NHL Advanced Analytics Glossary

A complete guide to the hockey analytics terms used across LivingHockey. Whether you are new to advanced stats or looking for a quick refresher on what Corsi, Fenwick, expected goals (xG), or GSAx mean in hockey, this glossary has you covered.

CorsiCF / CA / CF%
Corsi measures all shot attempts — goals, shots on goal, missed shots, and blocked shots. Corsi For (CF) is your team's total shot attempts, Corsi Against (CA) is the opponent's, and CF% is CF / (CF + CA). A CF% above 50% means your team is generating more shot attempts than it allows, indicating puck possession dominance.
FenwickFF / FA / FF%
Fenwick is like Corsi but excludes blocked shots, counting only goals, shots on goal, and missed shots. Some analysts prefer Fenwick because blocked shots can reflect defensive positioning rather than offensive generation. FF% above 50% signals that a team is creating more unblocked shot attempts than it concedes.
Expected GoalsxG / xGF / xGA / xGF%
Expected goals (xG) estimate the probability that a given shot becomes a goal based on factors like shot distance, angle, shot type, and whether it followed a rebound or rush. xGF is the total expected goals a team generates, xGA is what they allow, and xGF% is xGF / (xGF + xGA). Unlike Corsi, xG accounts for shot quality — not all shots are created equal.
Goals Saved Above ExpectedGSAx
GSAx measures how many more (or fewer) goals a goalie saved compared to what an average goalie would be expected to save, based on the quality of shots faced (using the xG model). A positive GSAx means the goalie is outperforming expectations — saving more than they "should." It is widely considered the best single metric for evaluating goaltender performance.
Scoring ChancesSCF / SCA
Scoring chances are shot attempts taken from areas on the ice where goals are more likely to be scored — generally from the slot and surrounding areas. SCF (Scoring Chances For) and SCA (Scoring Chances Against) measure a team's ability to generate and suppress quality offensive opportunities.
High-Danger ChancesHDCF / HDCA
High-danger chances are a subset of scoring chances taken from the most dangerous areas — the inner slot directly in front of the net. These shots convert to goals at significantly higher rates. HDCF (High-Danger Chances For) and HDCA (High-Danger Chances Against) are strong indicators of a team's offensive and defensive quality in the most critical areas.
Save PercentageSV%
Save percentage is the proportion of shots on goal that a goalie stops, calculated as saves divided by shots faced. A league-average SV% in the modern NHL is roughly .905-.910. While useful at a glance, SV% does not account for shot quality — a goalie facing mostly high-danger chances will naturally have a lower SV% even if they're playing well. GSAx is a better quality-adjusted alternative.
Goals Against AverageGAA
Goals Against Average is the average number of goals a goalie allows per 60 minutes of play. Like SV%, GAA is heavily influenced by the team playing in front of the goalie — a goalie on a defensively strong team will naturally have a lower GAA regardless of their individual performance.
High-Danger Save PercentageHDSV%
High-danger save percentage measures how often a goalie stops shots from the most dangerous areas of the ice (the inner slot). Because these are the hardest shots to save, HDSV% is a better indicator of a goalie's raw ability than overall SV%. League average HDSV% is typically around .800-.820.
Time on IceTOI
Time on ice is the total amount of time a player spends on the ice during a game or season, measured in minutes and seconds. TOI is important context for all counting stats — a player with 20 Corsi For in 10 minutes of ice time is generating shot attempts at a much higher rate than one with 20 CF in 20 minutes. Per-60-minute rates normalize stats by TOI for fairer comparisons.
Game ScoreGame Score
Game Score is a single-number summary of a player's performance in a game, combining goals, assists, shots, blocked shots, penalty differential, faceoffs, and other contributions into one value. A Game Score of 0 is roughly average; above 1 is a good game, and above 3 is an outstanding performance. It provides a quick way to evaluate who had the biggest impact.
Elo RatingElo
Elo is a power-ranking system originally developed for chess, adapted for hockey. Each team starts the season with a rating (carried over from the prior season) that adjusts after every game based on the result and the quality of the opponent. Beating a strong team earns more Elo points than beating a weak team, and vice versa. LivingHockey uses Elo ratings to calculate pre-game win probabilities with a built-in home-ice advantage.