There's been a lot of talk that this Stanley Cup final is a battle between two puck possession teams. Unfortunately, the NHL doesn't keep puck possession statistics. (Odd because hockey, like soccer, is a sport that's based on possession time.)

If you're curious how Game 1 shook out in terms of puck possession, I offer these statistics that I kept. At the beginning of this season I floated out a trial balloon of puck possession statistics that were shot down because I used a theory with no neutral time -- either one team or the other had possession. This time, I added neutral puck possession time. In other words, these statistics work with the definition of puck possession as carrying the puck or completing a pass. Scrums are neutral time. So is a slap at the puck that sends it in the other direction.

GAME 1 PUCK POSSESSION
Det ES 29.81%
Pit ES 30.01%

Det PP 69.66%
Pit SH 2.03%

Det SH 3.46%
Pit PP 60.29%

The even-strength time needs to be broken down to be better understood. Here it is by period ...

Det 1st P 31.93%
Det 2nd P 39.29%
Det 3rd P 18.81%

Pit 1st P 23.88%
Pit 2nd P 23.50%
Pit 3rd P 41.55%

Although Pittsburgh did well in the first period, the Pens were buoyed by four power plays. At even strength, the first and second periods looked quite similar in that the Red Wings controlled the puck significantly more than the Pens. With a two-goal lead, the Red Wings dumped the puck a lot more than they did in the first two periods.