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Keenan · 01-02-2021, 03:00 PM

The horn sounded to signal the end of the game. The Anchorage Armada had just lost to the Maine Timber 4-2 in their 24th game of the season. The defensive pairing of Igor Victory and Gregory Goode had each been held off of the score sheet and each man ended up with a -1 rating. Fast forward to today, the 58th game of the Anchorage Armada schedule. Anchorage lost vs Nevada 3-0 the final stat lines for the previously mentioned pairing? Scoreless, and each man putting up a -2 rating. Where am I going with this? I’ll explain shortly, first I’d like to do a little scene setting.

Opposites Attract

With their first 2 picks in the S57 SMJHL draft the Anchorage Armada selected young defensemen Bean Beanman and Gregory Goode. Beanman, taken with a first round pick was seen as a very well rounded defenseman, as opposed to Goode, who was very strong offensively, but lacked a bit defensively and physically. The two would join Igor Victory and Michael Withecheck to make up a formidable top 4 for Anchorage. It was then that GM Gabriel Johnson was faced with a decision: how to set up the pairings? Does he go with experience up front with Victory-Withecheck and Beanman-Goode to follow? Does he have a more defensive minded pairing of Beanman-Victory and then a more offensive pairing of Withecheck-Goode? Or does he set up each rookie with a complimentary counterpart? Thankfully he chose the latter.

By setting up each rookie with an experienced vet that complimented his playstyle, Johnson seems like he got the most out of each player. Nowhere is this more evident with Goode-Victory. Goode was able to parlay his more defensive partner into playing more offensively and it paid off, Goode currently leads rookies in points with a statline of 6 goals, 29 assists, 35 points.

The Results Speak for Themselves

I think about the 2016 Chicago Cubs a lot. Such a fun team to watch, but this is a hockey site, so I’m not gonna go too deep into that. I bring that up because it reminds me of something manager Joe Madden used to say to leadoff hitter Dexter Fowler, “You go, we go”. It was more or less telling Fowler that as he takes the first at bat, he sets the tone for the game. By that same token, I feel like the quote can also apply to Victory-Goode. What I mean by that is it seems that when the Victory-Goode pairing does well, success seems to follow. In games where both players record a point Anchorage is 10-2-0, securing 83.3% of possible points in those games, in games where either one or the other gets a point the team is 16-6-4, for 69.2% of possible points, and in games where neither gets as point Anchorage is 10-8-2, for 55% of points. It’s not the wildest swing, but it does show that the better Victory-Goode does, the better Anchorage does. Now, I haven’t compared this to other teams, so I don’t know how this adds up. Besides, it seems like a no brainer, if one of your defensive pairings lights up the score sheet you’re probably winning. Makes sense to me. But I digress, results are results.

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH!

Thanks for sticking with me, I know it got a bit long-winded there, but I’m finally ready to reveal what the opening paragraph was getting at. Well between those two listed games, the Goode-Victory pairing didn’t have a single game where either player had posted a negative +/- rating. It’s hard to believe, but it’s true. For over half the season Goode and Victory were at WORST even. I know +/- isn’t the best stat, it’s kind of like wins in the MLB, sure it’s a stat, but there is so much more that goes into it. However, I think it can be useful in certain situations, such as comparing teammates. Especially when the differences are as drastic as they are here.

As I was saying, for 33 games, that’s half the season mind you, Victory-Goode was either even or positive, how does that compare to Anchorage teammates? Pretty well, actually, for starters every other player on Anchorage had at least 3 games where they were a negative during the same stretch. That player with 3 games? Rookie Cole Carter, who by the way hasn’t played since the team’s acquisition of Dee Centerman IV. How about fellow defensemen? During the same timespan Bean Beanman leads non Victory-Goode defensemen with 11 games as a minus player. Michael Withecheck had 12 games, and bottom pairing Alexei Petrikov and Jorg Fuchs each had 13 games. And these aren’t players facing sheltered minutes or low quality competition, Victory-Goode are seeing 20:26 and 20:39 TOI respectively.

Is it impressive? I think so. Is it historic? Maybe. Hard to tell, and there’s no way I’m gonna dig through all these games and teams, if anyone has any idea I’d love to hear.

What’s Next?

Most immediately, of course, would be the playoffs. And if we’re being honest, it’ll probably be the last time that Goode and Victory play together for a while. I don’t know for sure, but I would imagine Victory gets the call to the big leagues with Tampa Bay next season. It’s sad, but that’s the way of things, and I’m sure the future will bring great things for both players, and who knows: maybe Goode will be drafted to Tampa Bay, or maybe their paths will cross some other way. The future is chaos, but it’s clear that Victory-Goode has been a very productive pairing in this season 57 of SMJHL hockey.

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*Gwdjohnson* · 01-02-2021, 04:07 PM

That's my ROTY baby Armada

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