I hate how 90% of goals are fluky in today’s game.

[Statto]

The modern game is all about creating as much congestion in front of the net as possible, then firing the puck in the general direction of the goalie and hoping it bounces off 6 different skaters before going in the net. 99.99% of the time, if the goalie can see the puck, he is going to stop the puck.

I guess a lot of modern fans grew up on this stuff, so they don’t know any different. But those who watched during the 80s and 90s, and have been paying attention, it’s sad to see not only the decrease in scoring and offensive skill, but the way the game has changed to accommodate how dominant goalies have become.

In watching highlights (if you want to call them that) damn near 90% of goals are scored off random deflections. How can you be impressed by what is essentially a goal scored by accident? It’s almost comical watching the goal scorer celebrate, as if he meant to have the puck bounce off one defenseman’s skate, off another defenseman’s stick, hit the popcorn vendor in the 12th row, bounce off the scoreboard and into the net.

I’d love to see a Gretzky, a Lemieux, or a Hull score by beating the goalie straight-up with an accurate shot or completing a beautiful play. Instead, nearly every goal is scored off a fluky deflection, or a rebound, or a goalie-screen.

You might not like those goals but they are not ‘fluky’. It’s very much part of the design of the systems and the way teams play.

By your logic the goalie making a lucky save because the puck hit his body and didn’t fly straight into his glove.

Good positioning, reading the game, driving the net and good reflexes isn’t luck. It’s skill, bravery, good IQ and lots of practice.

We all used to love Gretzky and Lemieux but no one is close to their level today. They are outliers for a reason.

 

[haveandare]

Surely some stat site has goal breakdown by type of play. Deflections are far less than 90% I’d guess

 

[BLONG7]

The modern game is all about creating as much congestion in front of the net as possible, then firing the puck in the general direction of the goalie and hoping it bounces off 6 different skaters before going in the net. 99.99% of the time, if the goalie can see the puck, he is going to stop the puck.

I guess a lot of modern fans grew up on this stuff, so they don’t know any different. But those who watched during the 80s and 90s, and have been paying attention, it’s sad to see not only the decrease in scoring and offensive skill, but the way the game has changed to accommodate how dominant goalies have become.

In watching highlights (if you want to call them that) damn near 90% of goals are scored off random deflections. How can you be impressed by what is essentially a goal scored by accident? It’s almost comical watching the goal scorer celebrate, as if he meant to have the puck bounce off one defenseman’s skate, off another defenseman’s stick, hit the popcorn vendor in the 12th row, bounce off the scoreboard and into the net.

I’d love to see a Gretzky, a Lemieux, or a Hull score by beating the goalie straight-up with an accurate shot or completing a beautiful play. Instead, nearly every goal is scored off a fluky deflection, or a rebound, or a goalie-screen.

99% is a real stretch...that being said, I get what you are saying....
The goalies NOW, compared to goalies back in the day, are such good athletes now, and back then not so much.
The equipment to keep them safe, is a huge part of the problem in my eyes....look at the foolish looking catching glove, it's almost as square as the blocker...brutal.
The big issue might be the golaies will tell you the ultralight sticks that allow everyone to shoot 95-100 miles an hour has them needing that said equipment.

There are still a real good number of beautiful goals.....players are amazing at picking top shelf and bar down, etc but the game especially in the playoffs, tends to have greasy goals, and if we look back that use to happen too.

Ken Dryden has some valid points, and so do you............I just don't think it's quite as bad as you think.....I just give the goalies a little more credit...most nights, they are a teams best player....that rarely happened back in the day.
The goals that were scored back then, had alot to do with poor goaltending....and yes smaller equipment.

 

[Vex]

Did Jamie Benn just win the Art Ross in the past that you clearly live in?

 

[FerrisRox]

t’s sad to see not only the decrease in scoring and offensive skill

Claiming there is a decrease in offensive skill is basically the same thing as saying "I don't really pay attention to the current game" because nobody that actually followed in the 80's, as you claim you did, could possibly arrive at the conclusion that there's been a decrease in offensive skill.

That's an absurd, laugh-out-loud ridiculous claim.

 

[DonM]

This is a very 2015 complaint. McDavid just scored at a 153 point pace. Only one player not named Gretzky and Lemieux has scored that many in history (granted others have paced for more). Ever since they slimmed down goal equipment, this really hasn't been much of an issue.

 

[Mickey Marner]

Claiming there is a decrease in offensive skill is basically the same thing as saying "I don't really pay attention to the current game" because nobody that actually followed in the 80's, as you claim you did, could possibly arrive at the conclusion that there's been a decrease in offensive skill.

That's an absurd, laugh-out-loud ridiculous claim.

In a previous thread they admitted they haven't watched any games since the pandemic.

Does anyone else feel like the COVID era doesn’t count?

 

[tarheelhockey]

I agree with the consensus here… it seems like this was more of an issue 10 years ago than it is today. At that time, yes, I felt the same way. It’s getting better.

 

[Trojans86]

The goalie pads are still insanly big. I dont care if some say that players also got more adventage, the game dies. You just dont beat a goalie clean nowadays. If you do, the goalie will be out of NHL after the season.

De crease all stupid pads on a goalie, let them not look like a big overeating pig in the net.

Its a really simple solution. Shrink the stupid pads. Not sure why they let them keep getting bigger like they did.

 

[Confused Turnip]

So, just to be clear...
low skill goal:


high skill goal:

 

[cowboy82nd]

That's the thing...

I thought that was the Hulk? Doesn't the Thing look like rocks?

 

[cowboy82nd]

Its a really simple solution. Shrink the stupid pads. Not sure why they let them keep getting bigger like they did.

Protection. It has nothing to do with stopping a puck but a lot to do we keeping goalies from getting injured. Ask Kevin Weeks about this.

 

[Eisen]

You lost any credibility when you said there has been a decrease in offensive skill, also I would hardly say 90% of goals are from random deflections and most of those so called random deflection goals do take skill.

He did not. It's true.

 

[Yackiberg8]

I like that it's like this. To me, there is more strategy involved; you need to play the percentages, and adapt your gameplan to the opposing team's attributes, players, tendencies, and tactics. As opposed to the other end of the spectrum, 80s pond hockey, where you just needed to get the puck to your best player who would then deke the other team's defensemen and goalie out of their skates and tuck the puck in, or score from a long wind-up slapshot from just inside the Blueline off the rush. Imo, there is way more nuance and skill involved in today's game.

You would rather goals that are wrist shots from the blueline that bounce off 2 bodies and go in then somebody who dekes the defenceman and goalie to score or somebody who walks in and rips a shot top corner?

Some of these replies are bizarre. I can't believe people actually think that.

 

[ChuckLefley]

So, just to be clear...
low skill goal:


high skill goal:

I would say both of those videos show high skill, but I get that you have another agenda that is separate from the lunacy of this thread.

on topic, I would say the numbers are closer to the opposite…at least 90% of the goals are not “flukes.”

 

[amnesiac]

The modern game is all about creating as much congestion in front of the net as possible, then firing the puck in the general direction of the goalie and hoping it bounces off 6 different skaters before going in the net. 99.99% of the time, if the goalie can see the puck, he is going to stop the puck.

I guess a lot of modern fans grew up on this stuff, so they don’t know any different. But those who watched during the 80s and 90s, and have been paying attention, it’s sad to see not only the decrease in scoring and offensive skill, but the way the game has changed to accommodate how dominant goalies have become.

In watching highlights (if you want to call them that) damn near 90% of goals are scored off random deflections. How can you be impressed by what is essentially a goal scored by accident? It’s almost comical watching the goal scorer celebrate, as if he meant to have the puck bounce off one defenseman’s skate, off another defenseman’s stick, hit the popcorn vendor in the 12th row, bounce off the scoreboard and into the net.

I’d love to see a Gretzky, a Lemieux, or a Hull score by beating the goalie straight-up with an accurate shot or completing a beautiful play. Instead, nearly every goal is scored off a fluky deflection, or a rebound, or a goalie-screen.

so youd rather see goalies let goals in by way of wrist shots from the blue lines like we saw in the 80s...... ok there.

Heres a something I suggest you do:

Watch the top 10 goals from the 80s decade vs top 10 goals from THIS SEASON alone. And then come back and tell us how the "offensive talent has decreased". It hasnt. You have to be be WAYYY more skilled and smart to score in today's game. Thats the difference.

Horrible take.

 

[Rapsfan]

Maybe it's time the NHL start testing nets 6 inches wider and taller. That will make goals less of a fluke. Seriously. 2-1 games are super degenerate.

 

[Archijerej]

I see where the OP is coming from. An average NHL game is far from the Soviet 70's and 80's intricate passing combinations setting up chances from the slot.

He is GROSSLY exaggerating the case though. Also, the notion that goals from deflections are flukey is bizarre coming from a hockey fan. Does the OP believe a deflection is a deliberate play, requiring lots of skill?

 

[Confused Turnip]

I would say both of those videos show high skill, but I get that you have another agenda that is separate from the lunacy of this thread.”

Please, do tell.

 

[ChuckLefley]

Please, do tell.

Explain the point of describing the Crosby one as low skill and the Gretzky one as high skill.

 

[eXile3]

Right but how do you change it? Getting rid of clutching/grabbing, which they won't, and addressing the insane size of goalie pads again, would help. I still think one of the main issues is how the games played. Teams just collapse around the net and block shooting lanes.

The only way to counter it to play the stats game and just get shots on net.

 

[DrewGl]

why I love Ovi one timers - granted a lot are on the PP but those are just strait lasers

 

[Oilslick941611]

The modern game is all about creating as much congestion in front of the net as possible, then firing the puck in the general direction of the goalie and hoping it bounces off 6 different skaters before going in the net. 99.99% of the time, if the goalie can see the puck, he is going to stop the puck.

I guess a lot of modern fans grew up on this stuff, so they don’t know any different. But those who watched during the 80s and 90s, and have been paying attention, it’s sad to see not only the decrease in scoring and offensive skill, but the way the game has changed to accommodate how dominant goalies have become.

In watching highlights (if you want to call them that) damn near 90% of goals are scored off random deflections. How can you be impressed by what is essentially a goal scored by accident? It’s almost comical watching the goal scorer celebrate, as if he meant to have the puck bounce off one defenseman’s skate, off another defenseman’s stick, hit the popcorn vendor in the 12th row, bounce off the scoreboard and into the net.

I’d love to see a Gretzky, a Lemieux, or a Hull score by beating the goalie straight-up with an accurate shot or completing a beautiful play. Instead, nearly every goal is scored off a fluky deflection, or a rebound, or a goalie-screen.

so you'd like to 80% of slap shots from the slot go in because the goalie has no idea what he is doing?

did you watch hockey during the 90's? during the deadlock era? goals back when teams traped the skill out of the game and goals were going in off a player ass who was parked in front the net?

There is a million times more skill in todays game than in the 80's and 90s. Defense and goalie were not a science back then, the 80s defensemen couldn't skate and were awful skating backwards, it made the good players stand out a lot more. Todays game takes more skill, training and althletism than ever, its a natural progression that grows on earlier tactics. Coaching is also way better, so the game is also more cerebral in this era, its more than a great player vs bad defence. Watching older games on the NHL network I have no idea how the game got so popular, its really bad compared to todays hockey. Its bad hockey by todays standard. Of course, people who grew up during that era will have a different opinion, I was born in 1986 and came of age as a hockey fan in the mid 90s

I mean you've seen goalies in the 70s and 80s right? comically out of position 90% of the time, goals back then were easier to score because the overall talent level in the NHL was awful by todays standard. Todays players are taught systems, skills and athletics at a much younger age and much more in shape physically. guys who can barely skate aren't dressed because another team has a guy that can't skate and just goes around trying to kill someone. A lot of todays 3 and 4th liners can probably out play many 1st and 2nd line players of based era. The game changed, it evolved naturally. Fans just need to get over it. Goals are more scarce and what you call cheap goals in your post is hilarious based on how many cheap goals were scored in the era you covet (80s 90s) by goalies that couldn't stop a beachball, and make Goldberg look like Price.

 

[Fataldogg]

So you put yourself in a position to score.

You didn’t mean that outcome specifically, but it works time and time again. You score by going to the net, and if it banks off your ass and in, it wasn’t a complete accident. Did the defender let you park there for free? No, you battled for that position. An ass goal is a goal.

I disagree with this. Yes, an ass goal is a goal, but the player isn't parking himself in front of the net and battling with other players with the intent to redirect a puck with his ass. He is looking for a deflection with his stick, a rebound directly in front, etc. Hitting off a players ass and going into the net is a goal I would define as 100% luck / fluke and is never a play drafted up by the coach.

"Alright guys, we are down 3-2, we are going to pull the goalie, I want to see some traffic in front of the net, I want BIG asses on this play, really make your ass profound, we are looking for an ass deflection in the final seconds of the game. Go out there and get it done!" Thats a conversation behind the bench that has never happened.

 

[Regal]

I disagree with this. Yes, an ass goal is a goal, but the player isn't parking himself in front of the net and battling with other players with the intent to redirect a puck with his ass. He is looking for a deflection with his stick, a rebound directly in front, etc. Hitting off a players ass and going into the net is a goal I would define as 100% luck / fluke and is never a play drafted up by the coach.

"Alright guys, we are down 3-2, we are going to pull the goalie, I want to see some traffic in front of the net, I want BIG asses on this play, really make your ass profound, we are looking for an ass deflection in the final seconds of the game. Go out there and get it done!" Thats a conversation behind the bench that has never happened.

I tried to set up an ass play in a scrimmage once, but I couldn't get the momentum I wanted.