News Article: Oct. 14

[Gee Wally]

Bruins’ misfiring offense leads to thin margin of error
http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2...argin-error/DVymGZsgEpbXTq2g2nDcfM/story.html



Bruins lose to Avalanche on last-second goal
http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2...second-goal/haJCPkqz2Sb8tSexjaan8H/story.html



Avs beat the clock, and Bruins 
at Garden
http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/...14/10/avs_beat_the_clock_and_bruins_at_garden



Jarome Iginla’s a fan of these Bruins
http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/...2014/10/jarome_iginla_s_a_fan_of_these_bruins



Svedberg off hook for buzzer-beating collapse
http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/...svedberg_off_hook_for_buzzer_beating_collapse



Bruins Notebook: Griffith on right track
http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/bruins_nhl/2014/10/bruins_notebook_griffith_on_right_track




Felger: Nothing Bruins can do in the short term
http://www.csnne.com/boston-bruins/felger-nothing-bruins-can-do-short-term



What we learned from Bruins loss
http://www.csnne.com/boston-bruins/what-we-learned-bruins-2-1-loss


Bartkowski takes responsibility for last-second loss
http://www.csnne.com/boston-bruins/bartkowski-takes-responsibility-last-second-loss




Briere's goal in last second lifts Avs to win over Bruins
http://www.tsn.ca/briere-s-goal-in-last-second-lifts-avs-to-win-over-bruins-1.105901



Bruins lose a shocker
http://www.patriotledger.com/article/20141014/SPORTS/141018575/2000/NEWS

Click to read more...

 

[C77]

The reality of the situation is that almost every team struggles to score 3 goals a game in today's NHL.

The Bruins are off to a slow start offensively but the big issue is that the goalies don't leave anything to shoot at except high over the shoulder and the defensive tactics are so good that there is hardly any time to get a shot away when a team gets the puck in the slot, and the puck is hardly ever on the stick of someone in the slot because the players trying to score in the offensive zone are constrained to the perimeter of the ice surface. There is an issue when goalies can be on their knees and still cover the entire height of the goal!

So there are very few ways to score in today's NHL and when you realize that it makes a large part of the actual gameplay superfluous/stagnant..because there is no way that a goal will result from these situations.

My observations:

The first (and best) way to score in today's NHL is to get the goalie to move side to side on a bang bang play which happens on 2 on 1's or by having quick-footed players in the offensive zone that are able to get free from defenders.

The 2nd way is generally the shot from the point and hope for weird deflection or rebound (2nd chance opportunity) which isn't really an "entertaining" offensive buildup...whether the puck goes in or not is more based on probability over a large number of attempts. Krug and Hamilton are great at getting the puck to the net...and that the Bruins haven't scored in this way is due to bad luck so far.


It's hard to believe that the NHL hasn't really changed anything to help scoring. Yet if you suggest making the goal a little bigger, the majority of posters here put up pictures of soccer nets and inane GIF's mocking any suggestion to improve the game.

Through the first statistically irrelevant 35-40 games this year the number of PP's per game is up slightly resulting in a tiny increase in scoring.

 

[C77]

If we look at how goals used to be scored 20 years ago and in today's NHL there is a world of difference and it hasn't changed for the better and yet the NHL doesn't do anything about it.

 

[Jean_Jacket41]

“Oh, I think it’s early and everything is so magnified at the beginning of the season,” Iginla said. “I follow their scores. I have a lot of friends on their side. They’ve had close games over there. Getting Krech (Krejci) back will give them a big boost. He’s a big part of the offense and a big part of the team. I don’t doubt they’ll be just fine and as hard to play against as ever.”

Iginla gets it.