For those of you who come here for the statistical side of NHL analysis, I wanted to point you this morning over to mc79hockey.com, which has an interesting take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. In particular, there's some great insight into even-strength shooting rates for and against the Leafs over the last couple seasons, and what those trends have meant in terms of team performance.
Applying the basic tenets of internet marketing (SEO best practices and social media network building) have helped me grow the readership and engagement over at On The Forecheck tremendously in recent years, but lately I've been wondering if those same techniques could be applied to small- or medium-sized local businesses, to help them drive real, tangible business results. I'm talking about not just drawing idle hockey fans looking to a blog so they can muse over line combinations, but helping businesses connect with potential customers in ways that otherwise wouldn't occur. Recently, I was able to help make just such a thing happen, and it shows just how great the opportunities are for small, local businesses which may not have the resources or skills available to extend their brand effectively on the internet.