Could we have a season where no one hits 50 points?

[PelagicJoe]

I think you're off base here, I think that that Crosby et al are as talented or more talented than their 80s counterparts, the issue is that so is everyone else. Everyone is more athletic, the baseline player is head and shoulders better, closing the gap between worst and best, so the best are less able to dominate now.

Imagine Gretzky and company without being restricted by the two line pass rule. Those guys also did it in an era where clutch & grab, hooking, and interference were rampant.

 

[Shaman464]

Imagine Gretzky and company without being restricted by the two line pass rule. Those guys also did it in an era where clutch & grab, hooking, and interference were rampant.

Well some people believe the two line pass rule actually kept scoring up, that now it's easier for defenders to outlet to the neutral zone limiting offensive opportunities. And again a beer leaguer can try to clutch and grab Crosby, it's not going to stop him. Today heavily athletic 4th liners who play body-position are just as effective as clutch and grab.

 

[aar000n]

I think it's far worse than the clutch and grab era. At least then you had a lot of physical play and players skating through holds to keep things interesting. Players fought off hooks and grabs rather than collapsing like a folding chair. Now it feels like every team is playing a trap of some sort. There's no room on the ice and it's because systems are constructed to avoid plays in high scoring areas at all costs.

Everybody is not only big now, but also fast, so the ice is clogged up with reach and size, meaning only true mismatches get any open ice.

Finally add in goalies are better than ever at minimizing rebounds and it leads to a ton of low percentage shots that are one and done.

and that is thank to the salary cap. Each team literally has one strong line the ones with 2 are division winners. Remember when we made fun of teams with 2 lines? They use to be bubble teams now they are the quality teams. Also add that with the interference that the refs are not calling.

 

[Run the Jewels]

Success in the modern day NHL is built from the blueline forward. The wings have not really had a legitimate number 1 defenseman since Nick left.

CLARIFICATION: I AM NOT SAYING WE NEED A NICK CALIBER DEFENSEMAN.

Kronwall was always a 2/3 in my eyes. He can play solidly with a defenseman better than himself, and can carry a second paring with an equally good or slightly worse defenseman.

We do not have elite passers from the blue line either, DK tries, bless him, but he is also more of a 3/4 with upside of a 2.

It is kinda hard to score when you cant even break the neutral zone effectively....

Totally agree. Kronwall was elite as a #3 d-man. He has never looked anywhere near as good when placed on the top pairing. This is why I wanted Holland to be a bit more aggressive upgrading defense. He's had plenty of chances to acquire guys who have been traded and he's done absolutely nothing other than sign Green as a UFA. That's obviously not enough although I would have liked to see how Babcock would have donw with a defense that included Tyler Myers and Mike Green and then you can have Marchenko as your 6th and three L-R pairings.

I don't see the defense improving any time soon. Even if Russo and Saarijarvi develop into legit NHL'ers it's tough seeing either be a significant contributor before Kronwall, Ericsson, Quincey and Smith are all gawd awful.

 

[8snake]

Totally agree. Kronwall was elite as a #3 d-man. He has never looked anywhere near as good when placed on the top pairing. This is why I wanted Holland to be a bit more aggressive upgrading defense. He's had plenty of chances to acquire guys who have been traded and he's done absolutely nothing other than sign Green as a UFA. That's obviously not enough although I would have liked to see how Babcock would have donw with a defense that included Tyler Myers and Mike Green and then you can have Marchenko as your 6th and three L-R pairings.

I don't see the defense improving any time soon. Even if Russo and Saarijarvi develop into legit NHL'ers it's tough seeing either be a significant contributor before Kronwall, Ericsson, Quincey and Smith are all gawd awful.

Missing out on Suter was a devastating blow towards getting back to having a defense with everyone slotted into the spots best suited for them to succeed. Kronwall even in his prime was a #2 or #3 d-man miscast as a #1 because of the talent drain at the position. Now we are in a spot where we don't even have a true #2...DD and Green are not the kind of impactful d-men who can anchor a 1st or 2nd pair IMO. The future looks especially bleak at that position going forward unfortunately.

 

[KJoe88]

I personally believe Kronwall is a number one. Just not at the top of the list.

 

[8snake]

I personally believe Kronwall is a number one. Just not at the top of the list.

Even in his prime (which he isn't in and is clearly on the downside of his career) he was a #1 in designation only. He was never an extremely skilled guy offensively or a shutdown guy on defense. Any d-man who logs the most minutes is by definition a #1, so there are technically 30 #1 d-men in the league. As far as having the ability a #1 on most legitimate Cup contenders have though, he was never that guy.

 

[Reddwit]

Zetterberg has 1 point in his last 9 games and is a -7 in that time.

He played almost 24 minutes tonight. Result? No points, -1.

17 games left and the guys with the best chance of hitting 50 points are ice cold, sans The Whipping Boy.

 

[BinCookin]

This thread title is quickly starting to look more likely to come true than to be wrong.

 

[Reddwit]

Damn. Didn't mean to make this a jinx thread.