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Preds' Laviolette: Ignoring analytics 'would not be wise on my part'

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Peter Laviolette sees value in numbers.

The head coach of the Nashville Predators was asked about his thoughts on advanced stats Sunday, and was happy to give his perspective on the new-age information.

"It's not new yesterday but it's new to everybody. I think to ignore that information would be not wise on my part," Laviolette told reporters. "There is a lot of information out there that can help guide you to how your team is playing, how a player is playing, how a line is playing, how a matchup works. There is a lot of information out there and I think you're crazy not to use that information."

In two common categories, Fenwick For and Corsi For, the Predators ranked seventh and eighth, respectively, this season. Fenwick measures shots plus missed shots, while Corsi tallies the same two categories in addition to blocked shots.

Still, Laviolette was quick to note there is no substitute for evaluating his players firsthand.

"I think your eyeball factors into that. I think that somebody's will to win, and what they might bring to a locker room, or what they may bring to a lineup, that might not show up in some of those numbers," Laviolette added. "Those are the things you have to take into consideration and then evaluate the bigger picture of your team, of that player, and of a situation."

Right now, the most important number to the Predators is three, the number of victories that stand between them and the Stanley Cup.

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