- Editor's note: Sheng Peng will be a regular contributor to NBC Sports California's Sharks coverage for the 2021-22 season. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
LAS VEGAS — “Correlation does not imply causation.”
If you’ve followed hockey analytics over the last decade or so, you’ve probably heard the maxim.
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If you haven’t, what it means is that because there’s a correlation between Event A and Event B, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Event A caused Event B.
Here’s a hockey example of that — this is from seven years ago, when I used to regularly write about the Los Angeles Kings: “20-14-5 without this Mystery Player is clearly better than 19-21-5 with. So I guess the 1992-93 Kings should’ve considered scratching Wayne Gretzky in the playoffs?”
That oldie comes to mind because the San Jose Sharks’ James Reimer, starting his 13th straight contest, exited the 3-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights with a lower-body injury after the first period.