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The SOG is often seen in NHL games. It’s usually displayed at center ice with player stats and goals scored in a game, both for goalies as well skaters.
The meaning of SOG in hockey is similar to that found on a shooting drill. It stands for shots on goal, which are used to track either the number of goals scored by players with their respective guns during play; teams’ output versus opponents’, as well as keepers. A shot-on-goal registered if they stop pucks otherwise would have resulted in a goal.
Shots on goal are not always recorded when they should be. For example, if a player shoots the puck and either hits the post or misses net then it will count toward their statistics but not as one-shot scored by them; however, in most cases, these types of shots result in goals so this would actually become two extra scoring opportunities for opponents.
Is A Certain Type Of Shot Required To Count?
The shot that is taken from the ice and goes into your goal does not have to be hard or even come close. All you need for it count towards something in this list of things we’ve made up here at my house- anything goes. Whether it’s a slow-rolling puck along the ice or laser beam headed towards the top corner, both count as one shot on goal.
Goals that go wide of the goal post will often times not be called because they would have been saved by the goalie. It is too difficult for someone counting shots to make a judgment call on these types of shoots, so it’s best left unnoticed and unassisted.
How Many Shots On Goal Are Taken By Players Or Teams?
The game of hockey is played with many different shots by each player. A typical game will have between 0 and 8 total shots taken, but it can be as low or high depending on your positions in the lineup and what position you play like center versus defensemen for example.
The top players can get anywhere from 5 to 8 shots in a game. It is unusual for someone who plays more than 10 shots total, but it does happen. Here is a list of the top 10 players in shot totals in the NHL for the 2018-19 seasons and the average per game.
| Player | Shots | Shots/Game |
| Nathan Mackinnon | 365 | 4.45 |
| Patrick Kane | 341 | 4.2 |
| Alex Ovechkin | 338 | 4.2 |
| Tyler Seguin | 334 | 4.1 |
| Jack Eichel | 303 | 3.9 |
| Brendan Gallagher | 302 | 3.7 |
| Brent Burns | 300 | 3.6 |
| Cam Atkinson | 295 | 3.6 |
| Dylan Larkin | 287 | 3.6 |
| John Tavares | 286 | 3.5 |
How many shots on goal does a goalie usually face in a game or year?
Goalies are expected to face about 30 shots per game, but it’s rare for them not to. A typical net minder will only see between 20 – 40 bomb threats during their shift which may seem high or low depending on the situation at hand.
