Why is scoring so much higher this year
- Thread starter BlueAzN
- Start date
BlueAzN
Registered User
There's no way just expanding the league to two teams (aka adding ~50 players) makes that big of a difference
Primary Assist
The taste of honey is worse than none at all
- Jul 7, 2010
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I think there's just a bumper crop of insane talent that's in their prime. That, and advances in sports medicine mean that primes extend longer - back in the day goal scorers peaked in their early 20s, now we see guys like McDavid and Matthews lead the league in their mid to late 20s.
More aggressive power play formations - some teams don't even dress a defenseman on the PP anymore.
High risk, high reward zone entries at even strength and 5 on 5 lead to more scoring chances off the rush in both directions.
Stick technology that's light years ahead of even 10 years ago means players can rip shots from anywhere in the o zone with minimal time and space with the velocity of slap shots
Smaller goalie pads
Illuminati
3 on 3 OT means more goals than 4 on 4. Also teams know that 3 on 3 is kind of a crap shoot so they play more aggressively late in the game to break a tie
Teams pull the goalies sooner and more often
Emphasis on speed and skill means that "energy line" players, enforcers, and defensive specialists aren't taking up as many roster spots
More aggressive power play formations - some teams don't even dress a defenseman on the PP anymore.
High risk, high reward zone entries at even strength and 5 on 5 lead to more scoring chances off the rush in both directions.
Stick technology that's light years ahead of even 10 years ago means players can rip shots from anywhere in the o zone with minimal time and space with the velocity of slap shots
Smaller goalie pads
Illuminati
3 on 3 OT means more goals than 4 on 4. Also teams know that 3 on 3 is kind of a crap shoot so they play more aggressively late in the game to break a tie
Teams pull the goalies sooner and more often
Emphasis on speed and skill means that "energy line" players, enforcers, and defensive specialists aren't taking up as many roster spots
Aside from the obvious increased emphasis on speed, skill, and phasing out of fourth line plugs we have tons of insanely talented offensive players peaking at the same time and likewise there's a bit of a dip in terms of high end defensive talent.
Norris candidates lean more offensively these days and IMO you don't really have many of the true 2 way workhorses like Keith, Weber, Doughty, etc. and high end shutdown centremen like prime Kopitar and Toews
Norris candidates lean more offensively these days and IMO you don't really have many of the true 2 way workhorses like Keith, Weber, Doughty, etc. and high end shutdown centremen like prime Kopitar and Toews
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Raistlin
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- Aug 25, 2006
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a quick research I did just on total number of goaltenders dressed alone.
arbitrarily I cut off goalies that only played 1 game in the league due to whatever reasons. ebugs or whatnot.
'15-16 ...... 79 GP
'16-17 ...... 80 GP
'17-18 ...... 86 (Vegas exp)
'18-19 ...... 84
'19-20 ...... 81 (covid year ~70 GP ttl)
'20-21 ...... 89 (covid year 56 GP ttl)
'21-22 ...... 110 (Seattle exp)
'22-23 ...... 99
'23-24 ...... 91 (~77 GP)
one can point to expansion diluting talent, but ever since the covid years, teams have been using a lot more goaltenders in the season. that in my opinion has led to a lot more goals against, breaking goalies in cold, in a position where rhythm plays a large part.
Diluting talent, AND a lot fewer career #1 goalies, also the skill is pretty crazy these days
IWantSakicAsMyGM
Registered User
It's not dilution of talent, it's saturation of talent.
Starting in about 2013, the league has had a bunch of really good drafts in quick succession, leading to a relatively large number of elite players all being in their primes around the same time, with many of them being surrounded by good/very good linemates. With so much more offensive talent around the league, even the high end defenders and goalies are struggling to consistently stop teams from getting good chances and scoring more goals.
Starting in about 2013, the league has had a bunch of really good drafts in quick succession, leading to a relatively large number of elite players all being in their primes around the same time, with many of them being surrounded by good/very good linemates. With so much more offensive talent around the league, even the high end defenders and goalies are struggling to consistently stop teams from getting good chances and scoring more goals.
Pass the Saitl Sauce
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- Apr 30, 2015
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Wasn’t long ago(5-10) you could look around the league and see a bunch of teams with defence first philosophies; Minnesota, New Jersey, Arizona etc with the aim to win 2-1 or 3-2. now those types of teams are nearly non existent, every team offence is just as important if not more important in their approaches to the game these days.
Coaching is still in a huge learning curve for how fast the game is and eventually scoring will be coached down again
Coaching is still in a huge learning curve for how fast the game is and eventually scoring will be coached down again
Agreed with this you have some all time talent coming out of the 2013-2017drafts and the 2015 draft might end up being the best of all time
Satoru Gojo
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- Jan 15, 2012
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Things started to swing this way after the Penguins won the 2016 Cup
DitchMarner
It's time.
Scoring is actually lower this season than it was last season and the one prior.
At the top end it is higher, but across the League it's lower.
Still over 6.00 goals per game, though.
At the top end it is higher, but across the League it's lower.
Still over 6.00 goals per game, though.
Bounces R Way
Registered User
AchtzehnBaby
Global Matador
Easy...
Ottawa Senators goaltending duo
Ottawa Senators goaltending duo
KingsHockey24
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- Aug 1, 2013
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The year Vegas came into the league, they also reduced goalie equipment size. Goal scoring increase by .2 goals per game. When Seattle joined, scoring once again jumped by .2 goals per game. It's not a coincidence.
Also a very weak era for goalies, no top tier goalies. No goalie is consistently is top 5 year over year. 10 years ago you had, Lundqvist, Luongo, Price, Rask, etc.
Non Player Canadiens
Registered User
well, the job of goalie also got harder.
every 2nd or 3rd line bozo can whip it like Brett Hull now with these flexi sticks.
MadLuke
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- Jan 18, 2011
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Goal per games
last season: 3.15
this season: 3.09
top ppg last season:
This year:
Not sure it is, virtually the same/a bit lower.
last season: 3.15
this season: 3.09
top ppg last season:
| 4. | Matthew Tkachuk • FLA | 1.38 |
| 5. | Nikita Kucherov • TBL | 1.38 |
| David Pastrňák • BOS | 1.38 | |
| 7. | Jason Robertson • DAL | 1.33 |
| 8. | Mikko Rantanen • COL | 1.28 |
| 9. | Elias Pettersson • VAN | 1.28 |
| 10. | Jack Hughes • NJD | 1.27 |
This year:
| 4. | Artemi Panarin • NYR | 1.47 |
| 5. | David Pastrňák • BOS | 1.37 |
| 6. | Leon Draisaitl • EDM | 1.34 |
| 7. | Auston Matthews • TOR | 1.33 |
| 8. | Mikko Rantanen • COL | 1.32 |
| 9. | Kirill Kaprizov • MIN | 1.27 |
| 10. | William Nylander • TOR | 1.26 |
Not sure it is, virtually the same/a bit lower.
Cancuks
Former Exalted Ruler
The salary cap crunch is a big part of the cause. It's true there is a ton of top end talent right now but there is a huge talent gap between the top end and the bottom end of every roster. Look at every roster in the league and you'll see it. You have the McDavid's, MacKinnon's, Kucherov's and Matthews etc but on the same rosters you have players filling out the 3rd and 4th lines who probably should be in the AHL. Then you have teams like the Sharks and Hawks who aside from Bedard have no top end talent just a bunch of players that would be 3rd or 4th line or in the AHL on most teams. Same with the defense and goaltending. A lot of backups that shouldn't be in the NHL that are getting torched on a regular basis. The combination of expansion, salary cap, and a bad era of goaltending all plays a factor I think. That's why the NHL should hold off on expansion for another decade or we're going to see 200 point players again.
BlueAzN
Registered User
Yo this is some quality research/stats. Good shit m8
Lmao if that's true, why aren't they scoring 50-70
Chet Manley
Registered User
Goalies turned into icebergs to automatically block 2/3rds of the net and daring people to take lower percentage high shots. Players finally caught up to that strategy with new sticks, shooting strategies, and icebergs without the reflexes to block the top 1/3rd of the net.
Plus it's alot softer league when it comes to what defenders can do to a puck carrier and any offensive players entering traditional danger zones.
Plus it's alot softer league when it comes to what defenders can do to a puck carrier and any offensive players entering traditional danger zones.
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1. More emphasis on skill and offensive hockey and less emphasis on defensive and physical hockey.
2. Equipment. The sticks have evolved and goalies have less time to react. Also goalie equipment has been shrinked.
3. NHL expansion and also the introduction of salary rentention. The best teams can now make room for more good players, further depleting the bad teams. Thus there are more punching bags and more blowouts games.
2. Equipment. The sticks have evolved and goalies have less time to react. Also goalie equipment has been shrinked.
3. NHL expansion and also the introduction of salary rentention. The best teams can now make room for more good players, further depleting the bad teams. Thus there are more punching bags and more blowouts games.
Just because they can shoot as hard as Hull doesn't mean they have his accuracy, hockey iq, hand eye coordination, timing, etc. It does however let the shots they do manage to get on net get through at a bit higher percentage, which over the course of an 82 game season with 32 teams means quite a few extra goals.
