Hurricanes, Maple Leafs, Oilers Perfecting Shot Quantity Over Quality

There's an old adage in hockey — there's no such thing as a bad shot on goal. Today's NHL is so advanced. The players are the best athletes in the sport's history. Metrics and data tracking have transformed how we evaluate players' on-ice performance. Sometimes in our quest to advance, we forget that simpler most times is better.

Three teams in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs, have figured out how successful shot quantity can be over quality. Each team stormed out to a 1-0 series lead due to the large number of shots they fired on the net.

The Hurricanes entered the Washington Capitals' house and stole Game 1 with an overtime victory. The Caps kept it close, but the Hurricanes got to their game immediately and effectively executed the entire contest. They launched shots on net towards Capitals goalie Logan Thompson, hoping to create a rebound or rattle the goalie's cage.

The approach worked. The Canes finished with 33 shots on goal compared to the Caps' 14, and a point shot from defenseman Jaccob Slavin sealed the win. The Hurricanes are a shot-volume team, and that volume broke down the Capitals' defense and goaltending in Game 1.

The Oilers did the same exact thing to the Vegas Golden Knights. Their Game 1 was close through the first 30 minutes, but then the Oilers' overwhelming attack took hold. Their third period dominance remains a huge problem for any opponent they face, and Edmonton outshot the Golden Knights 28 to 17 and captured Game 1 by a final score of 4-2.

The Maple Leafs are in a dogfight with the defending champions in Round Two. The Florida Panthers are a nasty and relentless team, but the Maple Leafs brought the fight to them in Game 1. The Leafs, just barely, outshot the Panthers 30-29. It's a slim margin, but the Leafs got every puck they could on net and earned an early series lead.

It seems too simple, but these three teams are proving how effective a high shot volume can be in the playoffs. The Canes, Leafs and Oilers are three of the most talented teams remaining in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Still, they have realized that skill and creative offensive plays are not always the answer in the postseason. Because of that, they've committed to prioritizing shot quantity over quality as they try to claw their way towards the Stanley Cup Finals.