- May 9, 2014
- 5,052
- 6,963
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.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.
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.