OT: The quality of NHL hockey and its rapid deterioration

[Nylanders Flow]

They need to do something about goalies. I was watching a Wild game a couple weeks ago, and the announcers were lavishing praise on Dubnyk because he doesn't have to move to stop shots. I mean come on.

 

[Teeder9]

They need to do something about goalies. I was watching a Wild game a couple weeks ago, and the announcers were lavishing praise on Dubnyk because he doesn't have to move to stop shots. I mean come on.

It's even funnier when you hear how much athletic they are nowadays...

 

[Diatomic]

This is the answer. The problem is advanced stick technology requires advanced goaltender technology. Simple fix is to go back to wooden sticks but that won't happen.

Yeah I don't agree... Just because players can rip the puck faster than ever doesn't mean we need to make goalie equipment bigger and fatter

 

[Diatomic]

The game just isn't as up and down as I want it to be. Everyone likes north and south hockey but the neutral zone is always clogged up in today's NHL. Not to mention the creativity and uniqueness of the game is being taken out.

It's sad how players are faster than ever, can shoot harder than ever, are in excellent shape yet goal scoring is decreasing and creativity is at an all time low.

 

[Diatomic]

They need to do something about goalies. I was watching a Wild game a couple weeks ago, and the announcers were lavishing praise on Dubnyk because he doesn't have to move to stop shots. I mean come on.

I know, it sucks.. I mean, goodluck scoring on this giant.

 

[666]

Yeah I don't agree... Just because players can rip the puck faster than ever doesn't mean we need to make goalie equipment bigger and fatter

Then talk to the NHLPA. Goalie protection is a huge issue because of stick technology.

 

[Suntouchable13]

I know, it sucks.. I mean, goodluck scoring on this giant.

I see a lot of room in the five hole.

 

[-DeMo-]

Clutching and grabbing =/= competitive. Those less competitive teams can just clutch and grab and interfere with superior players and completely neutralize them. I don't mind parity, it's a good thing, but not when it is brought in artificially like today with clutching/grabbing and the 3 point games, it becomes a problem.

And no, as I said, I'm not advocating for 80's level firewagon crap like it seems I am. I'm just advocating for more scoring chances and something reasonable.

the league as gone back to allowing the clutch and grab because the game was getting to fast and a lot of players were getting seriously injuried especially to the head with Concussion's. you hardly hear about Concussions now, because the game is slower.

the quality of the players have never been higher

-scoring is down due to a smaller gap between players
-higher quality goaltending
-teams focusing on defense since it's been proven to have more success than an offensive system

this season has been boring as a Leaf fan due to our collapse being much earlier than usual

Hockey is still very entertaining depending on the teams playing , there's more to the NHL than just watching our collection of heartless players .

these are the 3 main reason's scoring is down, 2 of them can be addressed imo, Expansion is one that can increase that gap between the great players and the bad players, and then there's goalie's and there equipment, which I believe they need inorder to be safely protected. so what you do is add half an inch on either side of the net and onto the height, a lot of shots that went off the post and didn't go in now would. look goalie's today take up a lot more net these days then they did back in the day, and since reducing goalie equipment probably isn't safe, you increase the size of the net imo.

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

Then talk to the NHLPA. Goalie protection is a huge issue because of stick technology.

You may be right about the NHLPA...but if I can recall correctly...Bobby Hull could really zing them with a wooden stick in the '60's (I know they had wicked curves..but have you seen some of the curves on Ovechkin's sticks?) ..I think it's time to make the goalies wear smaller width pads and make things a bit harder for them.

When I watch some old clips of the 80's... I am truly astounded how guys DID NOT SCORE on almost every shot with the amount of net that is viewable behind the goalies. The goalies look like they were wearing slightly larger shin pads than defencemen did back then.

You can say what you want...but a 7-5 game is much more fun to watch than a 2-1 game (even if your on the losing end) in my book.

Look at the NFL...they are doing ANYTHING they can to increase scoring because that is what people come to see. They don't want to see receivers mugged trying to catch stuff. The NHL should be thinking along those lines...get scoring up. I agree with the OP on this...

 

[Larcos_Unal]

If you want good hockey, just wait til the playoffs...that's when things really get going.

 

[Banic]

Playing the devils advocate here.

Maybe if we want to see more creativity league expansion might help. Spread out the high end skilled players more? That being said I already think the league is 6 teams too many.

 

[cookie]

They need to do something about goalies. I was watching a Wild game a couple weeks ago, and the announcers were lavishing praise on Dubnyk because he doesn't have to move to stop shots. I mean come on.

It's even funnier when you hear how much athletic they are nowadays...

There's this thing called positioning that has been there since the heyday of professional hockey goaltending. Not moving means you're reading the play and in the right position to stop the puck.

--
The rise of the two-way forward isn't conducive to high-scoring teams. The last entertaining team was probably the Washington Capitals where we have OV, 30-goal Green, Semin and crew putting up crazy numbers. Before that would probably be the Sabres team that went to the finals under Ruff.

Unfortunately, the players have become more and more similar in terms of overall skills and overall team defense with huge goaltenders is sucking the goals away from the game. I would wonder how the flow of the game would change if nets were part of the boards like in indoor soccer.

 

[Stephen]

I find a 2-1 playoff game between Chicago and Los Angeles to be a lot more exciting than a lot of the higher scoring games the Leafs are involved in.

Also, lower scoring numbers doesn't mean the talent level is decreasing, it means the talent gap between the best player in the game and the worst player in the game is narrower, because the guy at the top of the scoring race isn't scoring 4 points against teams as bad as the Buffalo Sabres on a regular basis. There weren't a lot of 50 goal, 100 point seasons in the Original Six era, and that was at a time when a good amount of the league was stacked with depth and quality.

For my money, the league was at its worst in 1999-2004. Just never want to see that dead puck, expansion era with no young star talent garbage again.

 

[Ratboy]

Too many teams, there isn't enough good talent to go around.

Goaltenders pads are too big, absolutely.

The game is also over coached to death, with systems that can take all the creativity and excitement out of watching a game. Watch a game from the 80's and watch the players wheel and create exciting plays all the time. Part of the excitement comes from the defensive mistakes and miscues.

Eliminate 6 teams that are in the hole financially and have tiny fanbases, move a couple of them to Canada and watch the hockey improve.

Or, limit the amount of players per team to 17, 3 forward lines and 3 defensive pairings and you'd lose some of the less skilled players. This last ones pretty extreme but I've thought about it, even though the NHLPA would say no ****ing way to it.

 

[Menzinger]

I don't necessarily equate scoring with excitement- Ia 2-1 type score can be an incredibly exciting game

 

[paulhiggins]

Make a list of every change that has happened under Bettman's tenure and reverse them all. Limit the Euros to 2/team.

 

[The Suit*]

One of the things I love about baseball is each ballpark is unique. I wouldn't mind seeing at least some arenas being Olympic size or allowed to change the dimensions (within reason). That would open up the game a bit and give more skilled players space.

Easiest way will be to reduce goalie pads and add more power plays by stricter officiating and I suspect that is what will happen.

 

[Erdinger]

Too many teams, there isn't enough good talent to go around.

Goaltenders pads are too big, absolutely.

The game is also over coached to death, with systems that can take all the creativity and excitement out of watching a game. Watch a game from the 80's and watch the players wheel and create exciting plays all the time. Part of the excitement comes from the defensive mistakes and miscues.

Eliminate 6 teams that are in the hole financially and have tiny fanbases, move a couple of them to Canada and watch the hockey improve.

Or, limit the amount of players per team to 17, 3 forward lines and 3 defensive pairings and you'd lose some of the less skilled players. This last ones pretty extreme but I've thought about it, even though the NHLPA would say no ****ing way to it.

Same reason why NFL is almost unwatchable these days. Coaching by neutering will always win out over creativity over time. That's why I think CFB blows the NFL out of the water on an entertainment scale.

 

[Ratboy]

Same reason why NFL is almost unwatchable these days. Coaching by neutering will always win out over creativity over time. That's why I think CFB blows the NFL out of the water on an entertainment scale.

I agree, the CFL is more entertaining to watch in general. Though the talent is also faltering there as of late, and the best and biggest players want to go to the NFL where the real money is.

 

[Leaf Lander]

Players are bigger and stronger now
The avg player was 5'8 in the 1930's
But our players play on the same size ice.

Which tightens the game up

 

[ShameOnYouZidlicky]

The 2014 Olympics was some of the worst hockey I've ever seen.

 

[Ratboy]

Players are bigger and stronger now
The avg player was 5'8 in the 1930's
But our players play on the same size ice.

Which tightens the game up

good point, I think we should make the rinks a bit bigger too. Not international ice big, but somewhere in between NHL and European size.

Of course the owners would never go for it as it means less butts in the seats, but it would probably make for a better (and safer) game.

 

[Erdinger]

good point, I think we should make the rinks a bit bigger too. Not international ice big, but somewhere in between NHL and European size.

Of course the owners would never go for it as it means less butts in the seats, but it would probably make for a better (and safer) game.

To hell with that. Let's go all NBA and have no boards and $2000 iceside seats

 

[Teeder9]

There's this thing called positioning that has been there since the heyday of professional hockey goaltending. Not moving means you're reading the play and in the right position to stop the puck.

--
The rise of the two-way forward isn't conducive to high-scoring teams. The last entertaining team was probably the Washington Capitals where we have OV, 30-goal Green, Semin and crew putting up crazy numbers. Before that would probably be the Sabres team that went to the finals under Ruff.

Unfortunately, the players have become more and more similar in terms of overall skills and overall team defense with huge goaltenders is sucking the goals away from the game. I would wonder how the flow of the game would change if nets were part of the boards like in indoor soccer.

or Lacrosse

 

[Ratboy]

To hell with that. Let's go all NBA and have no boards and $2000 iceside seats

Dont give MLSE anymore profiteering ideas!