding areas, and we are doing everything we can to reach people in need despite serious logistical challenges,' Corsi said. The U.N. said many survivors were suffering from 'fractures, open wounds and crush syndrome – all conditions that pose a high risk of infection.' In a daily humanitarian update, the U.N. recounted a tragedy at a private preschool which was in session during the earthquake in the Mandalay area. The classroom building collapsed, resulting in the deaths of 50 children and two teachers. In response to the earthquake, rescue teams from Russia, China, Belarus, India, Thailand, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and Malaysia have been providing assistance. The United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and Bangladesh have sent financial aid and rescue supplies. The earthquake was centered near Mandalay in the middle of the country and caused severe destruction in Sagaing, Magway, Bago, Naypyidaw, Shan state and eastern Taungoo. The junta declared a seven-day period of national mourning until April 6 to remember those who lost their lives in the earthquake. Thai efforts continue Aftershocks were still being felt in the Burmese cities of Mandalay and Naypyidaw as well as the Thai capital of Bangkok — 1,000 kilometers from the epicenter — although no additional damage was reported. In Bangkok, multinational rescuers, including the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, used K-9 dogs and electronic sensors to detect signs of life in the rubble of a 30-story building. According to the rescue center at the site of the collapsed state audit office near Chatuchak Park, as of 8 a.m. on Monday, 76 people remained missing, 11 were confirmed dead with nine injured. A woman's body was brought out of the rubble mid-afternoon, bringing the death toll to 12. The search was continuing beyond the conventional 72-hour window for finding survivors, Bangkok Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt said, saying signs of life had been detected Monday morning. Thailand's labor ministry said it would give 1.73 million baht (US$51,000) to families for each of the construction workers – many foreign nationals – who died in the collapse.
New York Times
23-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Mirtle: Why the Maple Leafs winning ugly shouldn't surprise anyone right now
Travis Green stepped to the podium after a 6-2 loss in Game 1 and was quick to point out his team was the better five-on-five club analytically. Two days later, after another tough result for his team, the Ottawa Senators coach was again bullish about how his team had controlled play for long stretches of Game 2's 3-2 overtime loss. Advertisement 'We probably deserved a better fate tonight,' Green said, adding, 'I really liked the way we played tonight.' On one hand, you can see where he's coming from. He's coaching the underdogs and his young charges have had the puck a lot in this series. Ottawa has attempted 148 shots through two games to lead the NHL playoffs early on, and they've limited Toronto to just 45 shots while generating 61 of their own. The Senators are ahead on basically all the underlying numbers — scoring chances, expected goals, high danger chances — but they're behind on pucks in the net and wins on the board. Typically, you'd call that tough luck and expect a team in that situation to break through at home in Game 3, possibly evening the series before it heads back to Toronto a week from now. And that may well happen. But the thing is, the Leafs have done this the entire season. This is who they are. They were outshot 47 times this season — and they went 33-12-2 in those games, a 119-point pace, the best mark in the NHL in that category. They were actually better in games when they gave up more. Part of that is they really haven't pursued Corsi excellence all year. Instead, they've scored first fairly regularly, pushed out into the lead by the midway point in a lot of games, had a great power play and goaltending, and been able to hang on for victories again and again. It hasn't always been pretty. It hasn't always looked sustainable or tactically wise. But it's undeniable that it's a formula that has worked now for seven months, as they reeled off a 108-point season and two more victories here to start the playoffs. Craig Berube Hockey has looked very little like Sheldon Keefe Hockey, in terms of earning style points. And we saw a lot of reasons why in Game 2, as the Leafs struggled to break the puck out with control or generate much of anything for long stretches of the night. That allowed Ottawa to push back into the game, overcoming an early 2-0 hole to eventually tie things late when there was a miscommunication near the Toronto goal that turned into an Adam Gaudette tip play in front with five minutes left in regulation. Advertisement Normally, coughing up a two-goal lead and playing as poorly as the Leafs did in the second period would be cause for prolonged concern. But Berube didn't panic. He hardly seemed to change his approach at all, including putting Max Domi out early in overtime even though he had struggled managing the puck in regulation. And the coach was rewarded with a big play three minutes into the extra frame, with Domi delivering the winner, top corner. Other than the raised stakes, it felt a lot like a lot of other Leafs wins this season. Afterward, Berube acknowledged his team's second period wasn't ideal. But he was otherwise pleased with how they'd played: another strong performance from netminder Anthony Stolarz, timely goals from his stars, and strong box-outs in front of the net from his hard-nosed D. The coach had sidled up to his local diner and ordered 'the usual,' in other words. 'The first period was really good,' Berube said. 'I liked our start a lot. We came out playing on our toes, got to our forecheck, we were aggressive, got a good lead, the power play came through again. Second period I thought that they were the better team. We didn't make plays. We kind of looked like we were just protecting the lead a little bit and didn't advance it and get to the offensive zone enough. Took a couple penalties. 'Third period was fine. We were in good shape. The goal was the first shot we gave up in the third period, so we were playing the right way and doing the right things. It was a mistake and mistakes happen. But we stayed with it and ended up getting the win.' Berube didn't shrug at the media podium after he delivered those last few lines, but he could have. His tone, as usual, was calm and collected. He even cracked a joke — about the big playoff goals he had scored in his career ('I've got a couple') — and added that while periods of the game were 'frustrating,' riding that out was part of the plan. Advertisement That, he explained, is how you win in the playoffs. 'As the coach, we're asking our players to be composed,' Berube said. 'I've got to be composed, too. Talk to them about things, try to motivate them a little bit on the bench, get them going again, get them skating.' Blocked shots, Game 2: Toronto – 32Ottawa – 6 — luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) April 23, 2025 The Leafs' previous issues in the playoffs are well-documented by this point, and a big part of the problem over the years is they've played tight and lost their way with games on the line. All throughout this season and so far in this series, they've taken on the persona of their coach, the 3,149-penalty-minute enforcer who has been far more of a teddy bear players' coach than an in-your-face taskmaster in Year 1 in Toronto. It's worked wonders, on the ice and off of it, where even through tough stretches the Leafs have been far more relaxed and controlled. The real test of all this will be as the series gets down to its inflection point in elimination games. It is, as Mitch Marner said after the game, 'going to get even harder.' So far, however, the Leafs have played to their identity and taken the franchise's first 2-0 lead in a playoff series in 23 years. And that identity is, without question, that of the man behind the bench. (Top photo of Auston Matthews: Dan Hamilton / Imagn Images)
