GDT: Game 34: Oilers @ Avs | Saturday, December 19th, 8pm MT (CBC) | Rollin'

[McMetal]

I've seen some VERY exciting 1-0 hockey games played in my day. In a lot of ways, low scoring can add to the suspense when a close game is turned on a single great play. But I also acknowledge that they want the masses to tune in, and the masses are used to sports like basketball where scoring is just a matter of course and happens so often that individual baskets are meaningless. Hell if I can understand the appeal myself. Hockey IS definitely growing, just in the last 10-15 years, and in markets where it hasn't traditionally been holding much sway, like LA and Nashville. I guess the league bosses aren't going to be satisfied with watching the trend move forward on its own, though. Money, money, money.

 

[Gigantor The Goalie]

I didn't mean to offend you but I feel that you are pretty sensitive on the issue. They could change many parts of the goalie equipement without affecting safety quite easily. For example, does the catching glove have to be that big for protection?

That big? It's certainly not big at all. I've taken slap shots with NHL approved trappers and those shots destroy my palm if I don't catch the puck in the right spots. And it's not quite easily. I wear NHL approved equipment in net. Like I said in my previous post, there are actually very few and insignificant spots where you can remove the padding and still be safe.

 

[Nihiliste]

I agree that it's not about the goals, but the overall gameplay. Call obstruction the way it's written and the game will speed up again, we already saw it a few years ago. It won't always be an 05-06 penalty fest either because players will adapt to the way the rules are being called.

 

[Metallo]

I don't need to see 7-5 games either and I appreciate the defensive side of the game. I like that games can have different personalities, I don't mind a 2-1 or 1-0 game, it just depends how it is played. So I don't think there needs to be modifications to how the equipment is used and such. If they just called interference and holding like they should would help but I know nobody wants a penalty fest either. They could stand to change some of the offsides rules, I'm not saying eliminate it entirely but a lot of good scoring chances die from offsides. I also don't think more goals is the problem per se, its more the league wants to see more real scoring chances it what makes the game exciting.

I don't want to see this huge bump in scoring because it does not necessarly makes the game more exiting. Changes in goalie equipement and goal posts could maybe provide a modest increase in goals but entertainment value would be pretty stable.

Like you said maybe offsides are the way to go.

What I would like for them to try at their R&D camp is the following: When the attacking team gains the blue line, the "offensive zone" then becomes the zone from the red line in. To clear the zone the defensive team would have to clear the RED line. This increase in offensive zone space would benefit teams that can pass the puck.

 

[Metallo]

That big? It's certainly not big at all. I've taken slap shots with NHL approved trappers and those shots destroy my palm if I don't catch the puck in the right spots. And it's not quite easily. I wear NHL approved equipment in net. Like I said in my previous post, there are actually very few and insignificant spots where you can remove the padding and still be safe.

Don't you think that goalie equipment has increased in size in the last 30 yrs beyond the increase in size of the goalies themselves? Looking at "old" goalie pictures you can see that.

 

[AslanRH]

Small tweaks/experiments like forcing a PK unit to clear the blue line before being allowed to ice the puck, limiting the area a goalie has to freeze (or even further limiting the area he is allowed to play) the puck, and making the long change for the 1st & 3rd periods will be the most we see IMO.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

A penalty should last its entirety no matter how many goals are scored. This is how it used to be before the 70s Habs teams would score 3 or 4 goals on a power play. That's one change I am a fan of. Put a premium on not taking stupid penalties because it's going to cost your team dearly. This is a change that would increase scoring without changing the dimensions of rinks, zones, equipment, or introducing other dumb rules.

 

[Gigantor The Goalie]

Don't you think that goalie equipment has increased in size in the last 30 yrs beyond the increase in size of the goalies themselves? Looking at "old" goalie pictures you can see that.

There was a goalie equipment reduction after the 2005/06 lockout that did it's job. The whole equipment does the job for the goalie is a myth that I would love to see die. Oh and for the record, goalie equipment in the 90's (especially the pads, blocker and trapper) were significantly bigger then what I wear now.

 

[shadow1]

A lot of Ducks fans were complaining about Beauchemin in the WCF last season.

In the off-season when Colorado signed him, the collective message was something like "You guys will love him, he'll always be a Duck, but he's wearing down and it was time for Anaheim to move on".

Ducks definitely made some mistakes in the off-season.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

There was a goalie equipment reduction after the 2005/06 lockout that did it's job. The whole equipment does the job for the goalie is a myth that I would love to see die. Oh and for the record, goalie equipment in the 90's (especially the pads, blocker and trapper) were significantly bigger then what I wear now.

Anyone remember Lundqvist at the 2006 Olympics? He was so pissed with the restrictions set out by the NHL that season that he decided to go all out at the Olympics where there were no restrictions and he looked like the Michelin Man

 

[Hesher]

A penalty should last its entirety no matter how many goals are scored. This is how it used to be before the 70s Habs teams would score 3 or 4 goals on a power play. That's one change I am a fan of. Put a premium on not taking stupid penalties because it's going to cost your team dearly. This is a change that would increase scoring without changing the dimensions of rinks, zones, equipment, or introducing other dumb rules.

This. And call more obstruction/interference penalties.

 

[cgf]

I agree that it's not about the goals, but the overall gameplay. Call obstruction the way it's written and the game will speed up again, we already saw it a few years ago. It won't always be an 05-06 penalty fest either because players will adapt to the way the rules are being called.

We've already seen that the refs will crack before the players, because the refs don't want to be responsible for deciding playoff games while players will do everything they can to win those games. Get obstruction called extremely tightly at the younger ages and maybe the next generation won't have the obstruction instinct so that some time in the future such a change could work. But until kids are raised to play that way, NHLers will always keep obstructing longer than the refs will continue the penalty fest that we saw.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Small tweaks/experiments like forcing a PK unit to clear the blue line before being allowed to ice the puck, limiting the area a goalie has to freeze (or even further limiting the area he is allowed to play) the puck, and making the long change for the 1st & 3rd periods will be the most we see IMO.

That would actually be a pretty big change IMO for sure, and easily doable.


If they dont clear before getting past the blue line on the PK, its an icing. PKers cant change, faceoff comes back inside the zone.

 

[cgf]

If they decide to change the game I'd hope they'd seek to create more 5on5 chances, not just more PP-goals.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Theres a thread on the main boards as well about how the league got rid of the wrong rule when they removed the two line pass rule instead of Offside, and originally I disagreed with the idea but after thinking about it some more I definitely think it has some merit to it.


I think that would create more scoring chances as well. You still wouldn't be able to have a guy just waiting for a breakaway all game or anything, but it would open up the Neutral zone a bit more, in that as soon as the puck carrier gets across the red line, forwards could be sprung towards the net. It would also open up the offensive zone more as now instead of the blue line being offsides it would be the red line being the "offsides" are instead, which would create more space for players to move around and get creative without actually changing the size of the arenas.

 

[ASmileyFace]

I'd love to see them try no offsides in the preseason. I think it really might work.

 

[Metallo]

I'd love to see them try no offsides in the preseason. I think it really might work.

No offsides, like non-stop pond hockey cherry-picking?
No thanks.

 

[Metallo]

If they decide to change the game I'd hope they'd seek to create more 5on5 chances, not just more PP-goals.

Agreed. I don't like solutions that rely on officiating to increase goal scoring.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

I'd love to see them try no offsides in the preseason. I think it really might work.

Please elaborate. No offsides sounds absolutely ridiculous like street hockey or something.

 

[cgf]

I assumed he meant no offsides with the two line pass rule brought back, like was suggested above. Can't help but think that that would just clog the NZ even more, but maybe teams are reluctant to trap that far away from their goalie due to the greater risk of a higher defensively line getting beat.

 

[McMetal]

No offsides, like non-stop pond hockey cherry-picking?
No thanks.

Cherry picking would have its disadvantages at the NHL level. Having one forward cherry picking means a power play for the other team if they keep the puck in your end.